Maple Restaurant, on 29-31 Limpsfield Road, opened in December last year, and is the latest venture from owner Kulsum Hussin and general manager Faisal Hussin.
Faisal explained that Maple is the family’s third restaurant in Croydon.
(Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)
He said: “We started in 2014 with a restaurant called Yumn Brasserie in South Croydon.
“In mid-2016, we opened a cocktail bar and small plates restaurant at Boxpark Croydon.
“We closed that one in November 2020 during the pandemic.
“A lot of our guests had been people working locally or passing through the station, and when that stopped, the business couldn’t continue.
“That project was great, probably our legacy restaurant, with 150 covers, private dining, and a big team.”
After closing Boxpark, the family embarked on creating a new concept in Sanderstead.
He added: “We started on the Maple project just a little before we opened.
“The building had been company’s offices since 2016, and we had earmarked that location.
“The area has young families moving kids, grow up, move out, go to university, get jobs, move out.
“And then the cycle keeps repeating itself.
“So, we’ve got a really nice demographic of people, and we’ve been part of the community anyway.”
Maple was designed with brunch and all-day dining in mind.
Acknowledging that hospitality has shifted, Kulsum and Faisal noted that people want a range of options for eating.
He said: “People want brunch, lunch, a place to meet friends while working from home.
“That’s where the concept started.
“But we couldn’t let go of evening a la carte dining or private dining rooms so we’ve carried that over as well.
“We still do events and catering.”
Maple employs a mix of younger staff aged 16 to 21 who attend or attended nearby schools, alongside experienced team members who have been with them for years.
They also prioritise sourcing ingredients locally, including produce from Surrey, Sussex, and Kent, and coffee from near Goodwood in Sussex.
He said: “A lot of our menu is written simply, but we take pride in the detail behind each dish.
“Even something like our burger includes carefully prepared sauces, caramelised onions, and pickled cucumbers.
“Many of the components are prepped in-house, so you could say they’re homemade.”
“Since we opened, the menu has gone through several iterations.
“Every two to three weeks, one or two dishes are replaced or updated, sometimes based on customer feedback.
“We want to get breakfast and brunch service just right.
“Some guests come two or three times a week and we get to know them, their tastes, and they get to know us.”
The restaurant sponsors Sanderstead Cricket Club and hosts the Mum Club for monthly brunches.
Its private dining room is used for events like cinema mornings and special catering, and breakfast bookings there have grown from just a few to 30 or 40 a week.
The name Maple and its green-themed branding were chosen to reflect Sanderstead’s leafy surroundings.
The restaurant’s most stand-out quality, according to Faisal, is the attention to detail and the focus on customer satisfaction.
He explained: “It’s our perseverance to make customers happy, to ensure they leave feeling at home.
“That’s built into the team.
“We want guests to enjoy themselves, whether it’s breakfast, brunch, or an evening meal.”
For the Hussins, the personal reward lies in seeing their guests return and the community grow around them.
Faisal said: “Even after all the years in hospitality, the buzz is addictive.
“Seeing guests happy, seeing families return, and meeting people who’ve followed us from previous restaurants.
“Some have been with us from a first date to now married with children.”
Maple is open from 8am to 10pm on Tuesdays to Thursday, 8am to 11pm on Fridays, 9am to 11pm on Saturdays, and 9am to 6pm on Sundays.
