Indienne

Jun 7

CLIENT

Indienne

OVERVIEW

Indienne, a progressive Indian fine dining restaurant helmed by Executive Chef/Owner Sujan Sarkar debuted in Chicago's River North neighborhood in September 2022. Its mission was to challenge stereotypes and redefine narratives surrounding Indian cuisine in America, aiming to establish itself as a premier destination in Chicago's culinary landscape and garner national recognition. Indienne offers a diverse array of tasting menus (non-vegetarian, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian) and has become known for its affordability and approachability within the fine dining sphere, while Chef Sarkar represents the vanguard of contemporary Indian chefs elevating Indian cuisine in America.

GOAL

Bolster Media partnered with Indienne in August 2022 to orchestrate the restaurant's opening campaign and subsequent PR endeavors. The primary objectives were twofold: to establish Indienne as the pinnacle of Indian fine dining in Chicago and elevating the national profile of Chef Sarkar (and key team members). Long-term aspirations revolved around maintaining a robust media presence, achieving Michelin and/or James Beard recognition, earning a place on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list, and fostering nationwide appreciation for Indian food and culture while keeping Sarkar in these conversations.

APPROACH

Our PR strategy kicked off by pulling together compelling press materials that spotlighted Indienne's brand narrative and chef Sarkar's career thus far. Targeted outreach engaged notable Chicago media outlets across print, online, and broadcast platforms, generating impactful local coverage to get the attention of critics and consumers alike. Indienne was reviewed by Time Out Chicago, The Infatuation Chicago, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, and CS Magazine, and was also covered in several other top tier local publications.
We also invited targeted local press and tastemakers to come in to experience the restaurant, hoping word would spread organically.
Indienne was named on several "Hot Lists" including The Infatuation Chicago, USA10 Best, Chicago Magazine, and Eater Chicago, and was also included in "Best New Restaurant" round ups by Chicago Magazine and InsideHook Chicago later that year.
We continued with this strategy on the national mediascape, prioritizing those with influence over national "Best of" lists. Indienne was included in Esquire, Bon Appetit, and Robb Report's annual "Best New Restaurants" lists as a result.
Indienne chose not to pursue collaborations with content creators or influencers, in an effort to maintain authentic and organic engagements versus trend-driven marketing tactics.
To sustain momentum and ensure Indienne remained in the culinary conversation, Bolster regularly provided updates to the media, spotlighting new seasonal menus, offerings, and events, and strategically engaged in events with notable entities like JBF and Chicago Magazine to enhance visibility and credibility among our target audience.

RESULTS

MEDIA & PUBLICATION COVERAGE

This PR case study exemplifies how a well-executed strategy can propel a new restaurant to prominence within its category, garner critical acclaim, and drive substantial business growth.

Esquire Magazine's "Best New Restaurants in America" (2022)

– Indienne

Robb Report’s “Best of the Best: 10 Best New Restaurants in America” (2023)

– Indienne

Bon Appetit’s “Best New Restaurants in America” (2023)

– Indienne

Yelp’s “25 Best New Restaurants” (2023)

– Indienne

Jean Banchet Awards “Best New Restaurant” (2024)

– Indienne

One Star Michelin Guide USA (2024)

– Indienne