Saravana Bhavan
 |
|
| Chain of Restaurant | |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Genre | South Indian Vegetarian Cuisine |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | P. Rajagopal |
| Headquarters | Chennai, India |
|
Number of locations
|
39(in india),43(outside india),16(to be opened) |
|
Area served
|
India, Australia,Malaysia, Oman, Canada, France, Germany, Singapore,Saudia Arabia ,Bahrain, U.A.E, U.K, U.S.A, Kuwait, Kenya,South Africa,Qatar, Hong Kong, Thailand, Netherlands. |
|
Key people
|
P. R. Shiva Kumaar R. Saravanan |
| Products | Food, Sweets, Bakery, Ice Cream |
| Services | Fast Food, Take Away, Home Delivery and Outdoor Catering. |
| Revenue |
 $450 million (2010) |
|
Number of employees
|
8700(in India - 2014) |
| Website | www.saravanabhavan.com |
Hotel Saravana Bhavan is one of the largest vegetarian restaurant chains in the world, founded in 1981 offering south Indian Vegetarian cuisine. They have more than 33 outlets in India (20 outlets in Chennai alone) and 47 around the world (including Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the United States, and the Middle East. As of 2012[update] there are plans to open 5-star Vegetarian-Hotels.
The restaurant is called "hotel" because in India, the word "hotel" often implies a restaurant.
In the early 20th century, there were practically no restaurants in Madras (now Chennai). P. Rajagopal in 1968 opened the a tiny grocery shop on the outskirts of the city. When he opened his first restaurant in K.K. Nagar in 1981, his shops were deeply in debt; however, an astrologer suggested that he try a line of work that involved fire. Contrary to common practice, Rajagopal started using top-quality vegetables and gave his workers high wages. Initially his business was losing 10,000 rupees a month. Eventually, however, his food came to be known as was high quality and inexpensive, and soon his business was profitable and he started opening new branches.
Rajagopal belongs to the Nadar business/landowning community. In 1992, Rajagopal on his visits to Singapore observed the functioning of the multinational fast food joints like McDonald's and used them as a model.
He provided his workers unprecedented benefits, health care, housing allowance and a marriage fund for their children. By the 1990s, the Saravana Bhavan chain spread throughout neighborhoods in Chennai. In 2000, Saravana Bhavan opened its first branch outside India, opening a franchise in Dubai, with a large number Indian expatriates. It eventually expanded to Paris, Frankfurt, London, New York, Toronto and Doha, Qatar, relying on the expatriate Indian population. It does not attempt to attract non-Indian customers. They are sometimes referred to as "canteen-like joints are strictly aimed at Indian expatriates missing a taste of home" It is considered to be a high volume, low margin venture which is labor-intensive. Saravana Bhavan sends workers from India to work in their foreign branches. The overseas outlets are run by franchisees.
It is expected that the customers know what they want, with the waiters essentially taking orders and delivering the food. The food is prepared fresh and the high volume reduces the waiting time.
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Wikipedia