I’m sure everyone has heard the oft-repeated adage: ‘Behind every successful man, there is a woman’. Well, in the case of Grand Sweets and Snacks’ founder, Ganapathy Natarajan, the words proved true.
A sweet history
In the 1960s and 1970s, sweets and savouries were almost always prepared at home by housewives as no outlets supplied the same.
Natarajan tried his hand at many professions — including transport and a shop at Fountain Plaza, Egmore, Chennai — but without much success. Finally, he decided to capitalise on his wife Bangaruamma’s culinary genius. He put his faith in her expertise and in 1982, started a small outlet supplying South Indian sweets and snacks, like adhirasam, murukku and thattai prepared by his wife on the porch of an independent house at Gandhi Nagar II Main Road, Adyar, Chennai.
Initial curiosity led to word-of-mouth testimonials on the excellent quality of the products and drew in more customers. After tasting some samples, one of the earliest customers is said to have remarked that the products were ‘grand’. Thus was born the name of the outlet that would grow in stature to become famous all over Chennai and later, all of South India. It became known more popularly as ‘Grand Sweets’.
Counting on women
As footfalls started to increase, Natarajan started scouting for more talent (especially women, whom he believed to be both dedicated and responsible) to support his wife. There were many women — mostly widows — who were eking out a living or supplementing the family income by doing what they did best — preparing sweets and snacks at home and supplying them to hotels and restaurants.
Natarajan patiently tracked down several such women and offered them a better alternative — a regular job, a steady income and the chance to train and supervise other aspiring women. Almost all of the women thus recruited still work for Grand Sweets, some having more than three decades of experience! Some have become famous for their particular specialty.
Natarajan and his wife were very particular about hygiene, the quality of the ingredients used, the consistency in the products’ taste, their shelf life (no preservatives or artificial colours are used) and their freshness. To this end, the ghee and oil in which one lot of sweets or savouries was prepared would never be reused.
This was one of the reasons the products remained fresh, crisp and free of stickiness for long periods. (In fact, in those days, very early in the morning, it was a common sight to see a queue comprising small eatery owners and not-so-well-off men and women, waiting to buy the used ghee and oil sold at half-rate by Grand Sweets.) According to reports, sweets and snacks that remained unsold were not carried forward to the next day but distributed to homes and orphanages or given to the employees themselves.
That was their USP: hygiene, quality, consistency, shelf life and freshness. The pricing was slightly higher for this reason (but never over-priced), but this did not deter customers from making a beeline to the shop.
Employees welfare
As the store’s name became more and more famous, the range of sweets and snacks on offer increased. Pickles and rice mixes like podi (powders), thokku (thick, spicy sauces) and pulikachal (spicy tamarind sauce) were added to the range, making the place a must-visit for anyone going abroad for a long stay, or even for parents visiting their children in far-off places. In fact, many long-time customers commented on how the pulikkachal , pickles, sauces and powders from Grand Sweets saw them through their student days abroad!
From just 12 people working in the store, the number swelled to about 300, mostly women. Natarajan earned the respect and affection of his employees by ensuring their welfare and safety — all his employees got good salaries, perks like free sweets for festivals and health and retirement benefits. They were even picked up from and dropped back at their homes safely every day.
Religious store
The Grand Sweets and Snacks was soon an important landmark in Adyar — it was one you could track down just by the aroma wafting from the place! People would come to taste the free ‘prasadam’ (a different one each day) offered after morning and evening prayers. Religious booklets would sometimes be distributed too.
Every Grand Sweets advertisement would carry a message about tradition, worship, flowers, the tulsi plant, good people, the Gayathri mantra and other such messages, with Grand Sweets’ offerings mentioned in small print at the bottom and the exhortation to buy and distribute Grand Sweets and Snacks products to good people.
The split
Natarajan passed away in 2001. After his death, his honesty and forthrightness was acknowledged when the Central Board of Direct Taxes recognised him as one of the city’s largest taxpayers.
Natarajan had two daughters, Ranganayaki and Rajeswari. Grand Sweets continued to flourish under his grandson Saravanamahesh (the son of the former), who undertook to run the family business. But soon, the latter’s son-in-law Madhan is said to have shown interest in joining the hugely successful venture.
This led, some years later, to a split in the business, which family members insist was amicable and dictated by the larger interests of expansion. By 2010, the division had resulted in an actual, physical boundary wall drawn through the middle of the original Adyar store. Regular customers were both amused and bewildered at the two separate entities, both operating (even today) under the same name and offering identical products.
Both units of Grand Sweets started on an aggressive expansion spree, by selling their products at retail outlets like departmental stores and by dotting the city with their own outlets (with attached restaurants serving tiffin items). Even Bangalore is said to have a Grand Sweets outlet.
Expansion review
There are two separate websites, both equally colourful and tempting to visit, and online stores where orders can be placed. The preparation of the sweets and snacks is said to have been shifted to the outskirts of the city, with one centralised kitchen catering to both units, and fresh lots being sent for sale to the outlets several times a day. More than 50 master cooks are said to supervise preparation of the recipes in the old, traditional method to give the authentic ‘Grand Sweets’ touch. But it is said that even the factory has a wall running through it!
The expansion has meant that the restaurant businesses, despite mixed reviews about both the food on offer and the service, are doing well. The original sweets and savouries line has suffered a mild setback by comparison, as old-timers complain of spiralling prices and inconsistency in quality and service at different branches.
Experts have rightly pointed out that while splitting the business might provide more opportunities for expansion and growth, there is a very real danger of the brand name being diluted. With several other players in the field, both units of Grand Sweets need to focus on maintaining the brand’s USP.