Chennai’s bread baron serves masala dosas on Swiss Alps

The professor-turned hospitality-magnate knows the bread and confectionery business inside out. Having started out with a single Hot Breads outlet in 1989, he went out to establish it as a popular brand, taking it to Dubai in 1995.  The first-generation entrepreneur is now at the helm of 70 hospitality-related ventures across the world, a job that he takes seriously. Having never missed the opportunity of identifying potential markets, he tells us, “I have 40 Hot Breads outside India which are fully owned by me. I have 290-plus global partnerships in place functioning in key locations including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Melbourne, New York, Paris and Amsterdam.” 

In 1998, a meeting with Annachi (as the owner of HSB hospitality chain is referred to) led to a partnership between the two specialists – of dosa and bread. Two years later, Dubai marked HSB’s debut in the global cuisine segment. The footfalls in their two-storeyed 160-seat pure vegetarian outlet entrenched them in the business taking the newly-forged partnership to great heights. “Customers who came from Sharjah and Muscat (Oman) were willing to wait in 1-km-long queues for our  meals,” he notes, citing the brand’s pull and authenticity as the key reasons for driving business. 

Two years ago, a similar experiment was replicated in Hong Kong. After initial troubles of getting visas for workers’, a 78-seater HSB came up on the fourth floor at an upmarket location, which is a hub for global majors such as Gucci. “Recognition as the world’s largest vegetarian restaurant chain proved to be a big advantage, enabling smooth visa processing. We are able to successfully cater to customers in this area,” says Mahadevan. 

A city in Indonesia and Zurich in Switzerland are the next two locations, where the restaurateur-backed HSB will be making inroads soon. “We have signed the agreement for the outlet in Zurich and other formalities are being completed. These will be launched soon,” he said. 

When asked about the rationale behind entering these markets, Mahadevan was quick to respond, “The lure of a virgin market and the idea of vegetarianism catching up. In Zurich, people are going meatless on Mondays, which is good for our business.” Like HSB, other two successful working relationships that  have clicked are Anjappar and Kailash Parbat. “On December 14, we will be opening the 36th Anjappar restaurant in Melbourne,” says Mahadevan, who believes that the food business is best run by owners. From sambar specialisation  to specialty breads to innovative spreads such as cheese naan (sells like hot cakes in Paris) and samosas (eaten like a pizza by the Westerners), the ability to cater to a diverse palate has kept the globe-trotting entrepreneur and his collaborations with home-grown brands sustainable. Benjarong, China Town, Ente Keralam, Le Chocolatier, Oriental Banquets, Oriental Inn, Planet Yumm, Teppan, The French Loaf, Wang’s Kitchen and Sera the Tapas Bar and Restaurant are the A to Z of the brands that Mahadevan has been managing for over three decades now. Giving insights on how he has identified his partners, he talks about the Mumbai-based Kailash Parbat, whose Sindhi background lent the authenticity to kulfi and falooda in the hospitality sector. “We took a calculated risk of finalising 9,000 sqft space in Singapore for bringing Kailash Parbat there,” Mahadevan says, adding the comfort of doing business with international players such as Chinese or Singaporeans is that they stick to their word. “It is easier to work with global partners though the market challenges do exist,” he said. 

Mahadevan is now charting the hub-andspoke model to retain the brand identity of the purely cash and carry business and to also enhance the scope of innovation. “We have opened up a bakery in the Prestige residential project at Porur. We understand our customers and it is our bonding that helps us explore new dimensions of the business,” he said. The entrepreneur is now attempting to move from a fine-dining to the fun-dining segment.