-Shalini Chandrasekar
Tirunelveli’s ‘Copper Leaf Hotel’ is planning to open branches in Madurai and Thoothukudi next. The hotel, which features 42 rooms, two separate restaurants for vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine, a coffee shop, and three banquet halls to attract customers, is managed by its Managing Director, Mr. Sri Dharshan. We spoke to him.
What do you do during the off-season?
During those times, we focus on improving ourselves. We prepare our staff for the next season. We complete other pending tasks. We also introduce offers and events to attract customers.
Corporate events or family events – which is more profitable for you?
It’s difficult to say definitively. Family events are good, but corporate events are continuous. Corporate business happens 365 days a year. Family events are seasonal. So, we can’t conclude one is better than the other.
How do you handle crowds?
Regarding the banquet hall, we ask the guests in advance about the number of attendees. We also inquire about the maximum number of people who might attend. Based on that, we prepare our team. As for the restaurant, even if there’s a large crowd, we ensure there are no difficulties for the guests in terms of waiting area and parking facilities.
How do you keep up with current trends?
We offer all types of food that the current generation prefers. We have South Indian food, North Indian food, and Tandoori. In Tirunelveli, we are the only ones who offer Sri Lankan cuisine. For breakfast items like idli and dosa, we provide sambar, three types of chutney, two types of spice powders, and garlic pickle. This is not available in other restaurants. In North Indian cuisine, we offer three types of gravy, and in our Pan-Asian menu, we serve dim sum (traditional Chinese food). This is not available in any other restaurants in South Tamil Nadu. Regarding non-vegetarian food, our menu includes interesting dishes such as Sri Lankan cheese kothu, idiyappam kothu, lamb rice, and a type of dish with crab served in its shell. Besides, our interior design is also very appealing.
How do you handle last-minute changes?
Events are always full of last-minute changes. Sometimes more people show up than expected, or new items are added to the menu. To handle these situations, we immediately inform everyone through our WhatsApp group. Whatever changes occur, we all work together to manage them.
Do you have any tricks to get people to book your hotel for a wedding instead of a conventional wedding hall?
Guests these days are very smart. They calculate everything carefully. If they book a wedding hall, they have to pay for the hall rental, food, electricity bill, cleaning charges, and many other expenses separately. However, when they hold the wedding at a hotel, they don’t need to spend on anything other than the food. We include everything else in the package. Many people choose to have their weddings in hotels after considering these factors.
What are Copper Leaf’s expansion plans?
In the future, we have plans to expand our branches to Thoothukudi and Madurai, after Tirunelveli.
