Running a brewpub isn’t easy- it’s a lot of work, a lot of sweat and the occasional tears.

There are a lot of good, earnest people working behind the scenes, who put in a great deal of effort, round-the-clock, to ensure that everything you love about Toit stays that way.
And these people are none other than our never-tiring, ever-inspiring staff.
Our very own Toit Army- a battalion dedicated to the cause of good beer!

He’s done everything from riding lorries across highways to delivering veggies, to handling real estate paperwork at Government offices, and also fulfilling the role of a valet somewhere in between. Say hello to our Office Admin Sridhar, who’s had quite an eventful childhood. To say the least.

How long have you been working at Toit?

I joined three months after the opening.

What were you doing before this?

I was working as a part-time valet person. Before that, I was working at a warehouse for a watch making brand.

I was working as a part-time valet person.

How did you hear about Toit?

There used to be a man working at the warehouse, Abdul, who used to do housekeeping. He came here and told me about it as well. There was an opening for a part-time job.
So I finished work at 5 pm at the warehouse and came here to meet Arun sir. He asked me to come here and work for three days, the weekend actually, as a valet person.

Later, after about 6 months, I became a permanent employee. I did valet everyday. After two and a half years, I shifted to the office and started doing admin work.

What do you do here?

I deal with the Excise Office, and also all the purchases. Any outside work, I handle that.

Can you describe a typical work day?

I wake up at 7 in the morning everyday. I have a small kid, who is 11 months old. I spend time with my child in the morning and then come here by 10 am.

Then I work a little bit on the system (computer) and go to take stock. I take stock, then go and order whatever is needed from outside. I am mostly outside, all my work is usually outside. I spend very little time at the office.

Then I have a break, usually around 1:30 pm. And then I go home at 7:30 pm, after finishing all my work. There is no fixed timing for this, depends on my work, but this is usually when I finish and go home.

Are you from Bangalore?

Yes. I am a Kannadiga. I live here with my wife and child.
I used to live in a village in Hoskotte,  till my 8th standard. And then, I cam here. This was in 1997.

…all my work is usually outside. I spend very little time at the office.

A man came to my village and said he would bring me to Bangalore and put me in a good convent school. But he didn’t. When we came here, he said I didn’t get admission in the school and that he would check next year.
And he told me to start working in a job where I got 30 rupees a day. This was in a big hair saloon.

I said ok and started working. One year passed in doing this. Then I went and asked him about school again, and he said no school and all, you just work here.

I went back to the village, but then my mom said do whatever work they ask you to do.
So I came back and became a lorry cleaner. I did this for about 6 months. I also learnt how to drive a lorry. I was around 16 at the time.

I didn’t get a license then because you can’t at that age, so I just kept working for the lorry owner for about two years. He was really nice and took a lot of care of me.

I used to go on trips with him, from Hyderabad to Bangalore, transporting vegetables. Even I used to drive, and after doing this for sometime, I learnt how to drive the lorry properly. I got a lot of practice going back and forth.

Later, I left that job, and started working for a real estate owner. I worked with him for three years. But then that man’s business underwent some loss.

I learnt how to drive the lorry properly.

So I left that, and joined a bank. I did that for another 6 months and then worked for that watch making brand. I was the MD’s driver initially. But when they opened a new warehouse, they put me there.

You joined here as the valet and then eventually worked your way to admin. How did that happen?

I don’t know. One of the employees who used to work in the office left, and that’s when Sibi sir asked me if I would take up the job. It involved Government work, going to the Excise Office, Commissioner’s Office, all that.
I said I would do it, and I knew Kannada and all properly.

Initially, for about three months, I was doing half day of valet work and half day in the office. Later, I shifted fully to the office.

Do you like your job?

Yes!

So what do you like most, and least, about your job?

No such thing as the least. I like it.
You know how they call people an all-rounder? I am like that. I will do anything, with no tension at all.

You have to meet a lot of Government officials—no tension there?

I used to work with that real estate guy no? I got a lot of practice then itself. He had a lot of paperwork to do also, for his property. So he taught me what to do, and then I kept meeting the officials and got to know them.
So when I joined the admin here, it was easy for me.

You know how they call people an all-rounder? I am like that.

When is your off day? What do you do on an off day?

My off is on Sunday. I sleep the whole day, till some 11 am. I stay at home with my child mostly and don’t go out at all.

So no hobbies? You don’t like going out an watching movies or anything?

No, no. Not at all. Earlier, I used to play cricket but I stopped that as well.

Why?

Because there’s no one to play with. Everyone from the team got married and moved to different places.

You’ve had such an eventful life with so many different roles—out of all of these, which job did you enjoy most?

The real estate one was a lot of fun. I went there right after the lorry job. Actually, the MD knew the lorry owner also, and he was the one who recommended me.

He asked me what I could drive, and that time I said I could drive a lorry. He said he has a smaller car and to come and work for him. I remember, he had an Indigo. So from lorry driving, I became a personal driver.

Anything eventful happen in all those drives from Bangalore to Hyderabad?

Nothing. We used to drive there straight, without stopping, because we’d leave at 7 am and we’d have to get back here by the evening.

But there is one incident that happened when I was a personal driver for that watch company MD.

…from lorry driving, I became a personal driver.

I was driving and there was an accident on the road. This lady had fallen on the road. So I stopped to help her and took her to the hospital. I was with a friend at the time. I admitted her in the hospital, but when the Police came, they caught us.

They said that we were the ones who caused the accident. I tried to tell them that we just stopped to help, and the people who caused the accident ran away. But they didn’t listen.

For about two days, one of us was in the hospital and the other was in the station. And then just like that, after two days, when this lady told them it wasn’t us, and that some other two-wheeler guy had caused the accident, they let us go.

They needed someone to catch. And after that day, no matter who has an accident on the road, after that tension, I don’t stop anymore. Because when you help, this is what happens. So I just keep going.

The trees! There used to be so many trees when I moved here…

It’s been a while since you’ve moved here from the village. What changes have you seen happen?

The trees! There used to be so many trees when I moved here and it was so cool and nice. Now, it’s so hot.

When I first moved here, I could see a church in one direction, and a temple in the other from my house. And I could hear church bells also.
Now, I can’t see either. So many tall buildings and apartments have come up in front of my house.

It’s been five years at Toit now. How has it been?

It’s nice. There are no problems. Even when I was working as a valet, there were no problems. It’s peaceful.