An Indian restaurant owner talks about his American dream.
Indian restaurant owner Rahul Sahota believes he has revolutionized Indian food in Arizona on a small scale as his Indian restaurant does not have a refrigerator or microwave. He does not use seed oils and food dyes and is now the proud owner of the first restaurant in Arizona catering to the Indian population and also to those who love Indian foods.Sahota came to America from a small village in Punjab. “No English. No money. Just a dream, and my father’s work ethic is passed down through generations,” his message on Tikka Drive’s website read.“My family and I worked every job in the kitchen, saving every dollar while learning the restaurant business from the ground up. We opened a small 12-table restaurant in Arizona. No investors. No marketing. Just heart, hustle, and handcrafted dishes,” he wrote.
‘75% of customers do not want…’
Sahota said his practical experience in the Indian food sector in the US made him realize that 75% of customers did not want to eat there. They just wanted their Indian food and go. Hence the idea of creating a restaurant inside the car, and after two years of work, it became a reality.“We’ve deliberately kept our menu small with just six main courses because we don’t have refrigerators or microwaves in the restaurant. Everything is prepared fresh, and no frozen food will ever be served here.
We are proud to set a new standard for the Indian food industry with food cooked in ghee, no seed oils, no artificial food colouring, fresh naan bread, fresh lemon juice, and a no-compromise drive-thru experience. “We are here to raise the bar and set the standards,” he said in an interview with Fox 10 Phoenix.“This is the story of my American dream,” he said.
“No, don’t identify yourself.”
Sahota said that when he was raising money for his restaurant, he often didn’t hear “no.” But he didn’t give up. “And if this inspires one person to take the next step towards their own dream, or if I can help guide or counsel anyone on their journey, that’s exactly why I started Tikka Drive Business Club, a non-profit organization created to help inspire and guide the next generation of entrepreneurs. Names don’t define you. It’s what you do after you hear them that defines you,” he said.
