From an ‘E’ Student to KALUGA BOSS

By: Kmar Henry

       CEO │ BIZcare Consultation & Accounting Firm

Date: June 20, 2017

Every so often we are given a glimpse of our own talents; however, there are only a handful of us who really take heed of this talent, we rarely pay attention to this voice in the back of our mind just begging us to try, begging us to step beyond the shadows and into the spotlight. Instead, we sit and wait humbly for our moment, waiting for our time to shine when in fact our moment is already there for the taking. Sometimes all we need is a little bravado and a touch of hubris.  Adrian Samuda took that chance and he did so with the right amount of bravado, humility and swagger; today he is the “Kaluga Boss.”

Mr Adrian Samuda’s journey began in Banister District, a small close-knit community just outside of Old Harbour, St. Catherine. This humble beginning may have been the inspiration behind aspirations beyond what anyone could have ever imagined. Adrian’s story is the epitome of a small town boy turning a bleak past into a beacon of light which others may use to trod their own paths.

The future of a man is highly dependent on the plans that we make today, something that the great Martin Luther King taught us decades ago; a message that Mr Samuda grasped gradually throughout his journey.

Early Years

As the deputy head boy of the Davis Primary School, Adrian had always displayed profound discipline and academic progress, therefore, it was no surprise to his family when he passed his exams to embark and further his journey within the prestige and stalwart environment and ambiance of Glenmuir High School. Whilst being extremely happy at the time in Sept 1996 when he planted his feet inside the classroom of form 1R for the first time, things took a major turn within a short spell. Something that he and his parents explained that they had a very difficult time trying to figure out. Mr. Samuda explained 'December of that year I got my very first school report,' being enthusiastic as I always am, I opened my report only to grace the savage display of all Es, something I didn't take well for the rest of my time in High School as I was always scampering between the places of 42-44 in the academic rank of the class. I was so embarrassed I tore the report card to pieces and burnt it in the back of my yard before my parents got home.' Things went downhill even further as his parents were separated at the time which left him with only his mother as the sole breadwinner for the rest of his life throughout high school. In unfamiliar grounds, Adrian became even more stifled by the situation as the race to keep up with what was the 'in thing' at Glenmuir High 'to be bright,' was just too much to bear. As a result, he lost confidence, desire, energy, and motivation as his grades declined each term. At the time Glenmuir High had a system where the lower averages were only allowed to sit seven (7) CXC subjects while the higher averages were afforded the opportunity to sit nine (9) subjects. Given his performances, Adrian was only qualified to choose seven (7) subjects in the R stream of this prestigious school. All was not lost though, as it was here that he pounced upon his first love, a skill that gave him motivation or even what some may say; that light within a dark place. Adrian met what he recalled as the only thing that he felt some type of connection to, something he could use to excel and recuperate his burning desire that was holistically lost at the time. Yes! It was at his lowest point that he was introduced to Food and Nutrition a 'subject for girls,' a subject that much to the charging of his “bredrens” was no place for a man. In truth, Food and Nutrition was a subject he chose based on the mere fact that he thought the other subject choices were too much of an uphill task at the time; by looking for an easy way out he found his path. Although things remained mediocre with his other subject choices, Adrian became more and more enthused with the intricacies of Food and Nutrition as his friends would always now be on the look out to taste his dishes after practical. Being boosted by this factor, he was able to grab onto five CXCs and then placed his eyes on the bigger picture of transitioning into University, a next chapter which unfolded many lessons during his journey.

University to Nova Scotia

Life began to unfold at a fast rate for Adrian as his mother was now thinking about hustling both locally and internationally to keep him and his other siblings into school. The pressures of being successful became an embodiment, he became engrossed with success, it was an obsession.  He soon learned, however, that success wouldn’t come easy; he realised that in order to achieve that which he yearned for he would have to put his mind, body and soul into it every single day. Getting into college was the first move for him, but five (5) CXCs just would be enough to take him there especially with two (2) being basic. So Adrian took the longer route to his destination, he enrolled at the Portmore Community College as a student with the aim of boosting his credentials in order to get accepted into University, a dream which his mother exerted rather adamantly that he must fulfill. In 2002, his renewed CXC results came out again with him failing English for the second time. Adrian however, never lost hope and re-sat it again January of the following year (2003) and succeeded in passing with a grade III. A time he recalls as one of the happiest times of his life! 

Now armed with the necessary requirements, Adrian enrolled in the University of Technology (Utech) to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Food Service Management thanks to the financial assistance given through the Student's Loan Bureau and his Mother who stood beside him at every step of the way. In retrospect Food Service Management was the only choice he had he didn’t see himself doing any other degree, his passion and his love for food didn’t allow him to consider any other program, he had tunnel vision and rightly so, this degree represented one foot in the door of getting his dreams out.

Things started to look brighter for Mr Samuda; he now started to slowly carve out his purpose, confidence was now building as he slowly and carefully grabbed hold unto what he wanted to do with his life. The strong foundation that his mother instilled was at the forefront of his mindset, and also the ingenuity that was with him in his earlier years started to unfold once more. Adrian nurtured himself properly throughout his time in university but stumbled on another hurdle within the latter part of his fourth & last year. He found himself suspended for a year out of University. With this hurdle now at the back of his mind, Adrian turned set his sights towards attaining a job, soon he was hired as Food and Beverage Supervisor at Morgan's Harbour Restaurant. This wasn’t a long stay however, he was only employed there for a short stint of six (6) weeks due to backlashes he received from his staff for what he explained at the time as 'maybe they thought that I was just too young to be supervising them.'  Being the visionary person he was, Adrian knew from early that there was no growth there, and hence started to search elsewhere for something that would teach him valuable lessons, something that would grow his attributes, something that would further cement his true purpose, something of which he found when he lay foot in the Liguanea branch of Nova Scotia in that very same year. His mother was elated and family members started to see him in a new light; he describes as you know working in the bank sector at that time was a big thing to them. Adrian, however, was more interested in what he could learn during his tenure at this highly successful bank. While there, he grew more familiar with an important business attribute called 'customer service,' an attribute he molded and cherished highly. Adrian began to form steady rapports with business people, and soon became one of the branches top Loans Officer. His superiors were impressed with his performances and subsequently allowed him to have an impact in almost every department within the bank; from bank teller to loan officer, from customer service to sales, yes Adrian went everywhere! His self-nurtured and garnered ability to sell and supply excellent customer service was something that placed him a cut above the rest. However, testing times then came again when his manager told him that he needs to finish his degree in order to continue his steady path of excelling within the bank. Adrian was however still able to finish his Food Service Management Degree, and also further broaden his knowledge by enrolling himself in the University of West Indies to do a Diploma in the field of Business Administration. A journey which then again proved testing times as he then again took two years instead of one to complete, being that he had to re-sit the course statistics for a total of three (3) times. However, he totally relished his time within this new found field, of which opened up his mind further towards his journey into entrepreneurship. 

Nova Scotia to Entrepreneurship

With his strong sense of will now exuberating within the platform of the Bank of Nova Scotia, one would think that Mr. Samuda would now just relax, settle and enjoy the fruits that they (the Bank) would just now slowly unfold to him as time went by. However, he got somehow un-enthused with the expectancy of what would happen over his time there. Adrian was now embracing the fact that his life had something totally different to offer. He started to reflect on his journey and somehow knew that his story would have been incomplete if he continued on this path. Teasers and hints would always seem to burden his mind to the point which it would wander off elsewhere, he daydreamed of on what could be, often thinking about what he could do to truly establish and build something great. His obsession with success never left him. He was thinking about his own legacy. He started parlaying these questions to his girlfriend at the time and a close cousin as he became more and more curious about what he could do as he would try to assess himself daily. Notably, he was always involved in some type of entrepreneurial endeavour on the side throughout his time at the bank; from renting out stations in a hair salon to selling CDs and also running a farm, Adrian was always invigorated by entrepreneurship, a passion that he was embedded in his DNA from his mother. And it was with this in mind that he decided to bring his passion even further by completing an MBA in the field of Entrepreneurship in the year 2013. 

Being the determined person that he is and rapidly gaining knowledge from his study within the field of Entrepreneurship, Adrian then began to find some form of answer. He alluded to the experience he had back then when he was seeking somewhere to carry his girlfriend to have a wonderful time. We all know the expectations of spending time with the one you love in a nice comfortable place with great service and ambiance, well Old Harbour at the time was just simply not the place. Adrian explained 'that we ended up watching TV on the top floor of the Juici Beef down by Manchester Avenue in May Pen.'  This then sparked his mind to figure out the missing piece that was just simply not there within his hometown and hence started to craft his idea around this venture. With the love that he had for cooking already embedded from his early years at Glenmuir High, Adrian used this to fine tune an image of a place where the people of Old Harbour can fine dine, chill and be treated with respect within an ambiance of class and excellence. At this point, he began to then do his market research of which he did a survey with a team he built to get feedbacks from the public. For days he had to battle the savage words that came from naysayers that were even from his close family and friends. A battle that he fought comprehensively after he met his virtual motivator and mentor Les Brown on YouTube. 

How was the name Kaluga formulated?

Adrian was never down, his quest towards opening his own restaurant only got greater. Hence, he commenced on trying to find a name to fit this unique trend that he was trying to embark on. He assessed his town, the people, the trend, the culture and every bit of pieces that made Old Harbour....Old Harbour. It was then he pounced upon the name 'Kaluga' on a night he remembers vividly and explained; 'It was about 1 a.m. in the night and my girlfriend was sleeping, I was so excited so I had to wake her up!'  He then shared the name with his cousin who also became excited about the name, being that it explained what the town was known for; 'a big town with a lot of fishes.' 

With all the information garnered from his research and the name now established, Adrian and his cousin knew that he had to be the forerunner behind every operation and structure that would be needed in order to make this venture successful. Hence, the notion of quitting his job created airwaves within his mind as time went by. Adrian knew from the first instance without any doubt that he was fully equipped to embark and create a legacy within the town of Old Harbour that he always envisioned. Thus, he penned his letter of resignation in March 2014 to fulfil and embark on a whole new journey which sent shock-waves throughout his family and close friends. He even explained that he had to literally turn off his cell phone on his own mother, due to the fact that she spent days trying to get him to change his mind and go back to 'the big Bank,' she described. Adrian was called 'mad, fool fool, idiot, nave nuh sense bwoy,’ all terms that you can think of to describe someone negatively in patois. With all of this negativity being shown by his friends and family, he then knew that he certainly had a point to prove and has never turned back since. He was just too persistent and motivated to prove everyone wrong, even his own mother who didn't speak to him until months after when she heard about how well that the restaurant was doing. 

Kaluga has opened up a new industry and hospitality within the town, it is now seen as a place where hometown graduates can come back from University and get a job or receive valid experience through internship within the field. The doors are opened to anyone who wants to enjoy a great evening or night inside a place of class, great ambience & food, and exquisite customer service without even missing the hustle and bustle of going to Kingston. Also, Adrian has proudly created a platform where he can give back towards the youths of his town; a promise that he has fulfilled from his first year of operation. The restaurant currently employs a staff of 36 of which he will extend shortly as his catering service continues to embark on a whole new avenue. With the lights of events such as signature nights (partnership with Appleton) and food, fashion & music now implemented, there is just no limit to where brand Kaluga can go.

 Message of Inspiration from the Kaluga Boss

Adrian’s journey speaks volumes to so many of us. His story has shed a whole new light on the person who has always had that burning desire to trek his own path but is bogged down by the expectation and safety of the tried and proven path. He is an inspiration to the student currently struggling to keep his grade up, he is a symbol of what hard work and stick-to-itiveness can bring. If Adrian Samuda had a motto, it would read: Be not afraid to accept your talent, skill, gift to try endlessly to achieve something great. It will all make sense in the near future.

 How to find Kaluga?

For a great evening, your birthday event or catering service, please feel free to call 1 (876) 630-3418 or visit Kaluga Kafe at 18 West Street, Old Harbour St. Catherine. They are opened Sunday to Sunday from 7-11:00 a.m. (breakfast hours) to 12 a.m.

Edited by: Anthonio James

                     L.L.B. & BSc in Political Science

Click the link to see photos from Kaluga's latest Appleton Signature Nights event here: LINK

BIZcare Consultation & Accounting Firm is a consulting agency that operates within the small parish of Clarendon in the beautiful land of Jamaica. We are geared towards educating the minds of upcoming entrepreneurs of the important aspects that must be considered before starting their businesses. Hence why we operate under the slogan 'Your Business is OUR Priority' and tagline 'Helping Small Businesses & Individuals to better Organise their Business Functions.'

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