From a mobile cart to 14 restaurant outlets, Then a winner of FICCI Woman Entrepreneur Award! Patricia Narayan, an Indian girl that was only 17 years when she secretly married her boyfriend who is 13 years older than her, Her family was very poor, she didn’t work at all or even think of the idea of working. A year later, Her husband threatened her either she tells her family about their secret marriage or he would. After disclosing the news, her parents were very angry at her, especially when they saw her husband drunk almost all the time, not only alcohol but also a drug addicted Years passed, she had; 2 kids. To afford living with, family disowned, and an addicted husband who abused her, stole her money to get high. She was desperate to find a solution of course with the help of her dad despite being angry for her actions. But nevertheless supported her to getting back on her feet through working and becoming independent. With a lot of struggles here and there, searching and trying to stand up again, An idea popped -up in her mind, She was always passionate about cooking. So, she borrowed some money from her mother and started making jams and pickles at home, her mom took what she made to her workplace and sold it to her friends and work colleagues. Day by day, she became professional in her small business, where she reused all the revenue she got to grow her business. Then, her father came to her with a new chance that blew her mind, his friend ran a school for handicapped children, he offered mobile carts or kiosks to anyone who would employ at least 2 handicapped children, she agreed and it was just fate! She took the chance, gave training to the children to serve customers. She worked very hard on her mobile cart from 1982 to 2003! During this time, she had put her cart under the spot light where someone saw her hard work, that person was the Chairman of the Slum Clearance Board! She gave Patricia an offer to run the canteen of her office with a kitchen and setup, and she definitely agreed. So, From 5 AM in the morning till 9 AM she would go to the beach where her mobile cart is, to get it filled with food and beverages, and from 9 AM till 3:30 PM she worked at the canteen, then she goes back to the cart until 11 PM. She started building a good reputation for herself from her hard work. After sometime she was offered to run the Bank of Madurai’s canteen, where she served about 300 people daily, with such overload she had to stop running the Slum Clearance Board canteen. After a few months, accidentally and with pure luck, she stopped once at the National Port Management training school which was run by the Central government asking to meet the administrator, during their meeting she told him about her work in catering and that she heard they’re looking for one to run their canteen and for her luck they agreed to hire her to serve about 700 students with 3 meals on a daily basis, and her success was noticed from the first day! Soon after that She was offered a partnership in one of their units!! But her son wanted her to start their own project and build a brand for their family. And just when her circumstances start to take the right turn. Unfortunately, she lost her daughter and her son-in-law in a car accident one month after their marriage, even before she could shift her career and launch her own franchise. After Struggling in shock and mourning for her loss. Her son took full responsibility of everything and started their restaurant in the loving memory of her daughter ‘Sandeepha’ in 2006. After 30 years of hard work serving and selling eateries through a mobile cart, and being a partner in national port of management training now she has more than 200 people working under her supervision with 14 outlets of her restaurants. Where finally she won the FICCI Woman Entrepreneur Award as the best Indian woman entrepreneur. #businessitaWE_story
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