By Mark Woolsey

One full decade and a couple of accidents of timing later, the husband-and-wife team of Tarandeep and Ramneek Singh have realized a long-held goal. They’re co-owners of the newest location of Tin Drum Asian Kitchen, which opened at the end of June on Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw.

The back story: they were living in Sandy Springs in the mid-teens and found themselves in the pan-Asian restaurant’s Dunwoody location one day. It was far from their last visit.

“We just fell in love with the food and the culture and we were just sitting there and thought how cool It would be to own a Tin Drum. Ten years later, look at us now. It’s been a wonderful experience,” says Ramneek Singh.

Both husband and wife had corporate IT jobs at the time but “we wanted something of our own.” The couple moved into the orbit of Steven and Sylvia Chan, the founders. Conversations started. Savings were accumulated. Franchise forms were painstakingly filled out. Everything seemed to be coming long nicely.

And then came 2020 and the COVID pandemic, which put the brakes on restaurants-and many other industries.

Three years ago the Singhs relocated from Cumming to Kennesaw, driven by husband Tarandeep’s need to be closer to his job. Plus, they liked the community and looked forward to getting more involved.

They talked with the Chans and found out that in this second instance, timing clicked.

“It just kind of worked out in our favor. They were wanting to expand to Kennesaw,” says Ramneek Singh. The prospective location wasn’t far from their home and their son’s elementary school-even better.

Upon opening, the restaurant’s pan-Asin menu resonated with customers new and old, some of whom had been driving southward to the Akers Mill location.

“The menu can be overwhelming but it’s like there’s something for everyone in there,” says Mrs. Singh. “Maybe you don’t like spicy foods, we have items that are non-spicy. Maybe you don’t like curry, we have ramen and noodles.”

A look at the menu makes one wonder what Tin Drum DOESN’T have. They boast ramen, salads, chicken sandwiches, bento boxes, Pad Thai, potstickers, noodle dishes.

And this being Atlanta, wok wings are represented.

Their stir-fries are among their most popular items, says the couple, with iterations ranging from Chinese sesame (a big seller) to teriyaki, Thai mango, and kung pao, in all 20.

Signature dishes include Hong Kong chicken n’rice and Singapore curry chow mein. You’ll also spot a variety of bento boxes featuring tempura shrimp and angus steak.

“It’s a great combination of flavors from all of the countries of South Asia,” says Tarandeep Singh, “and is you ask me, it’s tough to find all of them under one roof.”

From a work culture standpoint, “Steve and Sylvia are very helpful. Everybody works together as a team,” say the Singhs.

The proprietors say they honor the tin drummer, a lesson baked into the restaurant’s DNA, about an everyman who would walk about early in the day, banging on his instrument and calling people to the sidewalk café to fuel their mind and bodies and where all walks of life were equal.

That sensibility squares with the company’s day-to-day modus operandi.

“We chop and cook one meal at a time of many varieties of fresh and custom-made Asian cuisines, for anyone and everyone,” proclaims their website.

And the couple, who emigrated from India with their respective sets of parents, say they’re using their still-new venture to impart an important life/cultural lesson to their son.

“Here he could do something, he could own part of the business, he could expand his life. It’s not just about having a job. You could grow something if you want to,” says Ramneek.