Indian food franchise Curry Up Now moves into North Texas

Texas’ first Curry Up Now is expected to open in The Colony, next to Nebraska Furniture Mart.

The founder of California Indian food franchise restaurant Curry Up Now announced that the company is franchising into Texas. The first store in the Lone Star State is expected to open in March 2021 in Grandscape, billionaire Warren Buffett’s $1.5 billion development in The Colony.

When Curry Up Now opens, its Texas franchisees Ankita Mehta, Dharmesh Mehta, Kamlesh Modi, Jagruti Modi, Ratnakar Mody, Lila Mody and Aryan Vig plan to open a cocktail bar called Mortar & Pestle in tandem.

The franchisees plan to open as many as six Indian food franchise restaurants in Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin. So far, The Colony is the only lease that has been signed. When it opens, Curry Up Now is expected to be the only restaurant in the Grandscape development that is focused on Indian-American cuisine.

The menu puts a decidedly American approach on Indian food. The restaurant’s tandoori chicken comes fried and served on a brioche bun with pineapple-jalapeño chutney, aioli and pickled onions. Various bowls offer popular diet options: keto, paleo or vegan plant protein. Customers will also find more traditional options like bowls with tikka masala and saag paneer.

Nearly anything that can come in a bowl can also come in a burrito.

Then there’s the Sexy Fries (loaded sweet potato fries) and Naughty Naan (flatbread with cheese, caramelized onions, jalapeño, and choice of chicken, lamb or paneer).

A press release describes Curry Up Now’s mission: “to serve Indian cuisine in an approachable way for American consumers by utilizing formats that are recognizably mainstream.” It has a number of vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal options.

Drinks at Mortar & Pestle bar include a Bangalore Old Fashioned made with garam masala and Indian rum instead of the typical bourbon.

The bartenders can do off-site catering, the website says. The restaurant also offers catering, takeout and delivery.

Founders Akash Kapoor and Rana Kapoor started Curry Up Now in 2009, and for now, they operate 11 restaurants. The duo partnered with Fransmart to franchise the business across the United States, and nearly 50 Indian food franchise restaurants are being developed right now.