The secret to success is indeed an undying passion to pursue something that you love doing, besides hard work and determination. In the July edition of Ritz, South India’s leading lifestyle magazine, we catch up with two dynamic personalities from Chennai who share their inspiring stories. Both of them carved a niche for themselves and worked their way up the hard way. Presenting Siddharth Kannan, fitness model, trainer and actor and Anitha Sivakumar, the founder of the South Indian restaurant chain, Parambriym.
Written by Riya Sonny Datson
Photography: Maheshwar Singh
Styling: Sunil Karthik
Location Courtesy: Novotel, Chamiers Road
Hair & Makeup: Page 3 Luxury Salon and Makeover Studio, Chennai
What inspired you to be a restaurateur?
It was not a deep passion or an overnight decision to start a restaurant or a brand like Parambriym. But, since I belonged to a joint family, cooking came easily and it was the one skill that I had mastered over the years. So I decided to make use of my talent in my business as well.
Was it a challenge to present traditional recipes to an urban crowd?
Not really. At Parambriym we have used authentic traditional recipes that have been handed down for generations. I personally feel traditional cuisine is something we don’t get tired of. Unfortunately, today we don’t find such delicacies at home because people don’t have the time to make them and they opt for faster and easier recipes. Even during the festive season, the trend is to order from a restaurant or buy ready-made sweets. The whole idea behind the brand is to make people feel at home and give them a sense of ‘going back to their roots’. The experience should remind them of fond culinary memories and traditions of food.
What would be your personal favourite at Parambriym?
Most of the items on the menu are my favourites. I love the Biryani, our special seafood delicacies like the prawn fry and the Parambriym special chicken to name a few.
What do you think is the secret behind your success?
I think the proof of the pudding is in the eating. At Parambriym, we are very particular about the quality of the products served. We don’t use any artificial additives and all the masalas – even the basic ones like the chilli or dhania are hand-picked and ground in-house. When it comes to food promotions, we always try to ensure that our food festivals are very unique and different each year.
There have been a lot of changes in the food industry like for example the food delivery partners…how has the dynamics affected the restaurant?
It has definitely helped to boost our business! With the advent of Zomato and Swiggy, sales have literally doubled. In the busy hectic schedules that people have today, it is difficult to drive down to a restaurant especially on a week day. So these delivery apps help us to deliver food right at our customer’s doorstep which is really helping us!
What do you think is the biggest challenge to be a restauranteur?
Maintaining quality. It is extremely difficult to maintain the consistency and the quality. Our team works round the clock to ensure high standards. It is 365 days and 24/7 work for us – we have to forego even our holidays. Getting trained labour is another challenge. Customers today can be very demanding but it also helps us to be on our toes and stay on track.
What is your biggest learning and your biggest regret?
I have learnt that age does not matter and that if you work hard, you will succeed. I am really happy that I have been able to channel my talent into a successful business venture. My only regret is that, I wish I had started Parambriym at least ten years earlier.
What is in the pipeline for Parambriym?
We plan to open more outlets in India and we also want to expand our presence in the international arena.
Address: Parambriym, No.W 126, 1st floor, 3rd Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai (Near Kanthasamy Naidu College)
Call: 044 2626 5556 / 7
