Touch of Toowoomba: Rich with ambition

Touch of Toowoomba brings you a scene from the lives of four Toowoomba people each week. Who are they? And what do they love about our great city?

PappaRich franchisee Ras Banapuram, with employees Jai Fernan, Gian Fernan, and Sky-Maree Grant. Picture: Matthew Newton

TOUCH of Toowoomba brings you a scene from the lives of four Toowoomba people each week. Who are they? And what do they love about our great city?

When: 11am, Wednesday, August 29

Where: PappaRich, Grand Central

Ras Banapuram

THE idea (to run a PappaRich) started when we were in Canberra.

We were there for almost one year and I saw they opened the PappaRich when we were there and it was very busy.

We almost had to wait for half an hour to get in there to have the food. And when we had it, I loved the food, the flavours in it were perfect.

So when my husband and I started thinking of a business, we didn't have any experience of it before so we thought of going for a franchise and the first thing that came into mind was PappaRich.

We moved to Toowoomba more than five years ago.

There are a lot of things I like about Toowoomba. The main thing is that I lived in cities before. This is the first time I've moved to a regional area. What I like is the smile on people's faces - whoever I see first I get a big smile here.

Toowoomba people are so much more welcoming and that's the first thing I like about it. And obviously there are a lot of parks here, and good schools for our daughter.

Sky-Maree Grant

I LIVED in Toowoomba for five years. I don't live in Toowoomba now though - I've moved out to Plainlands.

I went to school here in Toowoomba, at Mt Lofty. I was in Townsville before that.

I've been working here since PappaRich opened. It's quite good. They're quite a bubbly team.

What's one thing I like about Toowoomba? The lookouts, when you go to them at night. Mt Kynoch is my favourite, looking back over the city.

Jai Fernan

I'VE been here in Toowoomba for a year and two months.

I moved here to Australia with my husband. He is studying a Cert IV in cookery.

Originally we lived on the Gold Coast but it's hard for us to find a job there and then we moved here in Toowoomba because the first job we got was here.

We're really in love with Toowoomba. Toowoomba is just a really laid-back life compared to the city. It's just relaxed. No traffic, no hassle.

I come from the Philippines. We lived in the southern part, it's called Davao City, where the new president comes from. We left because we needed to step up ourselves, and be independent.

When we lived at home we just stayed at our parents house and we didn't have a lot of work.

That's why we decided to go here to move to Australia and start all over again and work hard.

Gian Fernan

BASICALLY what I'm doing here in PappaRich is I'm the main cook.

I do everything from prep to manning the wok to noodles and soups.

Also my wife works here as well.

I'm studying a Certificate IV in cookery at college in Brisbane. I want to be a qualified chef here in Australia. I want to have my own business, my own brand.

I love it here in Australia, especially Toowoomba. There's no traffic and I love cold weather so it's great.

It's a bit different to back home - back there it's very humid and like 36 degrees all day.

I've been working here since it opened.

What's my favourite dish? I love pasta. I used to work in an Italian restaurant. I was the head chef there.
 

Originally published as Touch of Toowoomba: Rich with ambition