After being in the corporate industry for the last 20 years as a Head of Human Resources for an IT company, Prema Veerasingam, wanted to venture into something new and exciting hence Elephant Rock Restaurant & Bar TTDI (Original) was born.
In an exclusive interview with BusinessToday, Prema Veerasingam, Owner and Director of Elephant Rock TTDI shares her thoughts on opening a restaurant and what inspired her to take that leap in faith to do so.
“I’ve always had a passion for food and my dream was to own a restaurant. The opportunity to do a joint venture to open Elephant Rock TTDI came at the right time and I decided to give it a go,” says Prema.
Surviving Through The Pandemic
The F&B industry took a serious hit during the pandemic and Elephant Rock TTDI was in that mix too. As business was only starting to bloom, Prema and her team had to take drastic measures in order to survive.
“We managed to negotiate on rental rebates and even customised a budget-friendly meal so that our customers will still be able to enjoy our signature dishes in the comfort of their homes.
The response we got was amazing as we also used direct delivery instead of GrabFood and FoodPanda to bring more value for their money.”
Always Giving Back
Despite being severely impacted by the pandemic, Prema and her team still did what they could to give back to the community and help those in need.
“We participated in ‘Projek Satu Hati’ which is a pay-it-forward meal to help feed the families affected by the pandemic, the homeless, refugees, and orphanage homes. We managed to serve over 20,000 meals during the lockdown.
What The Future Holds
As hiring local staff was one of the biggest challenges Prema and her team faced, they have also started talking to culinary and hospitality schools to be able to recruit staff directly from the schools as interns and prep them for real-world life skills.
“I am quite confident that we will be reaching the endemic period very soon. As such, I see that the F&B industry will be picking up and start blooming again.
In order to meet the market, we are revamping our menu but at the same time keeping our signature dishes and affordable pricing for everyone,” adds Prema.
Come As A Customer, Leave As A Friend
“First and foremost, we are a restaurant, then a bar. At Elephant Rock TTDI, you get to wine and dine in a nice and cozy ambiance but at an affordable price.
We also offer an el fresco bar area for our customers to relax and unwind and have a few drinks.”
Elephant Rock TTDI is indeed a place for customers of all ages as there is something for everyone.
“You can bring your family for a meal and also bring your friends for a couple of drinks all at the same location. We consistently curate and update our food and drinks so that we only serve the best to all our customers.”
