Business of Experience Perspective – Sumedha Mahajan, Founder, Brakefree Cafe

Sumedha Mahajan is the founder of [Brakefree Cafe](https://www.hospemag.me/cms/brakefree-cafe-a-quiet-new-spot-to-eat-read-and-unwind-in-pali-hill), which sits inside a bookstore in Pali Hill, Bandra. A Forbes-listed author, long-distance runner and former national-level lawn tennis player, she sees hospitality as creating spaces that make people feel better than when they walked in. With Brakefree, she brings together her belief in mindful living, good food and the simple joy of slowing down. For Hospemag’s Business of Experience series, she shares her thoughts on designing experiences that feel genuine, purposeful and memorable.

**Q: What separates a good hospitality experience from a truly memorable one?**

A good experience satisfies you, but a memorable one stays with you. At Brakefree, we want people to remember how they felt in the space, whether it was enjoying their favourite coffee with a book, having an unhurried conversation or simply finding a quiet moment for themselves.

**Q: How do you build a culture where employees actively look for opportunities to create better experiences?**

It starts with making them understand that hospitality is about serving people, not just serving food. At Brakefree, our philosophy of ‘Kaar Seva Bhaav’ encourages the team to look at every interaction as an opportunity to make someone’s day a little better.

**Q: What is the difference between an experience that creates value for the guest and one that simply creates cost for the operator?**

The difference is purpose. If something genuinely improves the guest’s experience, it creates value. If it is done only because it looks impressive or follows a trend, it can quickly become an unnecessary cost.

**Q: How do you turn local culture, food, people and stories into genuine experiences rather than staged attractions?**

You have to let the place speak for itself. At Brakefree, the bookstore is a natural part of the experience. There is no need to manufacture a story when people can genuinely browse books, sit down with coffee and spend time in a way that feels natural.

**Q: Will the future of hospitality be about increasingly elaborate experiences or increasingly simple ones?**

I think there will always be room for both, but simplicity is becoming increasingly valuable. People are constantly surrounded by noise and stimulation. Sometimes, a good coffee, a comfortable space and a book are all you need.

**Q: How much should an experience be scripted, and where should employees have the freedom to improvise?**

The basics should be consistent, but warmth cannot be scripted. Employees should have enough freedom to respond naturally to the person in front of them. That is where genuine hospitality happens.

**Q: How much of the guest experience ultimately depends on the employee delivering it?**

A great deal. You can design a beautiful space and create a thoughtful menu, but the person interacting with the guest brings all of it to life. Hospitality is ultimately human.

**Q: How do you determine whether an experience is generating real business value?**

Of course, sales and repeat visits matter, but I also look at whether people choose to stay longer, return with friends or recommend the space. When people want to come back, you know you have created something meaningful.

**Q: What role will AI play in the future of experience design?**

AI can help us understand preferences, improve efficiency and personalise certain aspects of hospitality. But it cannot replace human warmth. The best use of technology is to support the experience, not become the experience.

**Q: How do you design for anticipation before the guest even arrives?**

By creating a clear sense of what the place stands for. When someone hears that they can walk into a bookstore, pick up a book and enjoy it with their favourite coffee and small bites, they already begin imagining the experience.

**Q: Can experiences be measured in commercial terms, and if so, what should we actually be measuring?**

Yes. Repeat customers, dwell time, average spends, referrals and customer feedback are useful indicators. But hospitality also has a less tangible measure: whether people genuinely enjoyed being there.

**Q: Which moments in the guest journey deserve the most attention?**

The first impression, the welcome and the final interaction are particularly important. But I also think the quiet moments in between matter. Is the guest comfortable? Do they have what they need? Are they enjoying their time without feeling rushed?

**Q: What are the small details that guests may never consciously notice but that fundamentally change an experience?**

The pace of service, the cleanliness, the music, lighting, how a table is set and, most importantly, how someone is spoken to. Guests may not consciously identify these things, but they definitely feel them.

**Q: Has personalisation genuinely improved hospitality experiences, or has it sometimes made them feel more transactional?**

Personalisation works when it feels thoughtful rather than calculated. Remembering someone's preferences can make them feel valued. But if every interaction feels like data being used to sell something, the warmth disappears.

**Q: Has the hospitality industry overused the word ‘experience’ to the point that it has lost some of its meaning?**

Perhaps. Experience has become a very broad word. For me, it is much simpler. It is about how a guest feels during and after their time with you.

**Q: Can genuine warmth and hospitality be trained, or can you only train the behaviours around it?**

You can train behaviours, but genuine warmth comes from within. What you can do as an operator is create a culture where kindness, attentiveness and respect are valued every day.

**Q: What is one shift that you think the industry is underestimating?**

I think we are underestimating the value of slowing down. People are increasingly looking for spaces where they can disconnect from constant stimulation. Hospitality does not always have to entertain us. Sometimes it should simply give us room to breathe.

**Q: What happens when the employee experience and guest experience are out of sync?**

Guests feel it immediately. If employees are stressed, disengaged or unhappy, it eventually reflects in the service. Taking care of your team is therefore not separate from taking care of your guests.

**Q: How important is a property's sense of place in creating an experience that cannot easily be replicated elsewhere?**

It is extremely important. A sense of place gives a property its identity. At Brakefree, being part of a bookstore in Pali Hill is not just our location. It is a fundamental part of what the experience is. You can enjoy a coffee anywhere, but enjoying it while surrounded by books creates a very different feeling.