Vaishali Vijaykumar By Express News Service CHENNAI: Prasanna Rajappa comes from the humble town of Tiruchy. It’s evident from the way she greets us with folded hands and a gentle smile. The entrepreneur studied IT engineering at Saranathan College of Engineering and moved to Chennai for work in 2009. She quit her job at Amazon after her marriage in 2012 and joined her husband Praveen Antony’s restaurant business. The duo launched Haunted, a themed multi-cuisine restaurant in 2015, where Prasanna is the managing director. Excerpts follow: Prasanna Rajappa ? R Satish Babu Why did you choose a spooky theme? Were the family members apprehensive about it? My husband and I were looking for a place to open a new restaurant. We checked out this old bungalow in Anna Nagar and thought it would be fun to start a themed-restaurant. It became an instant hit since there were not many in those days. Our family is supportive and progressive. They never believe in superstitions, or opposed our idea. We treated it like a business. What were some of the challenges you faced as a first-generation entrepreneur? I come from a family where both the parents worked and were in stable jobs. Life was settled and we did not have any financial troubles. The minute I ventured into business, there were many uncertainties. There were many risks involved money-wise, and I had to juggle professional and personal life. With time, I can confidently say that this business has taught me everything. What are your hobbies? I like to browse design platforms on the Internet. I enjoy keeping track of trends in interior designing. Everything around me has to be fashionable. There is a change in our home every month. I also work on the social media website of our restaurant. Tell us about a typical day in your life. Every day begins with pre-planning the previous day. Mornings are spent with my daughter Prarthana Antony. She’s in class 1 and I drop her to school. Then I try and wrap up whatever work can be done from home. I leave for work in the afternoon, spend time with the staff members and have tasting sessions. Evenings are again spent with my daughter and we do homework together. I’m back at the restaurant in the night to interact with customers and look into reservations. What is your life philosophy? Discipline, honesty and passion for work. I tell the same thing to my staff members at daily briefing. What do you love about Chennai? Everything seemed new when I moved from a small town. I admired the cosmopolitan culture. The exposure and experiences were different. I eventually adapted to the city. I don’t feel like going back to Tiruchy these days. Have you seen a wave of change in the food industry here? It’s vibrant and evolving. Everyone wants to open a restaurant and most of then end up being shut soon enough. Earlier there were hardly any options but now every street is buzzing with varieties. Patrons want to try out different places. The delivery market is doing great. How do you recharge your energy at the end of the day? My family is filled with movie buffs. That’s our only way to unwind. What are the life lessons you have learned through your work experience? This business has taught me to be mindful of resources. My family does not waste food, water or electricity. We also try to have more family time without mobile phones. What are your future plans? To travel more often and learn about different cultures. We’re planning for another branch of Haunted in 2020 at Adyar or OMR. My dream is to open one outlet in all metro cities.

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