Jagannath Shetty attributes his success to the hardwork and dedication that he, along with his staff at the three restaurants Vaishali, Roopali, Amrapali, have put in. ``To this day, whenever I go to Vaishali, I first make my way into the kitchen and personally supervise the cooking. After all, people who come here do so with a trust that has been built over years,'' he says.For Shetty, there can be no compromise with quality. ``It's not money that motivates me but maintaining the goodwill of those who visit the restaurant,'' he says. The restaurant was started by his uncle Shridhar Shetty in 1951. ``At the time, it was a very small place which sold snacks like batata wada. I still recall that our earnings at the end of the first day were only Rs 31,'' he remembers with a smile.
There was a time when Shetty was regarded only as a hotelwala. An incident that left its imprint on his mind, and proved to be the turning point in his life, came in 1964. ``A common labourer passing by stopped for a cup of tea. He called out to me, `Chaiwala, jaldi ek chai do.' This incident made me realise that if people were to respect me and my profession, I would have to be committed,'' he says.
After he took over from his uncle in 1972, Shetty brought about a few changes - like adding Sheetal, the garden restaurant in Vaishali which has grown to be very popular.
Shetty is generous in his praise of the loyal members of his staff who, he believes, share credit in garnering goodwill, thus contributing to the success of his eateries.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
