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Can this new café restore Boat Basin to its former glory?

The founders of Marcel’s believe they can build a better Karachi by doing right by their customers and neighbourhood
Updated 17 Dec, 2017


When Umair Khalili returned home from his studies in London, he discovered he couldn’t quite find a croissant he liked in Karachi.

He realised why soon enough — you simply can’t make good croissants with locally available flour... or butter... or ovens, for that matter — but by then, he was already deeply invested in the art of baking.

Khalili had committed to opening a bread boutique that would satisfy fellow gourmands while raising the bar for Karachi’s café culture, which he felt has been overtaken by mediocre food and service.

Enter Marcels

Upcoming cafe Marcel's will open its doors at the once happening Pizza Hut spot at Boat Basin in February 2018
Upcoming cafe Marcel's will open its doors at the once happening Pizza Hut spot at Boat Basin in February 2018

Come February 2018, Marcel’s will open its doors at Karachi’s Boat Basin, reclaiming the once happening Pizza Hut spot and injecting new life and energy into its environs.

The cafe takes its name from fictional world traveller Marcel Le Roux, the son of perhaps the best bakers of Paris, who embarked on a long-winding journey from Europe across the Mediterranean and Atlantic. After stops in Australia, Japan, Russia and China, Marcel put his adventure to rest in Karachi.

So, what’s on offer at Marcel’s, apart from croissants as good as they have them in Europe?

Among the café’s other specialties are macarons and a spread of sandwiches that includes croque monsier and madame, open face sandwiches on rye toast, BLT and bahn mi. Of course, customers will be spoiled for choice of bread with their meals.

According to Marcel’s co-founder Junaid Aziz, who is meticulously crafting the brand, the essence of this new café is not in the 55 kinds of bread available at its bread boutique, but the customers’ experience of being offered “excellence along every dimension.”

The cafe will boast chic interiors done by Naheed Mashooqullah
The cafe will boast chic interiors done by Naheed Mashooqullah

At Marcel's, customers will not only enjoy high-quality food prepared by a team trained by top chefs and baking consultants but also chic interiors designed by Naheed Mashooqullah, beautiful artwork to illustrate Marcel Le Roux’s story across the store, a playlist that’s been thoughtfully curated over two months and ample space that will accommodate about 160 people.

At the heart of it all is a deep desire to satisfy the customer’s every whim and need.

“The manager at Marcel’s will assess each customer’s individual needs,” tells Aziz. “If they were in any other country, they would get that kind of service. How long will customers get a limited, marginalised experience of life in Pakistan? A more personalised experience is what they deserve.”

"The Pizza Hut at Boat Basin was the place where many people would hang out with their friends or feasted at their first all-you-can-eat Ramazan deal. Through Marcel’s, we want to brighten up Boat Basin again.” — Marcel's co-founder Junaid Aziz

To achieve this personalised experience, Aziz intimately studied the market for Marcel’s and profiled the various types of customers the café could expect to receive. Like, young professionals who are indulgent but still look for value-for-money; or savvy socialities, who are particular about quality and shape the opinions of their following by sharing their positive experiences.

In brief, Marcel’s will be a café that offers great food, ambiance and service. But isn’t that what they all promise?

What’s really different about Marcel’s

We hear stories of the buzzing Karachi of yore — the Paris of the East, as some have called it — but how many can claim to have made an effort to restore the city’s cultural scene to its former glory?

This is one of the reasons why Marcel’s has opened shop in Boat Basin. It wants to recall a better Karachi and help revive one of its iconic locales.

Co-founder Junaid Aziz hopes that Marcel's will encourage other business owners at Boat Basin to improve the look of their eateries
Co-founder Junaid Aziz hopes that Marcel's will encourage other business owners at Boat Basin to improve the look of their eateries

“The Pizza Hut at Boat Basin was the first franchise to come to Pakistan in the mid-90s. At that time, Karachi was the city where every good thing started off from. For many people, it was the place where they would hang out with their friends or got beat up in a phadda for the first time or feasted on their first all-you-can-eat Ramazan deal.”

“It pains me to see how dirty and ugly Boat Basin has become now. Through Marcel’s, we want to brighten up the whole space again,” says Aziz.

The hope is that business owners at Boat Basin will be inspired to improve the look of their eateries and uplift the neighbourhood as a whole.

"How long will customers get a limited, marginalised experience of life in Pakistan?" asks Marcel's co-founder Junaid Aziz. "A more personalised experience is what they deserve.”

Stressing on the need for brands to add value to the neighbourhoods they enter, Aziz talks about how high-end food places in Karachi tend to make people’s lives miserable instead. They add to the traffic woes of a locality and neglect to take action for its upkeep by the authorities, he says.

Most restaurants in Karachi offer very little in terms of an experience, Aziz feels. He says they function more like dukaans or shops, meeting only their customers’ most basic needs like hunger, which could also be fulfilled by a mere 75 rupees.

A Marcel's customer would be crazy in love with authentic cuisine
A Marcel's customer would be crazy in love with authentic cuisine

But customers pay a lot more than that, and Aziz feels that it’s up to customers to ensure they get an experience worth their money.

“Instead of accepting what’s being given to us in the name of customer service, we start asking questions from the brand.” It’s the kind of accountability we ought to seek from bigger institutions.

For these reasons, Aziz wants to see Marcel’s serve as an incubator, to inspire Pakistan’s youth to get pro-active.

“I want Marcel’s customers to come and discuss their ideas instead of gossip about what Kareena Kapoor was wearing or what Ahmed Shehzad did in the last cricket match. I want them to meet interesting, like-minded people and talk about bigger things like what they want to do in life, what they want to do for Pakistan.”


This content has been produced in paid partnership with Marcel's.

Comments

Irfan Ahmad Dec 17, 2017 05:45pm
Very good use of paid content! Building up demand in advance. But follow up needed near the time of opening. Perhaps the fictional story of the baker's travels can be published in installments leading up to the opening?
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Jm Dec 17, 2017 05:48pm
Looks pretty cool!
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Amjad Dec 17, 2017 07:08pm
Great initiative. Wish you all the best Umair Khalili, and hope you give your best price and service for the people of Karachi, and make them feel happy while eating at Marcel Cafe. May Karachi become like Dubai or AbuDhabi, Our Karachi is so far behind.
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Adil Ahmad Dec 17, 2017 09:15pm
Good show! The owners should also look into the KDA's criminal negligence of the Shaheed Benazir Park across the road. Given its proximity to Bilawal House I'm hard pressed to understand the reason for its pathetic state. Marcel should get into a private-public partnership and takeover the maintenance and management as part of Marcel's CSR. Kick out all the sarkari freeloaders presently in occupation of the premises.
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waleed fakhar Dec 17, 2017 10:27pm
@Amjad Karachi has its own significance. I pray for the removal of corrupt and incompetent provincial government. We are pioneer of our own.
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well wisher Dec 17, 2017 10:36pm
Sorry bhai, but you are wasting huge amount of investment. This kind of cuisine is not akin to Pakistani taste. Your costs will baloon while revenue will shrink. Remember in satellite tv. Dawn tv tried English version but could not make a break through. If at all food go for what people like not you dream of.
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Karachiite Dec 18, 2017 01:25am
@well wisher I being a Karachiite, welcome his interest to my city. I'm guessing you don't know how much Karachiites love such foodies, and never let anyone's investment go down. :-) Hopefully, he'll get a good return on his investment.
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Jamal Dec 18, 2017 03:50am
Another foreign concept coming to Pakistan. Food joints are the new fad here.
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Maham Masood Dec 18, 2017 04:37am
For these reasons, Aziz wants to see Marcel’s serve as an incubator, to inspire Pakistan’s youth to get pro-active. I like that - Ted talks style - looks good. All the best
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Khan Dec 18, 2017 07:19am
Karachi is stepping up its game in restaurant decor.
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Khan Dec 18, 2017 09:34am
Saying boat basin has become ugly and dirty is an extremely elitist statement. Most of the offerings there are now catering to all classes with food items that provide most bang for the buck. This eatery will only to a select section of customer and promoting it as some kind of savior for eating out is silly.
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Mubashir Khan Dec 18, 2017 10:02am
Excellent initiative, we need more incubators like these where ideas can flow freely to liberate this beautiful country of ours from it's mediocre chai walas. Good Luck!
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sameer Dec 18, 2017 12:29pm
We really lack of good cafe in karachi. Hope some day bread shops as in europe comes tokarachi, which is affordable to everybody and everywhere.
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Atiqa Gul Dec 18, 2017 12:48pm
Best of Luck! Wish you maintain the standards you're talking of.
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The right wrong Dec 18, 2017 01:01pm
@well wisher You underestimate the bulge in Pakistanis wallets, in the waistlines, and noses (inflated and misplaced egos) The combination of these ensure that any venue of fine dining will stay overbooked.
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Chris roberts Dec 18, 2017 02:57pm
Most major cities around the world have quite an international culinary scene, so why not Karachi? There is no reason why Karachiites should not be able to enjoy food from many lands. A good croissant with a fresh cup of coffee is delicious, as are macarons and other French delights. This is certainly an interesting business venture. All the best to Umair and Junaid. Will definitely visit when in Karachi.
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Asif Jaleel Dec 18, 2017 06:05pm
@Irfan Ahmad More than satire, they would appreciate motivation and support for improving their services in times to come.
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Asif Jaleel Dec 18, 2017 06:08pm
@Mubashir Khan No man is mediocre, however, to be honest, you are inferior if you consider yourself superior.
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Syed Asif Abbas Dec 18, 2017 08:39pm
City needs to find diversity in food choices , offer value to the customer money success will be yours..
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N_Saq Dec 18, 2017 11:37pm
Eliminate three isms from Pak Feudalism, VIPism and Mullahism plus impose superiority of the law and invest in the people via education, technology, science and research and Pakistanis will/can reach the sky.
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Akram Dec 19, 2017 12:32am
Seems like a place for only the elite of karachi.
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Abbas Khan Dec 19, 2017 01:00am
@Chris roberts Depends upon how much is your fresh croissant and coffee. Down two eatery places you can get almost similar (it will be in no time....we are good at copying)10 croissants and 10 cup of coffee for the same price. And how much the elite class will visit this place and just for the sake of the place only? They are better off eating at Creek Club, Karachi club, etc. My two cents!
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Imajes Dec 19, 2017 11:39am
Congrats Marcels. Best wishes for optimum sales. Messrs Umair Khalili and Junaid Aziz, you invested large money in this cafe, hope you guys done a homework before commencing. There are some problems which your customer may feel, the parking problem, the stink in air, which comes across the road from unclean stalked water. The polluted do- darya water is even questionable these days.Anyways we hope you will generate max business, by all means.
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Me Dec 20, 2017 01:28am
Bring back Bhai from London and we will see new Karachi.
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Mian Shaukat Hussain Dec 21, 2017 12:30pm
@Abbas Khan Sir Creek Club and Karachi Club are not exactly known for the food they serve! Sorry this is my experience. We need places which serve good quality hygienic food consistently. Wish you good luck Aziz!!
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Jennifer Dec 22, 2017 06:32pm
I was very happy to read that there is going to be a new cafe at Clifton, Karachi. But what surprised me was the name. Some years gone by I used to make cakes, cupcakes, jams, pickles and go as the name of 'Marcils' which is my aunt's name. Mine was just small part time affair. Now I see the same name spelt differently of course. Rest assured I shall be there as soon as it is opened to try out some of the goodies. I wish you all the best of luck to Umair and Junaid.
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