CHENNAI: With the tinkling of the familiar bell, Yuvaraj stations his ice-cream cart right outside a large familiar arch. “What would you like ma’am?” he asks in clear, unaccented English that he has picked up from years of observing customers. The visitors to the beach pass by his cart, which has an array of cold and creamy delicacies to choose from. ‘Santhiya Ice creams’, reads a cardboard sign.
Pausing to chat with us, he says work begins as early as 10am and during these sweltering summer weekends, he gets an even earlier start and pushes the cart till late in the night, until the last of the beach-goers scurry out of the sands. “This has been our very spot for 35 years,” exclaims the young lad, who makes quick work calls on his cellphone.
With a small investment, he recounts how his father decided to start selling ice cream on the Marina Beach shores back in the day and how this was a steady income for their family. Asked how it was successful, his reply is instant.
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We don’t try to associate ourselves with a big brand. We try to support local ice cream makers,” he says, pointing to the selection on his printed menu card. Although bearing an unfamiliar name, customers gobbling up ice cream sticks on a sultry summer evening look as satisfied as ever.
Supporting local brands not only eased his way into the vendor community but also helps him take home a marginally higher profit. Being the only son and having already decided to take up his father’s business, Yuvaraj recounts how he spent most of the initial years acquainting himself with vendors along the Marina promenade.
“Being part of the beach vendor community is quite an arduous process. It took us years to find a permanent place here,” remarks Yuvaraj, while helping out nearby shopkeeper friends with change.
He explains how every little shop at the beach front dates back many years, and how most have descended down two generations pushing the same cart today. “We don’t have that kind of history, but what we do have is good quality stuff and at the end of the day, that’s all matters,” he says.