Chennai Paper Plate

Down on Kamarajar 1St Cross Street in Srinivasa Nagar, you can find us at Chennai Paper Plate. We’re tucked away at number 7/9 in the Padi area. It’s a bit of a maze back here if you aren't from around these parts. We spend most of our time around the machines. They make a lot of noise, rhythmic thumping sounds that you get used to after a few hours of working. We started this small, just trying to make something useful for all the food stalls and parties around town. It’s not a glamorous job. We get a lot of paper scraps on the floor and sometimes the machines act up on us when it’s humid. We just fix them and keep going. There’s no big boardroom or fancy titles here. Usually, whoever is closest to the phone picks it up when it rings. We’ve got a small crew of people from the neighborhood who show up every morning. We drink tea together during the breaks and talk about whatever is going on in Padi that day. The shop gets a bit cramped when we have a big order ready to go out, but we manage somehow. We aren't trying to change the world, just making sure people have plates for their lunch. It’s honest work and it keeps us out of trouble. Most days are just about hitting our numbers and heading home.