Allan Pereira, a Goan from Majorda successfully runs three cafes in
MumbaiSuezelle D’Costa / The Goan 18 May 2013The crowd visiting Candies - a
café in Bandra - is enough evidence to reflect how amazing the place is. The
multi-cuisine chain is a hit among college-goers and young executives because
of the moderate pricing and variety of food. And best, you can sit at any of
the three outlets in the heart of Bandra and be assured not to be asked to
leave once you are done hogging.Allan Pereira the owner of the café, always
wanted to have something of his own. After completing his schooling in a
boarding in Darjeeling, he returned to work with his father at Mac Ronells -- a
restaurant and a pastry shop, which also offered catering services. “I wanted
to enroll to a catering college, but at Mac Ronells, I received hands-on
training,” says the owner of the Candies which completed 27 years.Before
launching Candies, Allan travelled across the world to get a larger perspective
of the confectionery sector. After the demise of his father in 1983, Allan
continued to work with Mac Ronells, and within three years, he set up his own
business – Candies. However, as popular as it is, the first outlet of Candies
was opened in Andheri. “Within a year, I managed to lease a place in Bandra.
So I shut shop in Andheri and decided to run my business in Bandra, the place
where I was born and raised. After two years, I bought a place in Pali Hill and
that’s how the journey began,” Allan says.Travelling the world helped the
restaurateur not just with the menu, but with the décor as well. He also has an
appetite for perfection. “Before introducing something new I like to know if it
will make me happy. I wanted to make Candies a place where anyone could come
and pass their time. The décor has a European feel to it. Interiors are mostly
Portuguese, Spanish and a bit Grecian. I transported these looks from the
places I travelled.”Besides the gorgeous décor, Candies is known for serving
delicious meals. “One can get a meal within Rs 200. The menu comprises snacks
such as sandwiches, pizzas and burgers prepared in different styles. “20 per
cent of the recipes on the menu belong to my dad. The rest are my own
experiments.”With such a huge café come challenges. “The key challenges are to
retain quality of the number of items we serve and gathering workforce,” Allan
says, adding, “We need to constantly check the ingredients. Not a single item
is kept for the following day. As the clock strikes 8 pm, everything on the
menu is sold at a 25 per cent discount. And we never run out of takers. On the
other hand, Candies has a workforce of over 180 people. None of the staff
members are professionals. They are hired and kept under my supervision until
they know their job.”Today, Allan manages three outlets in Bandra, but given a
chance he would love to open an outlet in Goa too. “Candies in Goa is an
excellent idea,” he says, “Goa is blessed with tourists, and these tourists
enjoy continental food, plus we are priced reasonably.”Being a Goan, Allan has
ensured that Goa specialties feature on the menu. His ancestral house is in
Majorda, and he has his own place in Candolim. “We serve fish-curry-rice,
sorpotel, pulav, Goa sausages and prawn curry. There are times when I’ve heard
people bet on whether the owner is a Goan or a foreigner,” he chuckles.
