Piping hot businesses

CHENNAI:While Rayar’s Mess might be a tiny place, tucked away on an unlaid side-road near Kapaleeshwarar temple, the lane is a well-frequented one. This mess, barely 10X10 feet, has customers queued outside, on a Sunday morning, hoping the kitchen hasn’t run out of pongal for the day. “We’ve seen fights break out, too. But people in the area know that if they want pongal, they must come before 8.30 am,” laughs Manoj Kumar, whose grandfather started the mess in 1935.

The kitchen runs for three hours in the morning and evening, and the menu is fixed. Pongal, idli, vada in the morning; and rava dosa, adai, onion rava dosa in the evening, with jangri and bonda as accompaniments. “And no tea, only freshly brewed filter coffee,” adds Manoj. The menu, fixed price, regular customers, and most importantly, employee perks, seem to be the secret behind businesses that have sustained in the city despite rapid development.

Another such place is the ever-crowded Chicago Hotel in Kamaraj Avenue, Adyar. For over a decade, their prices have barely increased with tea, tiffin items, and meals ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 40. But what stands out about the tea shop, are the benefits employees receive. “After working for 300 days, we get a gold ring. At the end of a year, we get one month bonus. And, on Diwali and May 1 (Labour Day), we get new clothes,” says Sugathan TT, who has worked as the shop’s cashier for the last 33 years. He is glad that the working hours are only from 7 am to 5 pm, and he makes Rs 600 a day, while the servers and tea master are paid similarly.

The owners of some of these shops have learnt the techniques of running a successful business, and often pass it on to their children. As with Karthik Tiffin Centre, a joint that is known for its high quality food at very low prices, Karthik Dayalan says he knows the dos and don’ts of running a joint from his mother. “When my father passed away in 1989, my mother started the place to support me and my sister. We used to sell idlis for Rs 1, and today we have kept the price low at Rs 6,” he shares.

Both Karthik and Manoj are working professionals with private firms in the city. While Manoj quit his job recently, since the business was doing well, Karthik is yet to make the switch. But will age-old menus and tactics help them grow their family’s businesses? Sagin CK believes otherwise. His father started Sarovar Tea Shop, Mylapore, over 40 years ago, and until last year, the place retained its old charm. “Since shops in the area have come up rapidly, we decided to renovate our place to get more customers. And while I don’t work here full-time, I’m soon thinking of opening up online sales and explore home-delivery options for tea and biscuits too,” shared Sagin.

These businesses make a profit of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 a day, and attend to about 15 regular customers at all hours. Karthik and his mother share that just like they rely on their customers for a livelihood, their regular visitors rely on them for a satisfactory bite or meal too. “We see both well-to-do people and daily wage workers come to our place. And we make it a point to greet them all. And of course, maintain the same quality of food, so customers will come back looking for us,” shares Karthik.

Tips to make the business successful
●    Employee perks and bonus
●    Standard menu, with no compromise on quality
●    Equal treatment of all customers
●    Low but steady rise in prices
●    Shorter working hours for employees

Making the switch
Both Karthik, Karthik Tiffin Centre and Manoj, Rayar’s Mess, are working professionals with private firms in the city. While Manoj quit his job recently, since the business was doing well, Karthik is yet to make the switch.

Perks at the hotel
Employees of Chicago Hotel work from 7 am to 5 pm. They get a year-end bonus and also new clothes on Diwali and Labour Day