Curry Up Now will make its foray into the Midwest via expansion across Indiana. The restaurant has finalized a multi-unit franchise deal for the entire state of Indiana, with plans to develop Curry Up Now locations first in the greater Indianapolis area, and then moving into college towns like Bloomington, West Lafayette, and South Bend, and eventually into the Chicago suburbs. The first outpost is slated to open in fall 2020 in downtown Indianapolis, a location chosen for its favorable demographics, workforce numbers, high population density, and for being the epicenter of hip and exciting new concepts.
The Curry Up Now expansion is being fueled by local franchisees, successful entrepreneurs, and lifelong friends, Bill Morgan and Rick Renner. Morgan’s business background is largely within the non-fiction television business, where he worked as a producer on various nationally-syndicated series and also owned his own production company. Renner’s background involves renewable energy consulting and startups, and has also spent time in India on business, where he first fell in love with the country’s rich culinary history.
“From the moment we heard about Curry Up Now and tasted the food, we knew it was a special, out-of-the-box, and authentic brand that has the momentum to cross over all societal and regional demographics,” says Morgan. Renner adds, “Akash and Rana have created a category-busting, delicious product that we feel will be well-received by residents across Indiana. We look forward to the years to come as we expand in the state and fulfill the potential that Curry Up Now offers.”
Curry Up Now began as a food truck, founded in 2009 by husband and wife duo, Akash and Rana Kapoor, and ably supported by co-founder and Senior VP of Operations, Amir Hosseini. Since day one, Curry Up Now has been on a mission to serve Indian flavors and ingredients in a way that is more approachable for the everyday American consumer, via formats that are more recognizable in the mainstream. Their signature dishes include Tikka Masala Burritos, Deconstructed Samosas, Indian-style tacos, Naughty Naan and more, alongside a menu of Indian street food snacks and more traditional dishes like Thali Platters, Kathi Rolls, and Bhel Puri, among others. In the last ten years, Akash and Rana have expanded the Curry Up Now empire to include three food trucks, seven brick-and-mortar restaurants that span both coasts, and a globally-inspired craft cocktail bar concept, Mortar & Pestle, that is housed within two Curry Up Now restaurants.
“We’re thrilled that Indiana will be our entrance into the Midwest market, as it is central to the region and has many markets that are attractive to Curry Up Now, such as large urban cities, bustling college towns, and large city suburbs,” says Kapoor. “Bill and Rick are well-connected in the region and have a proven track record of building successful businesses, so we have a ton of confidence that they are the perfect partners for growing Curry Up Now across Indiana.”
The Indiana expansion joins more than 40 Curry Up Now locations in varying stages of development across the country. In 2018 and 2019, Curry Up Now solidified multi-unit franchise deals in many major U.S. regions, including the West Coast, Mountain States, Midwest, Northeast, and the South. Four Curry Up Now locations are slated to open before year’s end in Irvine, Sacramento, Hoboken, and Salt Lake City, which will expand the brand into four brand new markets from coast to coast.
