Soup-smart couple

CHITTY BABU and his wife BALA make soups for a living and how! We share their success formula.

May 23, 2015 07:40 pm | Updated 07:40 pm IST

Chennai,14/05/2015: The Owner and his wife at the Mamee soup shop at West Mambalam. Photos:Dominic Raj

Chennai,14/05/2015: The Owner and his wife at the Mamee soup shop at West Mambalam. Photos:Dominic Raj

Few regulars at the Mamablam railway station could have missed this tiny outlet that offers soups. It has a name that has cent percent recall value — Mamee’s Soup. In keeping with what its name connotes, this outlet fuses the traditional with the modern.

It serves a variety of herbal soups. “We have French onion, tulsi, athimathuram, vilvam, nellikai, arumgampul, thoothuvalai, and manathakali,” says Chitty Babu, owner of the outlet.

Sustained experimentation precedes creation of every recipe, says Chitty.

“We don’t share the recipes with anyone. The only exceptions have been a few underprivileged women, who have now started their own soup outlets,” says Bala, Chitty’s wife, who assists him in running the outlet.

Mamee’s Soup was started by Chitty Babu 15 years ago at Lake View Road, when he was on the verge of a financial crisis. He was running a small hotel in the same locality, but the business hit a low from which it could not recover.

Forced to close it down, Chitty Babu was looking for an alternative livelihood. A soup-lover himself, he thought of making soups for a living. Today, Mamee’s Soup has six branches across the city. “It nearly took me two months to choose the recipes before opening the shop,” he says. This small shop is largely patronised by students, workers and senior citizens.

Mamee’s Soup is at 158, Lakeview Road, Station Road, Ramakrishnapuram, West Mambalam. Ph: 96001 25899.

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