THE STORY BEHIND THE WORK

Rooted in India.
Shaped by the room.

I started behind the bar. Over time, my work grew to include the room around it: the team, the operation and the experience a guest takes away.

My early years at Cocktails & Dreams in New Delhi laid the foundations of cocktail preparation and bar service. Roles with JW Marriott Kolkata, Indore Marriott and Sheraton Grand Chennai broadened that foundation into restaurant and food and beverage leadership.

At Sanjh Restaurant & Bar in Irving, Texas, I bring that experience to beverage development, service standards and team training. Indian ingredients and familiar flavour memories remain a recurring thread in my work.

Akash Kushwaha at the bar
Akash Kushwaha · Hospitality & beverage leadership
INDIA & THE UNITED STATES

A career,
in chapters.

Every new role brought a different room, a different team and a wider perspective on hospitality.

Now in Irving, Texas
2024PRESENTTivona RestaurantsManager of MixologyTexas, United States

My current role includes serving as Manager of Mixology at Sanjh Restaurant & Bar. My broader work with Tivona spans restaurant concepts, beverage programs, pre-opening activities, vendor relationships and team development.

Beverage leadership · Multi-concept operations
20212024Sheraton GrandChennai Resort & SpaRestaurant Manager → Assistant F&B ManagerChennai, India

I joined as Restaurant Manager in October 2021 and moved into the Assistant Food & Beverage Manager role in January 2023. My responsibilities included restaurant operations, beverage initiatives, team training and service across the resort’s dining outlets.

Restaurant leadership · Resort F&B operations
20192021MarriottRestaurants & Beverage ManagerIndore, India

My work in Indore combined restaurant operations with beverage strategy, including wine and cocktail programs designed around the dining experience.

Beverage strategy · Dining operations
20182019JW MarriottAssistant Restaurant ManagerKolkata, India

At JW Marriott Kolkata, I worked on operations at Gold, with responsibilities across service standards, team training, operating procedures and guest engagement.

Team development · Guest engagement
20132018Cocktails & DreamsBartender → MixologistNew Delhi, India

Beginning as a bartender in September 2013, I moved into a mixologist role in January 2015. This period developed my hands-on experience in cocktail preparation, menu development, event service and bar operations.

Mixology · Bar service · Beverage development
20102013The foundationsIndustrial & management trainingNew Delhi & Chennai, India

Industrial training at The Grand, New Delhi, from January to June 2010 introduced me to professional hospitality. A management trainee role at Sterling Holiday Resorts, Chennai, from July 2012 to July 2013 developed that foundation through practical service and beverage experience.

The Grand, New Delhi · Sterling Holiday Resorts

Flavour has
a memory.

Paan, jaggery, sandalwood, saffron, curry leaf and raw mango carry a familiarity that goes beyond flavour. They connect a drink to a place, an ingredient or a memory.

I explore those connections through contemporary cocktail techniques, alongside the practical details that make a beverage programme work: preparation, consistency, training and service.

Discover the drinks portfolio
PROGRESS THROUGH RESPONSIBILITY

A few
defining moments.

Milestones that broadened my responsibilities and my perspective on hospitality.

2023Food & beverage leadershipSheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa

Promoted to Assistant Food & Beverage Manager in January 2023, with responsibilities across resort dining, beverage initiatives and team training.

India
US
Experience across marketsIndia & the United States

Experience with Marriott and Sheraton in India, followed by restaurant and beverage operations in the United States.

Opening
& service
Creative & operational rangeFrom concept to everyday service

Work spanning pre-opening preparation, beverage development, team training and the everyday operation of restaurant concepts.