CHENNAI: Amid canvases and photographs of The Beatles, Charlie Chaplin, Sundar Pichai, Steven Spielberg, Hedy Lamarr and Elvis Presley, among others, at multi-cuisine restaurant Haven Sampoorna (Besant Nagar), the words ‘You are the only person on earth who can use your ability’ by American author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, finds a place on the joint’s ‘Thought of the day’ board. As we pause, acknowledge the words of wisdom, and let it simmer, the restaurant’s founder, NR Mahendran joins us. Over a cuppa of hot coffee and a few slices of lip-smacking cheese toast, he says, “Each artwork has a story to tell and has distinct attitudes – one that enabled these personalities to rise and be successful. Many of which, I have been able to relate to and identify with even in my journey. That pushed me to incorporate aesthetic pieces and imageries of those attitudes on the walls of my venture.” As for the quote, during our hour-long conversation with the restaurateur, it becomes clearer and easier for us to relate his life to Ziglar’s words.
Excerpts follow:
Can you walk us through your transition from being a small-time mechanic with a garage to a busy restaurateur?
I was always clear that I wanted to be my own boss. But, when I arrived at that decision, it took a while for me to decide on what I would do to sustain myself. So, after graduation, I decided to learn to service two-wheelers. Then, I went on to procure a sum of `10,000 from the government under the educated unemploymed youth loan. In 1987, I started my first garage in Pallavaram and ever since, it’s been an interesting ride. Though we had a slow start, soon, customers began trickling in and, within a few years, I rented out a bigger workshop and even started a garage for cars. By 2001, I expanded the business and started a workshop in Velachery. After eight years, I decided to give wings for my love for cooking and turned the garage into a restaurant — a 16-seater, named Haven Global. And true to the name, along with a small team, I introduced multiple cuisines and dished out to customers everything from burgers, pasta to vadai and dosai. A diverse menu was a novelty back then. We did have our slow days but the business eventually picked up at our vegetarian diner. In 2013, we launched our second eatery, here, in Besant Nagar. It’s been a journey of hard work, trial-and-error and experiments, all peppered with several takeaways. Most importantly, the community around us helped us build the business with their trust and support.
What is your venture’s USP?
Customers, when they pay for a product, look at it from three different perspectives — quality, quantity and experience. Here, while we strive to deliver all three, quality is what we lay our emphasis on. We have a standard operating procedure of around 20 minutes to deliver an order. This is primarily because food is made fresh, to-order. We make and assemble food like it would be done at home. We are not in a hurry to serve the food within minutes because of our focus on serving quality and nothing less.
You have a ‘thought of the day’ board at your entrance. Do you live by any specific philosophy?
We shy away from many things, always keeping in mind what the society might think and perceive. In the process, we lose the present. But, sometimes, we have to realise the potential of our abilities, tap it and take the leap. Having said that, I also believe that there is a certain ‘X’ factor — perhaps, luck — that plays a role in shaping success. Once, Ratan Tata, in an interview, said he believes in luck. While intuitiveness and hard work are vital for growth, luck too plays a role. I acknowledge that. I also am mindful that we should enjoy and savour the journey while being focused on the destination. It’s holistic.
We see a lot of The Beatles around us. Is it a reflection of your taste in music?
Growing up, I listened to a lot of The Beatles, Rod Stewart and Pink Floyd. But, my exposure to these bands and artistes came from a very unlikely place. Living in Mylapore, amid the ubiquitous presence of MS Subbulakshmi’s voice and music, I once heard the sound of western music coming from an unassuming house. So, I used to spend time standing out, listening to it. I wanted to share the experience and introduced the genre of music in my household. I continue to share the joy by ensuring that our restaurant’s music system plays good music, round the clock. We have customers who even request specific songs. Our playlist is even starred with customer favourites. We ensure we present an experience that is personal, memorable and enjoyable.
Where did your love for cooking stem from?
It came from my personal exploration to make food that I felt was appetising to my standard. Even as a youngster, I had very strong preferences as to what I have to eat and how it was made. For instance, I liked my dosai to be crispy. So, instead of expecting someone to make it a certain way for me, I learned to do it myself. I even learned a few tricks from a local eatery. Once you drizzle the tawa with sesame oil, cut an onion into half and rub it on the tawa; pour the dosai batter, and use a flat-bottomed davara to spread it into a thin film. This process helps you improve the crispiness of the dosai.
This interest in cooking slowly spilled into my adulthood as well. I cook for my family during weekends; anything south Indian, especially sambar, chilli parotta, masala for the dosai and dosai are some of my signature dishes. But now, since my daughter is away pursuing her higher education, I have pressed pause on it. Her remarks usually give me the impetus to cook again. So, I am waiting for her to come back.
How has business fared during the pandemic? What are your plans for 2021?
We opened over a month ago for dine-in and are slowly getting back on our feet. While drop-ins are fewer than usual, deliveries and takeaways have spiked. We are also getting bulk food orders for intimate house gatherings. Those who choose to dine in, spend lesser time soaking in the ambience due to the fear of the pandemic. So, they place the order, eat and head out. We are adjusting to the new normal, keeping in mind the customer’s safety. That’s our priority. We have also created DIY food kits for people to buy and prepare from the comfort of their home.We have been tracking how other countries are tiding through. Some have announced a second lockdown due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. So, until December, we will not be ramping up anything. Our focus is on retaining the current flow and to increase it gradually. However, I am hopeful and confident that by January 2021, the overall situation will get better.