As our Associate Director of Operations, Charles is the hand behind-the-scenes ensuring our guests have a seamless experience on every visit—whether that means setting the lights and music just right, or making sure there’s a full glass on every table. A stickler for detail and a consummate host, Charles knows what it takes to craft the ultimate dinner experience, and has a hand in just about every facet of the dining room.

Born and raised in Madras (now Chennai), Charles moved to Goa after studying in hotel school, and now calls Toronto home. He has travelled extensively throughout his career, living and working in food capitals around the world. He describes hospitality as the act of showing genuine care and warmth to every guest that walks through the doors, making them feel as if they were invited to dine at your home. A firm mentor to younger members on the team, Charles says his ultimate life goal is to help eradicate global hunger and sticks to his motto: “There is no substitute for hard work!”. Find out how he spends his day-to-day in his diary below.

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6am: My almost 4-year-old daughter Hana wakes me up with what is always something interesting to show me! It could be a pebble which she picked up in the park, or a new set of “Frozen” stickers.

7am: I make breakfast for Hana before she heads off to school. It’s usually a choice between banana pancakes or scrambled eggs with toast. Luckily for her, the pancakes sometimes come in fun owl, cat, bunny or smiley face shapes.

8am: Hana goes to school and my Mac and iPhone come out of hibernation. I get in all of the admin stuff from the previous night and check on the day’s reservations while planning out my day ahead. I also catch up on any messages from my family overseas. Coffee is a must; I am as good as a car with flat tires without it.

I’m a big sports fan, so this is the time I usually catch up on all the updates from the sports world and see any reruns of Manchester United or live Blue Jays or Maple Leafs games. (PS. I highly recommend the documentary, “All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs” on Amazon!).

10am: Headphones are on, and I’m usually listening to my Tamil playlist on the way to work for my first meeting. I’ll have a quick breakfast at home, or grab a cream cheese bagel at Starbucks on the way.

11am: Walk around the restaurants along Wyndham, greet the team and check in with how everyone’s doing. Ensure the restaurants have everything they need for a successful business day!

11:30am: I’ll usually join in on one of the restaurant briefings and help set the tone for us to have an amazing day ahead.

12-3pm: During lunch service, I usually start off with one of the restaurants where the team needs my assistance, and then I’ll pop around to different outlets to ensure everything is running smoothly. This is a good chance to say hello to regulars, or to greet new guests who are dining with us for the first time.

3–4:30pm: I’m in various meetings with different restaurants, departments or colleagues, discussing ways to drive the business forward.

4:30pm: It’s a quick dash to our new Team Canteen in SoHo to grab one of the fantastic lunch options, available to all our team members at Black Sheep Restaurants. It’s such an amazing space for our community, and I’m so proud that we have this hub now to connect with each other, and generate creative ideas.

5:15pm: Back to Wyndham to walk around the restaurants and greet those who have come in for the closing shift. Another chance to check in with individual members on their general well-being!

5:30pm: At this time of day, I’m usually in a briefing at any one of our restaurants. It’s such a key aspect of what we do, so all the team are dialled in and everyone has their own list of what they need to do. We discuss everything from reservations to chefs’ specials, and it’s also a chance for team members to share any inspiring stories.

6-10pm: Dinner service starts, which is when our magic truly happens. I usually try to stick to one of the restaurants for the beginning part of service, but will move around later on in the night to meet guests, tackle any ad hoc issues that come up, and ensure we are creating a wonderful dining experience for each and every one of our guests. Turning tables for the second seating, especially on busy weekends, feels like I am part of the pit crew for a Formula 1 race!

10:30pm: I usually get a chance to connect one-on-one with a guest or a colleague to talk about their dining experience with us that day. (Sometimes it’s with a nice Scotch in hand!).

11:30pm: Check that all the restaurants are good for the night, thank the team for a fantastic day, and head on home.

12-12:30am: I’m usually at home most days, raiding the fridge for an onigiri (my wife will usually have saved one for me). Plan the next day, watch a couple of sports videos on YouTube, doze off, and prepare to do it all over again!

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Craving more? Read more ‘Day In The Life’ stories here and here to find out what our teams do to make that Black Sheep magic happen every day.

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