Senthil Kumar : The Art Of Carrying A Legacy From 1957 To The Future
Senthil Kumar
Chief Business Officer
Seven decades and three generations later, this culinary tradition continues to thrive through Thalappakatti Hotels. Today, Senthil Kumar, its Chief Business Officer, is on a mission to transform this almost seven-decade-old legacy into the future.
Senthil has already enhanced the footprint of the hotel chain, elevating the dining experience, thanks to his 25 years of experience growing India's favorite brands, including Arvind Fashions, Shoppers Stop, and YLG.
He is a stern believer that flexibility, hearing each member of the team, and learning from mistakes make it possible to grow in the long term.
As a person of integrity and account ability, Senthil continues to take the world famous, authentic biryani all over India and beyond. We are delighted to engage in an exclusive interview with Senthil, who walks us through his Thalappakatti journey, leadership style, and vision.
What key lessons have shaped your leadership journey?
Over my professional journey, several lessons have shaped my leadership approach. I have come to understand that empowering individuals and establishing trust is more important than the process itself, that adaptability is a necessity during change, and that active listening provides insights and inclusive decision-making.
How do you identify new opportunities and keep the business competitive?
We have a systematic approach to identifying and judging new market opportunities, beginning with closely monitoring market trends, customer behaviors, and competitor movements. This
quantitative information, like market size, growth potential and financial viability, is combined with the qualitative information received from customers and industry experts. Once identified, opportunities are assessed against criteria like alignment with core strengths and the ability to build sustainable competitive advantage. Equally important is execution, where we prioritize pilots or minimal viable solutions to test assumptions, refine strategies, and allocate resources wisely. This strategy is neither rigorous nor agile, allowing for knowledgeable and effective decisions.
How do you manage rising ingredient costs in the F&B industry without compro - mising food quality?
Commodity price volatility is a constant challenge in F&B business, and we address it by balancing cost efficiency with uncompromised quality. We focus on strategic sourcing and supplier partnerships, leveraging local options and long-term contracts to control costs.
Through menu engineering, balanced portioning, highlight high-margin items, and use seasonal sourcing to protect profitability. Tighter inventory control, staff training and waste reduction facilitate operational efficiency. This combination defends the margins and does not compromise on quality, customer trust, or brand value.
How does technology and data help you anticipate consumer trends?
Technology is a key growth driver for us, enabling efficiency, customer engagement, and data-driven decisions. We use digital platforms and SAP for procurement, supply chain, and cost tracking, while tools like our loyalty program “The Legends Club” and digital feedback enhance customer interaction.
The data analytics assists us in knowing the trends, changing menus and coming up with specific promotions so that we remain competitive and customer-driven.
How do you balance profitability with innovation while measuring the impact of pricing on customer loyalty and sales?
Balancing profitability, innovation, and customer satisfaction requires both discipline and flexibility. We promote culinary creativity within parameters of brand heritage,
Recognition and trust, which builds strong teams that drive growth
How do you manage rising ingredient costs in the F&B industry without compro - mising food quality?
Commodity price volatility is a constant challenge in F&B business, and we address it by balancing cost efficiency with uncompromised quality. We focus on strategic sourcing and supplier partnerships, leveraging local options and long-term contracts to control costs.
Through menu engineering, balanced portioning, highlight high-margin items, and use seasonal sourcing to protect profitability. Tighter inventory control, staff training and waste reduction facilitate operational efficiency. This combination defends the margins and does not compromise on quality, customer trust, or brand value.
How does technology and data help you anticipate consumer trends?
Technology is a key growth driver for us, enabling efficiency, customer engagement, and data-driven decisions. We use digital platforms and SAP for procurement, supply chain, and cost tracking, while tools like our loyalty program “The Legends Club” and digital feedback enhance customer interaction.
The data analytics assists us in knowing the trends, changing menus and coming up with specific promotions so that we remain competitive and customer-driven.
How do you balance profitability with innovation while measuring the impact of pricing on customer loyalty and sales?
Balancing profitability, innovation, and customer satisfaction requires both discipline and flexibility. We promote culinary creativity within parameters of brand heritage,
sourcing, and scalability limits to make margins are not compromised. As a heritage brand, we focus on consistent quality, portion balance, and memorable dining experiences. Pricing adjustments are cautiously tried using the data of sales, feedback, repeat visit and loyalty statistics, and the customer trust and profitability are addressed simultaneously.
What is your roadmap going forward?
Our roadmap in the future is centered on the sustainability of growth, customer innovation, and digital transformation. Expansion will be purposeful, exploring cloud kitchens, quick-service, and experiential dining while strengthening our brand legacy.
Technology and data will guide predictive analytics, AI-driven engagement, and automation, menu optimization, pricing, and personalized experiences. Customer experience remains central, with innovations in service, loyalty programs, and digital engagement, while sustain ability initiatives such as waste reduction, eco-friendly packaging, and responsible sourcing align with future diner expectations.
The direction is to grow in a responsible manner, remain flexible and creative, and persist in high-quality, which would keep the brand on top of the market and customers’ favorite decades later.
What would be your advice to budding industry leaders?
My advice to budding industry leaders is to stay connected to both people and purpose, prioritizing quality and customer experiences. The leaders should be flexible, inquisitive and creative, and they should set up good teams and empower them to perform. Consider the long-term, the profitability and sustainability, loyalty of customers, and reputation of the brand, in such a way that the combination of vision, execution, passion, and discipline make a significant impact.
Senthil Kumar, Chief Business Officer, Thalappakatti Hotels
Senthil’s insights and leadership have been key in transforming Thalappakatti Hotels. He is busy taking the legacy of this iconic biryani brand to the future, blending authentic flavours with innovation and strategic thinking.
•Hobbies: Bike riding
•Favorite Book: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
•Favorite Cuisine: South Indian
•Favorite Travel Destination: Hill stations
What is your roadmap going forward?
Our roadmap in the future is centered on the sustainability of growth, customer innovation, and digital transformation. Expansion will be purposeful, exploring cloud kitchens, quick-service, and experiential dining while strengthening our brand legacy.
Technology and data will guide predictive analytics, AI-driven engagement, and automation, menu optimization, pricing, and personalized experiences. Customer experience remains central, with innovations in service, loyalty programs, and digital engagement, while sustain ability initiatives such as waste reduction, eco-friendly packaging, and responsible sourcing align with future diner expectations.
The direction is to grow in a responsible manner, remain flexible and creative, and persist in high-quality, which would keep the brand on top of the market and customers’ favorite decades later.
What would be your advice to budding industry leaders?
My advice to budding industry leaders is to stay connected to both people and purpose, prioritizing quality and customer experiences. The leaders should be flexible, inquisitive and creative, and they should set up good teams and empower them to perform. Consider the long-term, the profitability and sustainability, loyalty of customers, and reputation of the brand, in such a way that the combination of vision, execution, passion, and discipline make a significant impact.
Senthil Kumar, Chief Business Officer, Thalappakatti Hotels
Senthil’s insights and leadership have been key in transforming Thalappakatti Hotels. He is busy taking the legacy of this iconic biryani brand to the future, blending authentic flavours with innovation and strategic thinking.
•Hobbies: Bike riding
•Favorite Book: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
•Favorite Cuisine: South Indian
•Favorite Travel Destination: Hill stations