A well-known figure in the restaurant business, AD Singh has been at the forefront of the Indian hospitality industry for the last 28 years. Since 1990 he has encouraged the growth of the „standalone‟ restaurant concept in India, giving it direction, confidence, leadership and definition. Born in Delhi in 1960, AD moved to Mumbai at a young age, attending the well known Cathedral and John Connon School. Soon after college, a scholarship at Lafayette took him to Pennsylvania to earn a degree that got him into the blue-chip companies TCS and Cadbury‟s on his return to India. But AD wanted more. He discarded his suit and tie to spend a year with various NGOs, and wrote a weekly food column for The Metropolis - a part of The Times Group – in the 1990s. It was only in 1988 that he found his true calling when he organised a party on a barge to celebrate his sister's wedding. The party was a huge success, and AD set up his first F&B venture, a boat party planning service he called Party Lines. AD‟s emphasis on hard work, great design, innovation, investment in people, service and product quality, and customer delight, has been the trademark of his success. Well-spoken, kind, and inquisitive, AD Singh has always understood the importance of building long-standing relationships with his partners. He has provided a professional platform to many of his protégés and chefs, launching them to become the industry‟s next rising stars. Their achievements are a testament to his own success as a nurturer of brands and people. AD has always launched sharply detailed and carefully conceptualized restaurants. His limitations in formal training and financial backing led him to rely heavily on creativity, ideas, and his gut when it came to building his brands.
AD made his restaurant business debut in 1990 with Just Desserts, a jazz café that served only coffee and desserts. Immensely successful and filling a huge void in the casual dining space, the restaurant was described by India Today as the „phenomenon of the nineties‟. In the year 2000, Union Park in Bandra was a sleepy neighbourhood, except for a somewhat persistent hammering behind closed blue doors. When AD opened Olive, he changed the way that Bombay perceived the suburbs, and introduced the city to Mediterranean cuisine, complete with a lazy and timeless dining experience.
In 2003, AD opened The Olive Bar and Kitchen in New Delhi, which was honoured among the „best new restaurants in the world‟ by Condé Nast Traveler. Soon, Olive became one of the most popular and bestloved restaurant brands in the country, winning numerous awards and accolades across Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru – where, in 2005, AD opened Olive Beach in a quaint bungalow. In 2018, the much awaited (for 17 years) Olive Bar and Kitchen launched in an alfresco space situated on the stunning Vagator beach of North Goa, with a casual, rustic ambience of signature all-white walls overlooking the Arabian Sea.
Olive Bistro embodies the spirit of Olive in a more affordable and casual avatar. In 2013, Olive Bistro opened in Hyderabad, and two years later in Goregaon, Mumbai.
Almost two decades later, Olive has become legendary in restaurant circles; and despite a voracious reading habit, a fondness for jazz and sports, and a love for the finer things in life, AD has launched 15 restaurant brands throughout the country. He is credited with many „firsts‟ in the Indian restaurant scene. Bombay‟s first floating bar - Suzy Wong, India‟s first gastropub - Monkey Bar, Olive - the country‟s first truly standalone restaurant, and Guppy - one of India‟s first Japanese restaurants
Some of AD‟s recent successes include SodaBottleOpenerWala – a Bombay Irani Café & Bar that serves typical Parsi and Irani specialties and pearls from the streets of Bombay and it's old-world clubs. Ek Bar in Delhi - a new Indian cocktail bar serving a fresh, regionally-inspired modern menu and award-winning innovative cocktails. Olly at DLF CyberHub, Gurugram - Olive‟s new all-day café. Here, freshly roasted coffee, bespoke drinks and honest food blend with a laid-back vibe. The Hoppery, Hyderabad - The Olive Group‟s first microbrewery; nestled between lush foliage, boasting a gorgeous lake view, with seating spread across a quaint glasshouse, an alfresco space and a wooden deck.
Other notable names under the Olive umbrella are Lady Baga - the Goan Beach Shack in Mumbai, The Grammar Room - an all-day cafe borne out of a mutual love for grammar, food and coffee, The Fatty Bao - an Asian gastro-bar, and the East Village, NYC inspired and gastronomically curious - Toast & Tonic

Every restaurant of the Olive Group is known for its unique design, and Ms. Sabina Singh is the creative mind behind it all, powering the brand‟s success. Sabina imbibes each restaurant with its own thematic soul, influencing its vibe and personality. Preferring the hands-on approach, she works closely with architects to bring her concepts to life. Sabina derives a lot of inspiration from her travels across the world and is constantly evolving her aesthetic philosophy
Most recently, together with Interior and Product Designer Shweta Kaushik, Sabina was instrumental in refreshing the decor and design of Olive Bar & Kitchen for its 17th anniversary. She installed a full kitchen garden, created a pickle bar where the Chef could interact with customers, and entirely revamped the bar and surrounding space, making it more relevant to current audiences. All while maintaining Olive Bar & Kitchen's familiar and comfortable boho-chic vibe.
For SodaBottleOpenerWala – a Bombay Irani café & bar, Sabina was tasked with re-creating and preserving the fading charm of an iconic culture. Delving deep into the unique world of the Irani café and its nuances, Sabina worked with Architect Clement DeSylva to manifest her ideas into reality. Today, SodaBottleOpenerWala is one of the most successful concept restaurants in the country.
From hammocks, handmade dream catchers and bead curtains, to brocade cholis and tie-dye cushions, Sabina and Clement DeSylva perfectly recreated the chilled-out sussegad vibe for Lady Baga - the Goan Beach Shack in Mumbai. With mattresses and laid-back seating, sand, bamboo reeds and matted banana leaves, Lady Baga became a complete visual experience and an homage to the Goa that has charmed travellers for decades. Perched atop a cliff, overlooking the gorgeous Vagator beach, Olive‟s latest avatar blends in with the blissful vibe of the scenic landscape. Sabina's vision for Olive Bar and Kitchen, Goa was to create an alfresco space with the casual, rustic ambience of signature all-white walls, in perfect harmony with the cliffs, the crashing waves, and the deep blue sea.
Sabina also designed The Grammar Room - an all-day cafe borne out of a mutual love for grammar, food and coffee. A beautiful space that extends into the rich foliage of the Delhi Ridge Forest, The Grammar Room features large glass windows, printed tiles and upholstery, and upcycled furniture juxtaposed with cane, wicker and marble top accents, with Edison lights and iPods mounted on the walls. While designing a restaurant, Sabina feels it is important that the customers connect with the product at an emotional level. She prefers to mix contemporary and vintage elements to create something truly nostalgic, memorable and wonderful.

Chef Vikram Khatri‟s quite the ninja in the kitchen. In 1999, he joined India‟s first Japanese restaurant Sakura at the Metropolitan Hotel, New Delhi, where he spent seven years learning the craft, nuances, and technique behind Japan‟s most famous dishes. Fresh off the Sukara boat, he came aboard the Olive Group as a core team member for ai. After a short stint at the modern Japanese restaurant Ocean Room in Sydney, ai called him back home. Chef VK, as he is fondly called, is fiercely devoted to freshness, hygiene and technique. With Guppy, he explores Japan‟s bold striking flavours; infusing spice, tang, and the exotic all in one bite. And at Hello Guppy, he‟s given Japanese food a light-hearted touch. Leading the team that has brought many awards and accolades, including Best Japanese Restaurant, Best Sushi Chef, and Top 100 Dishes of Delhi, Chef VK was named International Chef of the Year at the 7th International Chef's Award in 2010.

A product of IHM Bhopal, Chef Saurabh Saran dove into the Olive Bar & Kitchen‟s training program in 2007. Working under illustrious chefs, he‟s dabbled in different genres of cuisine till he bagged a spot at Guppy, Olive‟scontemporaryJapaneserestaurant. Treating cooking as an art and a way to express emotions and love, Chef Saurabh has gone on to win awards and accolades for both, Olive and Guppy, bagging Gold, Bronze and Merit at the Indian Culinary Forum held in Delhi over the years. Despite enormous success under his belt, he looks to dive in deeper. He says, “Working with some of the greatest chefs, my journey in the culinary world has just begun. I have a long way to go and learn from so many things happening across the culinary map.”