Dubai: True to his promise in life and death, Eat & Drink eating places remained open to customers as directed by its late proprietor V.P. Abdulla Mahmood.
The UAE-primarily based businessman and philanthropist died of most cancers on Monday in his fatherland within the south Indian state of Kerala. He became 62. Abdulla leaves behind his spouse and three children.
Staff individuals said Abdulla instructed them now not to pull away clients inside the event of his death. (Some agencies close to mourn the death of an owner.)
‘He became like our father.’
Mahmoud T.P.K, in-rate of Eat & Drink’s Al Qusais department, stated Abdulla “become not like a chairman, as a substitute like a colleague, teacher, and father to anyone.”
He brought: “As you could see, all our branches are open. It becomes now not his wish that we ought to close for his mourning. We omit him dearly; he was so pleasant with everybody — from the personnel chargeable for cleaning to managers.”
Mahmoud stated Abdulla turned into keen on visiting all of the eatery’s branches and inquiring about the wishes of the branch, its personnel, or even their families.
Caring man
“I become surprised at his sharp memory and take care of the staff. He might recall even matters like the placement of small containers within the branches and could observe up approximately trends in our circle of relatives lifestyles,” Mahmoud stated. “His most important education to us turned into about a way to usually treat all clients properly.”
Regular consumer
Nimish Mohan, 29, a purchaser for the past four years, stated he become saddened to listen to the information of Abdulla’s passing.
“I had heard [Abdulla] had health troubles. I learned he is not any extra. I’m keen on the food and provider at Eat & Drink and have my lunch right here constantly, from time to time dinner also,” Mohan stated.
Gulf News visited some of the branches and determined them running as typical.
A senior agency executive earlier instructed Gulf News that Abdulla has been present process treatment for most cancers within the US and India for the beyond six months.
Nishanth Arippoovil, HR manager of the organization, said Abdulla and his wife were domestic in India. He was admitted to Aster MIMS Hospital after his situation worsened. He died at around 5 pm on Monday.
The couple has daughters and a son, all of whom are UAE residents. All the circle of relatives participants flew to Kerala to attend the funeral on Tuesday, Arippoovil stated.
Household name
Established in 1982, the Eat & Drink institution emerged from humble beginnings to a renowned call in the eating place and catering industry within the UAE. The group currently has forty branches and extra than 1,000 employees.
Offering condolences for his loss of life on social media, several people in the UAE remembered Abdulla as a person who supported the network in various approaches, apart from the jobs that placed meals at the desk for several families inside the UAE.
Back domestic, Abdulla was the handling editor of the Malayalam newspaper ‘News Kerala.’ He changed into the chairman of CBSE college Sapphire Central School and coping with Kerala’s director of different business institutions.
Popular UAE restaurant group proprietor dies in India
Dubai: V.P. Abdulla Mahmood, proprietor of a famous Indian eating place chain in the UAE, ‘Eat & Drink,’ died in his hometown in the south Indian state of Kerala on Monday.
A senior agency govt advised Gulf News that Abdulla, 62, became undergoing remedy for most cancers within the US and India for the past six months.
“He and his wife Zainab had been back at domestic in Kozhikode. He was admitted to Aster MIMS Hospital yesterday after his situation worsened. He handed away around 5 pm nowadays (Monday),” said Nishanth Arippoovil, the group’s HR manager.
Funeral
The couple has two daughters and a son, all of whom are UAE citizens. Nishanth said all circle of relatives participants had flown to Kerala to wait for the funeral of Abdulla on Tuesday.
