Events

FOOD

FOOD & NIGHTLIFE

Hash Six Hotels, 257, Mettupalayam Road, Opp Saibaba Koil; Tel: 455-1555 KEBAB & BIRYANI FESTIVAL @ PLANET BARBEQUE

Apr 16-25, 12.30pm-3pm & 7pm-11pm

Time to indulge in authentic biryanis and succulent kebabs skewered to perfection from all over India. Cost per head: Rs 999. Call for reservation: 80981-66999.

@ FUNC SKYE

Ongoing, 6pm-11pm

Special 10% discount for group of 10 and above pax, only on food. T&C apply.

LADIES NIGHT @ FUNC

Wednesdays & Fridays, 6pm-11pm

Time to party as DJ Vilva takes over the decks for a night filled with music, cocktails and loads of dancing. Free unlimited pours for ladies. Dress code applicable, party responsibly. T&C apply. Cost per head: Rs 1500. Call for reservation: 96297-77302.

ROOFTOP DINING

Ongoing, 12.30pm-3.30pm & 6.30pm-10pm Indchicoo, Poppys Tower, Race Course; Tel: 434-6644

Enjoy rooftop dining experience, a la carte. Cost per head: Rs 700.

PANAI OLAI PETTI BIRYANI

Ongoing, 11.30am-9pm UK Kitchen, 19/24, Karupanna Street, Olympus; Tel: 98946-10029

Calm your hunger with special boneless veg and non-veg biryani and avail 10% discount for takeaways. Free delivery for orders above Rs 500 within 10 km. Cost per head: Chicken Rs 155, Mutton Rs 255, Boneless Bucket Rs 859, Panai Olai Petti Parotaa Rs 199.

NIGHTLIFE

Latitude, Le Meridien, 762, Avinashi Road; Tel: 236-4343, 87544-40297 BUY 2 GET 1

Mon-Sun, 11am-6pm Buy 2 get 1 offer, on select brands as you relish a line of your favourite beverages. COCKTAILS NIGHT

Mondays, 6pm-11pm

LADIES NIGHT

Tuesdays, 6pm-11pm

Special offer for ladies. Cocktails @ Rs 699. Additionally 25% discount on your bill when accompanied with ladies. Call for reservations.

WINE WEDNESDAY

Wednesdays, 6pm-11pm Taste the luxurious Meridien wine collection and get 25% off on first bottle and 50% off on second purchased bottle.

GENTLEMEN’S NIGHT

Thursdays, 6pm-11pm Men get 1+1 on select beverages. Call for reservations.

BEER BUCKET

Fridays, 6pm-11pm

Beer bucket @ Rs 1999 net. Includes 5 bottles of pint beer, 1 veg or non-veg complimentary snacks.

HAPPY HOURS

BUY 3 GET 1 FREE

Ongoing, 11am-10pm Bar, Zip By Spree Hotel Mangala International, 340, Nehru Street, Ram Nagar; Tel: 223-2012 Buy 3 large 60 ml and get one small 30 ml free. Avail 20% discount during Happy Hours from 11am-6pm. Cost per head: Rs 250 onwards.

DRINK & DANCE

Ongoing, 11am-6pm DD Bar, Hotel Thejas Paradise, 473, Kamaraj Road, Ramanuja Nagar; Tel: 257-3993

Dance to the beat and keep your spirits high with some good music. Cost per head: Rs 350-700.

IPL SPECIAL

IPL OFFER @ HASH SIX

Apr 9-May 30, 11am-11pm Func, Hash Six Hotels, 257, Mettupalayam Road, Opp Saibab Koil; Tel: 455-1555 Enjoy the matches with attractive beverage packages. Super Six Bucket- 4 pints stem beer @ Rs 666 net. Super Six Shots- 4 shots of select domestic liquor.

IPL OFFERS @ ALOFT

Apr 9-May 30, as per match timings W XYZ, Aloft Coimbatore, 483, Kamaraj Road, Uppilipalayam; Tel: 665-6000, 72990-65406

Special offers at match timings. Get 4 pints beer @ Rs 699 net, get 4 large domestic liquor @ Rs 999 net. Avail 15% discount on food. T&C apply.

HOTEL STAY

WEEKDAY SPECIAL OFFERS

Mon-Thurs, 24 hours Tuskers Hill By Poppys, Sholaiyur Panchayat, Anaikatti; Tel: 95141-42222 Avail discount up to 40% for rooms and 20% for dining with welcome drink, stay for 2 adults, complimentary breakfast, 24hr check-in and check-out. T&C apply.

WORKSHOP

RACING PHOTOGRAPHY

Apr 2-4, 10am Kari Motor Speedway, Chettipalayam Road; Tel: 73388-26999, 97909-90404

Learn and practise photography on the action packed racing track. Entry: Rs 3000. Call for registrations.

SPA OFFER

Ongoing, 11am-8pm Spring Spa & Salon, 20, Hozur Road, Race Course; Tel: 90474-59090

Get rid of stress by special aromatherapy with the scents of aroma oils. Get one basic scrub free with body therapy. Cost per hour: Rs 1500.

CAKE BAKING & FROSTING

Apr 10-11, 11am-4pm Reena Swad; Tel: 89395-66195, Online Vegetarian and eggless workshop for cup, doll, photo, red velvet, chocó lava, black forest cake and pastries. Individual practical workshop through live video. Pre-recorded video of the course will be shared with online students with access for 30 days. Fee: Rs 2500.

BEAUTY & HEALTH

HAPPY HOURS

Mon-Thurs, 10am-2pm Tony & Guy Essensuals, Bkay Towers, Avinashi Road, Sitra; Tel: 438-0046 Treat yourself anytime between Monday to Thursday and save big. Get colour, hair spa, protein treatment, blow dry, ironing, tonging, facial, bleaching, waxing, reflexology, body polish, pedicure and manicure, with 25% off on select services.

FITNESS

TRIM TRANSFORMATION WEIGHT LOSS

Ongoing, 9am-9pm Fitness One, 12, Manchester Square Basement, Puliakulam Road; Tel: 82207-54972

Join and achieve your target weight in just 90 or 120 days and get one month maintenance free for first 30 members.

EXPO

FASHION & LIFESTYLE

Apr 2-4, 11am-9.30pm Vivanta Coimbatore, 105, Race Course Road; Tel: 96197-80581,

The fastest growing lifestyle expo for apparels, jewellery, home décor, footwear, bags, handicrafts, accessories and much more. Entry free.

Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman – a legend of food industry!

The dynamic serial entrepreneur trailblazes with new concept restaurant chain TN-43

By Smiti Jain Narayan

Meet the serial entrepreneur extraordinaire – Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, the dynamic second-generation businessman and company Chairman who is an industry unto himself. From restaurants to trains, from food to hot air balloon – the list of his achievements is long and distinguished in every aspect of the business.

Meet the serial entrepreneur extraordinaire – Miju. C. Moidu, also known as Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, the dynamic second generation businessman and company Chairman who is an industry unto himself. From restaurants to trains, from food to hot air balloon – the list of his achievements is long and distinguished in every aspect of the business.

In an astonishing feat of visionary entrepreneurship, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman has set up a chain of 24 restaurants – with the quirky name TN-43 – along the road from Coimbatore to Ooty! While the world was in a pandemic induced haze, he quietly and determinedly set up these food outlets which are more than just highway restaurants. They are more like pitstops for travellers with facilities for not only freshly cooked wholesome food, but also rest, shopping, relaxing, washrooms, spa, suite rooms and other features to take your breath away with the sheer scale and thoughtfulness of each rest stop.

TN-43 is a name you cannot forget! TN stands for Tamil Nadu. And 43 is the Nilgiri’s registration number

The blessings of my parents and the values they have instilled in me are the reason behind the success of my venture!

Mujeeb’s mother Mumthaz Moidu

TN-43 is a smartly thought out name – TN standing for Tamil Nadu, and 43 being the Nilgiri’s registration number. It’s a name to remember and one that you will not forget because of the uniqueness and easy recall factor of its nomenclature.

The buildings of TN-43 are impossible to miss on the highways of Tamil Nadu as you drive up from Coimbatore to Ooty since they stand out from a distance itself with their bright fluorescent orange colour which are easy to identify at once. The TN-43 chain dots the landscape of the Nilgiri’s, including Coonoor, Kothigiri, Ooty, Gudulur and others. There are plans afoot for more outlets to be opened shortly in Chennai, Kerala, Karnataka, and even in Dubai.

The whole concept of TN-43 is totally new and different. The new outlets of TN-43 will have even a club attached under the brand name of Club-43 in the compound, with facilities like sports arena, swimming pool, football turf, fitness studio, suite rooms, badminton court, and even a jogging track, as well as other indoor games and sports. There will also be EV charging points for electric bikes and cars; so while their EV (Electrical Vehicle) charges, the guest can easily spend their time in the restaurant or use other facilities to unwind. This is the type of forward thinking and farsighted understanding of customers’ needs that makes TN-43 a truly unique company, all kudos to Chairman Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman for always looking ahead of the curve.

Each TN-43 outlet is built on a sprawling estate, with ample car parking for 50 cars and above, and space for all other facilities for rooms, suites, restaurant and entertainment features for people to rest and relax before they continue their journey. The best part is that all these 5-star facilities and luxuries are offered at the rates of local hotels, which is unthinkable but true.

The food at TN-43 is as unforgettable and inviting as its unique name and distinctive colour. The multicuisine kitchens offer fresh and sumptuous fare including all the favourite South Indian and North Indian specialities, Chinese, Italian, Continental and other fusion foods that are finger-licking delicious. All ingredients are sourced and procured from local markets to ensure eco-sustainability as well as freshness, purity and zero miles. An interesting thing

about TN-43 kitchens is that they are fully run by women! The entire central kitchen staff comprises of family members as well as local ladies, generating employment and providing a respectable means of livelihood to so many women who are trained and passionate about their work and excellent cooks who churn out all the dishes with a special ingredient – the ingredient called love! In all there are 400-strong staff employed at TN-43. Not just 400 ladies, but 400 families benefit directly from this employment opportunity. Presuming even just 3 family members for each of the staff ladies, 400 multiplied by 3 translates into 1200 people whose lives are transformed through TN-43 providing livelihoods through this venture – a humbling figure indeed.

Through this unique step, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman has provided dignity to hundreds of homeless women, widows, and other marginalised needy women, thus rehabilitating them, by training them and making them self-sufficient following a vocation to earn their own money. A pure selfless instance of being vocal for local, as well as making a huge contribution towards empowerment and financial freedom of women.

The food at TN-43 is all controlled by three central kitchens – one in Ooty and two in Coimbatore – to ensure highest quality standards and uniformity of taste and dishes across all outlets. From Arabic shawarma grills, to broasted samosas and cutlets (this unique cooking method called broasting is used for the first time in the world for samosas and cutlets here, making them very crisp and delicious!), Kerala payasams, popular Chinese and Italian, and lots more – get all this at more at TN-43. The non-veg food served here is 100% halal. While the vegetarian food is cooked in a totally separated kitchen, with all the utensils and even

the crockery and cutlery being kept fully separate.

The family run business has Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman’s sister Manju and wife Jafeena taking charge, as also his co-brother Abdul who takes care of quality control. The best proof of the high quality maintained at TN-43 and the wholesomeness of the food is that the whole family eats from the same TN-43 kitchens only. They don’t cook at home at all! All TN-43 restaurants have open kitchens, with stringent hygiene checks in place. And now under current circumstances all covid protocols are scrupulously followed here.

It was the year 1972 when Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman’s father C.M. Moidu started business on a small scale of having a simple hotel restaurant on the highway. He was also a vegetable wholesaler and exporter. From that modest enterprise, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman has taken forward a springboard leap, to create the concept of TN-43 chain where every outlet compound has a restaurant, toilets restrooms, suite rooms, even advanced facilities like feeding rooms for young mothers to nurse their babies, prayer hall for the devout, shops for travel necessities and other interesting knick-knacks, and lots more. There are indoor plants and pots to lend a wonderful close-to-nature ambience. All décor and interiors are world class with many items imported. Nothing but the best would do! All the interiors and exteriors are designed and modelled by Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman himself – yet another feather in his multitalented cap!

One would think that with all these amazing facilities which are unheard of in our country, the place would be super expensive. Get ready for a pleasant shock on the contrary! TN-43 prices are completely down to earth and affordable. As an example, tea is priced at just Rs.10! These are the rates you would expect from the small roadside makeshift shops, not from a swanky all-facility stopover restaurant like TN-43.

TN-43 chain has evolved into becoming the pride of Tamil Nadu. Recently they have been felicitated with a government award for best business chain, a nation-

al award for peace, as well as several other awards for excellence. Many other awards and industry acknowledgements as well as customer praises have been heaped on TN-43 for their delightful food and the entire package concept of complete rest, relaxation and entertainment facilities for the whole family. Every TN-43 typically caters to about 1500 pax each per day. The service is great, and customer is king here.

Apart from the restaurant chain, TN-43 has many other diversifications in totally different areas which are as astounding as they are great. For the first time in India, they have become the first private company to run a train. It is a tourist heritage train that runs from Mettupalyam to Ooty. Not only does it have the distinction of being the country’s first and only privately run train, but it is also a luxury train that is being run like an air flight, complete with hostesses, fresh packaged food being served, luxurious interiors, in-train shopping, and other never-before features. The train has been in service for the last 6-7 months. In fact, it happens to be the world’s only heritage train cited by UNESCO, no less, for its unique features.

Another out-of-the-box venture they started is hot air balloons which can go up to a height of 600 feet. This venture is in collaboration with a British company. There are plans to facilitate dining

in air for 6 persons at a time at a cost of just Rs 800 per head! As in everything else that Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman touches, all the amazing services are offered at fantastic and unbelievable value-for-money.

Not only these, 25 years back, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman had the foresight to start a new concept business of running rental bikes and cars under the brand name of Topgear (you can even Google it) – it was the same concept of Ola and Uber which is the trend now. He was the first one in India to get a license to run rental bikes and cars that time. A great idea born before its time. What Ola is doing today was already done by Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman a quarter of a century ago! A great example of his unique thought processes looking to the future ever.

Any company is only as good as its people, and the leader’s vision becomes critical in setting the standards and expectations of all employees who become like extended family. Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman brings his immense passion into the business, and whatever he undertakes, he does in a big way with lavish and luxurious style, yet offering great value-for-money to his customers.

Coming back to TN-43, the restaurant chain has no franchisees as Chairman Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman is extremely particular about maintaining quality control so that the brand values never get diluted. It’s his baby from start to finish and it is his mission to make it the best baby in the world! With this level of passion, he is an inspiration for his people who look up to him for his vision and farsightedness, passion and involvement and the ever-striving drive for highest standards in every aspect of the business.

Apart from walk-in customers, TN-43 is also patronised by top personalities in the cine world and political arena, tour operators who bring bus-loads of customers here, as well as students, biker groups, cyclist teams, gym goers who come here for their health booster drinks, and others who flock here daily to refresh and dine at TN-43. Pre-order of lunches is also

undertaken as per specific requirements of groups in bulk.

A small but interesting fact at TN-43 is that the water served here is always in a glass water bottle, not plastic. It is a testimony to Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman’s broad thinking and farsighted approach to business that takes care of even the tiniest details like how the water should be served to avoid plastic, and thereby start the trend to help save the environment even at this level.

The dynamic entrepreneur Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman’s personality is multifaceted to say the least. From schooling in Ooty, to an abiding love for sports (he was selected for Asiad in Pole Vault!), to singing and art, he is an extraordinary human being beyond compare in terms of his ideas, concepts and execution, and a man of true vision and passion to make a difference in society.

Even during the covid time, when everyone was closing down businesses, he used the down time as an opportunity to build his brand further by opening 10 new outlets. His sharp business acumen had him turning a liability into an asset! His focus is to have 43 outlets for TN-43 across India!

Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman gives the entire credit for his success to his father who has been his role model and his mother. In fact, he credits his parents’ blessings and the values they have imparted for all his achievements, and is a proud son, obedient to his mother and father, and a complete family man all the way. It is this same sentiment that he carries into all his businesses as well, where he views his

entire staff as an extended family and treats them with as much love and care, earning their undying loyalty in turn.

The next generation of the family is also active now with Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman’s son Zain carrying forward his father’s and family legacy. Zain has ventured recently into a new brand called Homecraves – a readymade frozen foods company with ready-to-cook frozen products, which are already a huge hit in Kerala, with more plans for expansion.

Meanwhile, TN-43 aims to become the food factory of India with 43 outlets of TN-43 across India. Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman is also coming out with a new concept in the name of Café-43 where he plans to have a café every 10 m from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. He is looking for visionary people to join him in this ambitious project.

Grand vision, indeed! With his vision, passion, missionary zeal and relentless dedication, no mountain is too high to climb, no river too deep for Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman. It starts with a bright idea, and the fruition of that idea is in the best of hands. He has also been felicitated by our PM Narendra Modi for his visionary business acumen. Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman is a Southern king in the making, on a pan-Indian path, with aim to make a transglobal footprint in the years to come. With the “legend of food factory in India” Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman at the helm, anything is possible!

The legend of food factory in India - Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, creating history

Coming soon at Bhavani River Side, Anaikkatti!

Aayur Villa Resorts – a gated community with luxury holiday villas and all leisure amenities, in the lap of Nature!

TN-43 business spectrum: TN-43 • Club-43 • Ayur 43 • Chase 43 • Train 43

Homemade TN - 43

SF No 462 1B, Then Thirupathi Nall Road, Thearampalayam Belladhi, Mettupalayam, Tamilnadu. Mobile : 90914-34343, 90774-34343