This is precisely what Sandeep Mann has done. After years of managing eateries, the 30-year-old took the bold step of opening his own establishment, RUH Café in Wollongong, New South Wales.
The Kedah-born moved to Australia in 2016 to complete his undergraduate studies in commerce at the University of Wollongong. He has since completed his Masters degree in IT as well.
Studying abroad can be heavy on the pockets, which is why Sandeep was determined to find a part-time job to support himself while he was studying.
“I was ready to do anything, even the dishes,” he said with a laugh.
He saw an opening for a barista job and decided to give it a try. Armed with basic experience from having worked at a coffee franchise in Malaysia, he bought a coffee machine to practise his brewing skills and began making beverages for his housemates.
Sandeep remained in the hospitality line throughout his studies and beyond, all the while imagining opening one of his own. “I always had the idea but was afraid,” he told FMT. “My family were the ones who encouraged me to go for it.”
RUH officially opened its doors in Wollongong Central, a large shopping centre in the Illawarra region, on Dec 24.
“I actually began looking at spaces in July but, owing to the pandemic and lockdowns, could only proceed with plans much later,” he recalled.
Sandeep dedicated many elements of the café to his father, who passed away in May 2020. Both the logo and name have deep ties to him – “ruh” means “soul” in Hindi, while the logo is based on an image of Sandeep and his dad.
“It’s actually an outline of the last photo I took with my father at the airport in February that year,” Sandeep shared. That was the last time he returned to Malaysia, right before the pandemic hit.
Choices and challenges
When it came to crafting the menu, Sandeep was meticulous. “I wanted a small menu with meals customers would want to keep coming back for.”
To that end, RUH offers 16 items “focusing on the Australian basics that many would enjoy”, some of them jazzed up with Middle-Eastern spices.
Rolls, burgers and sandwiches, breakfast options, pastries and salads are just some of the scrumptious selections, all handpicked and designed by Sandeep himself.
Being a new business owner is never easy, and Sandeep remembered how early on, in the process of setting up the café, there were challenges he had to overcome.
For instance, “with restrictions, it was difficult to obtain and try out different samples as I was unable to see or feel the materials when choosing them”, he said.
Time management was another issue: “It was difficult juggling my previous job while setting up the café,” Sandeep revealed. He is grateful this is no longer a problem now that he runs the business full-time.
He acknowledges it was difficult being unable to return home when his father died. But with the easing of travel restrictions, he looks forward to reuniting with his family, and is especially keen for them to check out the fruits of his labour.
“My family have not been to my café, so I do hope they will get to see it soon,” he added proudly.
Find out more about RUH Café through its website, or Facebook and Instagram profiles.