Fruitshop On Greams Road

The Fruit Shop On Greams Road is a growing chain of fresh juice pubs operating out of the gracefully orthodox,laid-back city of Chennai(formerly Madras),South India.

Harris and Salim,two friends whose main attributes in the field of fruits and juices was an utter lack of knowledge of the subject,stumbled into the business by a quirk of fate.

A friend of Harris’ offered him a 250 sq.ft shop on quiet Greams Road,a road that linked the famous Mount Road with parts of Egmore and Nungambakkam.With a shop in hand and clueless as to the business to get into,they decided to start a fresh fruits and juices business.The shop was done up,boards fixed,and the first trip to the fruit market made with great enthusiasm.

The two partners,whose business at that time was timber and plywoods,quickly realized the truth of the age-old saying about grass being greener on the other side of the river.Their life was thrown out of gear by the 5am to 1am business cycle,the over powering quickness and aggressiveness of the fruit market,and the slime and sludge of a perishable goods market that was packed into a small by-lane in busy Parrys.

The shop was initially staffed by a couple of young guys and more Coke and Pepsi were sold than the fruits and juices.Off to a depressing start,the story got more complicated when the young staffers,out on a bike after closing time,hit a stationary buffalo on the road and ended up in the local hospital.Out of action for at least a fortnight,there was no one to open shop and more worryingly,no one to make juices.

That morning,Salim and Harris made the most momentous decision of their ‘fruity’ career.Not only did they decide to open shop,they also decided to try their hands at juice making.

The first customer walked through the door at around 11 am and ordered a Sam’s Pick Me Up.The juice was made very tentatively by Harris and looked quite normal,except for the darker hue.Sam’s Pick Me Up,for the uninitaiated,is made out of Pomegranates and Black Pepper.The gentleman downed the drink,seemed to change various hues in a small fraction of time,gaped noiselessly,and with a very weak smile,paid and left.Only when we tasted the left over in the glass did we realize the amount of pepper we had put into the juice.From that day on we learnt,and did,all those little things that one needs to do to run a juice shop.We swept the floors,cleaned glasses,handled fruits and literally stepped into the shoes of our boys.To this day,we believe that was the day the Fruit Shop On Greams Road was born.

Barring minor hiccups,the business picked up rapidly in those few weeks and more new juices like the Orange Punch,True Blue,The Sheikh Shake,Jughead Special,Flosbury Flop,Pink Panther,Lime Mint Cooler(LMC) and many more appeared on the menu.

A gratifying mix of youngsters by day and families,at night,was the customer profile.The patrons appreciated the exotic blends, hygienic surroundings and the consistency of the products and the shop was on a roll.

A few appreciative news articles had begun to appear in some of the prominent news papers and periodicals like the Indian Express,The Hindu,Outlook,India Today…and they added immense value to the young shop.

New shops followed at various locations in Chennai and the Fruit Shop On Greams Road brand was Trade marked and used extensively at all outlets.Many of the juices like the Lime-Mint-Cooler,Blue Dot Special,Colonel Custer,Bartender’s Blush,etc.were also Trade Marked.

By the year 2009,the Fruit Shop On Greams Road was selling over 3 million glasses of pure,original juices every year to it’s discerning patrons from 13 outlets and campus counters.It’s first international outlet was now open in Dubai and receiving a very heartening response there.

An outstanding feature of the Fruit Shop On Greams Road brand has been it’s broad acceptance amongst it’s patrons,cutting across age and gender groups.Perceived as a delicious,good-health destination,there are very few negative perceptions about the brand and it’s products.This has been highlighted effectively over the years by some gentle,tongue-in-cheek advertising by the renowned advertising agency,Rubecon.

Amongst some of the Fruit Shop On Greams Road’s proud moments are it’s rating by Ford India as one of Chennai’s 2 most recognized locations,it’s mention in the iconic Lonely Planet Travelogue, and it’s recent recognition as the 8th. most recognized brand name in India(for long brand names).

Today,the Fruit Shop On Greams Road is on the threshold of a rapid,sustained growth.More stores are due to open in prime locations in Chennai and a franchise model is soon to be offered to the over 600+ prospective franchisees from all over India(and overseas too) who have indicated their interest in the brand.

Most satisfying has been the recognition of the brand even amongst international travelers and people from far flung areas across the country.They often mail us with their appreciation and these letters are a constant source of inspiration to us.

As we pause and reflect,the fifteen years behind us seem like a dream run.And we realize with joy that the story of the little juice shop on Greams Road was and continues to be written by the appreciation and sense of belonging of the extraordinary people we call Chennaites.