Safeguarding his family’s legacy with Atho shop

CHENNAI: R Santhosh Kumar (36) had been doing several jobs before he finally decided to run the business his ancestors did – an atho shop – after fleeing Myanmar (formerly Burma) in the 1960s.

But, previously a graphic designer, Santhosh had to keep his new venture a secret from his wife due to the fear of her disapproval.

“After starting an atho shop in a pushcart at Madambakkam, I lied to my wife about doing business with a relative in Namakkal. But in reality, I rented a house here in the city and continued work in full swing,” recalled Santhosh. “I wanted to earn a decent income from the shop before telling her truth.”

Fortunately, in a few months, he was able to run his ancestral business with the help of his family – earning more from his previous job. “I started the business in March 2020. But due to the pandemic, I had to close it down and wait for normalcy to return. Later, with the help of my mother for initial investment, I rented a shop and restarted Ammachi Burma Kadai on Madambakkam Main Road,” he added. Currently, his shop, which prepares 18 different types of dishes, is available on Swiggy and Zomato.

“My everyday expenditure now is between Rs 2,500-3,500. After paying my parents, who help me with the business and another worker at the shop, I earn Rs 1,500-2,000 every day,” he pointed out.

Santhosh, who had run the same business in 2017 in Taramani, had incurred losses due to lack of help. He was forced to work different jobs to make ends meet. However, now he’s a proud entrepreneur of a popular eatery.

“If I had been working at an IT job, perhaps I’d be earning more. But now running my own business and that too, an ancestral one, is a matter of pride and joy, despite the highs and lows of monetary returns,” he smiled.