Techie opens up his own tea cafe in Chennai

Chennai: Most of you would have heard the words, ‘Oru tea sollu machaan’, in movies.

But, Arumbakkam resident Dinesh B, in the city, who has completed BE Electronics and has worked in many multi-national companies, has named his new venture as ‘Oru tea sollu’.

It might look weird, but for a tea shop, this name is spot on. Yes, an engineer has opened a tea shop in the locality.

It’s located on Mugappair Road, Golden Colony. This reporter had a chat with Dinesh to know whether his decision was due to height of unemployement in the country or something else.

Excerpts:

Q: Why did you shift from engineering to tea business?

A: I found the prospects in tea business much better and much easier than that of software profession. So, I made a plunge after a lot of research and experience visiting shops in the area.

Q: What made you name your shop as ‘Oru tea sollu’?

A: My native place is Rajapalayam. But my family got settled in Padi long ago. During my college days, my friends and I use the words, ‘Oru tea sollu machaan’ often in tea shops. These words are in mind and that’s how this name emerged. When you spell these Tamil words, you will definitely feel the urge to drink a cup of tea.

Q: Let us know more about your venture.

A: I took a survey consulting with friends and neighbours. Nearly, nine out of 10 said ‘No’ and suggested to find some other place. But still I chose this location because I believed that quality products and services will definitely attract customers. On a similar note the business is also quite good.

Q: As a businessman, have you faced any bad instances so far?

A: Yes, one day a teenager came here and called his friend over phone to come to ‘tea kadai’. I got angry because I spent a lot to develop my shop as a utility cafe with air-conditioning and never wanted anyone to tag it as a mere tea shop. Later, I took it positively. People who come here discuss a lot.

Q: What makes customers come again and again?

A: I never use dust tea for preparation. I use original tea leaves. So, the taste is good and remains in the tongue for a long time. Many customers have said they drank real tea after a long time. Only for this reason, customers are coming here again and again. Some complained that the colour of my tea is not good. But after tasting, they learnt that real tea leaves won’t have dark brown colour.

Q: Is it easy to do this business?

A: Not that easy. One must have enough patience. Recently, five customers came and ordered tea with different tastes. It’s very difficult to remember all the orders.