When one thinks of quality South Indian cuisine, Hotel Saravana Bhavan is a name that comes readily to mind.  The success story of Saravana Bhavan started in 1981 with just a small hotel in K. K. Nagar.  Today, it has 14 branches and a 4,000 strong workforce.  Quality, Hygiene and motivated and committed staff have combined to make Hotel Saravana Bhavan what it is today.

Saravanaas Fast Food Centres, with its variety of vegetarian fast foods, fresh juices and ice creams, is the perfect choice for those in a hurry.  Saravana Bhavan has its own ice cream manufacturing unit at Vadapalani. They also specialise in outdoor catering and accept orders from a minimum of 25 upto 10,000, for any part of the city.

P Rajagopal, founder of Hotel Saravana Bhavan, is the son of a farmer who had a wholesale trade in onions.  Affectionately called “Annachi” (brother), he was born in a small village called Punnaiyadi, Tirunelveli District, in 1947.

In 1973, a few years after he came to Chennai, he started a general provisions store in K K Nagar. In 1981, he started a small hotel in K K Nagar. Today, over 70,000 people step into the 14 branches of Hotel Saravana Bhavan from 6.00 am to 11.30 pm every day.

Human Resource policies are one of the most talked about aspects of this Restaurant chain's approach to business.  Innovative incentive and welfare schemes, including Educational, Medical and House Rent Allowances and productivity-linked bonuses, are being implemented for the benefit of employees and their families.  Rarely does an employee leave after he has joined the organisation. Rajagopal sets apart five hours every day to speak to his workforce.  He has been awarded the "Best Employer - Employee Realationship Award" by the Rotary Club of Chenna Patna in 1996.

Saravana Bhavan has branches in: K. K. Nagar, T. Nagar, Anna Nagar, Ashok Nagar, George Town, Purasawalkam, Vadapalani, Peters Road, Dr. Radhakrishnan Road, Shanthi Theatre and Kancheepuram.  Very recently, a branch was opened in Dubai.

Address: Hotel Saravana Bhavan, 228, N.S.K Salai, Vadapalani, 
Chennai 600 026
Phone: 483 2671.

One of the leading names when it comes to Industrial Catering, Shivas Industrial Caterers is a unit of the Shivas Group of companies. Started in 1991, they have a strong presence in industrial areas in and around Chennai, like Maraimalai Nagar, Tambaram, Madras Export Processing Zone (MEPZ), Ambattur Industrial Estate and Porur.

C. Sivagnanam, who is the promoter of this company, has worked in star hotels in Chennai, Europe and the Middle East. It was this experience, which helped him to start this venture.

With more than 1,000 employees, the company has an annual turnover of over Rs. 6 crore. They have six centralized kitchens at Tambaram, Maraimalai Nagar and Fort St. George, catering to 40 clients. They serve more than 16,000 meals every day.

Sivas specializes in concepts such as Industrial Canteen, Commercial Canteen and Centralized Kitchen. They have four cuisines (South Indian, North Indian, Chinese and Continental). They also have customized menus according to the preference of clients. They also have various options with regards to the serving of food, like self service, table service and pre-plated service.

Their client's list reads like the who's who in the industrial sector of Chennai - including Visteon Automotive India (an enterprise of Ford Motor Company, Maraimalai Nagar), Government of Tamil Nadu ( Secretariat Campus), Britannia Industries Ltd., D.S. Q. Software, ONKYO India, India Pistons - Maraimalai Nagar, Siemens Automotive Systems India and Pepsi India Holdings.

Shivas is the recepient of the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Award for the best Food and Catering Service in Tamil Nadu.

Address: Shivas Industrial Caterers Private Limited, 67, Kamarajar Avenue, Adyar, Chennai 600 020

Phone: 442 0283
Fax: 442 0881
E-mail: shivascaterers@eth.net