Curry Up Now, the popular Bay Area family of restaurants, food trucks, and Mortar & Pestle bars, has attracted a new investment from growth restaurant investor Kitchen Fund. This investment comes on the heels of Curry Up Now’s acquisition of Tava Kitchen, as the Indian fast-casual concept continues expansion efforts.
Founded in 2009 by Amir Hosseini and the married duo of Akash and Rana Kapoor, Curry Up Now takes traditional Indian flavors and presents them in a recognizable format. Their specialties include the Tikka Masala Burrito, Deconstructed Samosa, Sexy Fries, and Naughty Naan, along with more traditional Indian street foods like Pani Puri, Marwari Kachori Chaat, and Papdi Chaat.
The menu features not only innovative dishes but also fresh ingredients. Curry Up Now offers natural, gluten-free curries, chutneys, and sauces; cage-free eggs; local and organic produce and dairy products; and protein options that are halal, natural, and antibiotic and hormone-free.
Curry Up Now limits their disposal waste by using real plates, silverware, and cloth napkins in-house. The brand also packages to-go orders in recyclable and compostable containers. In addition, Mortar & Pestle cocktail bars, which are attached to Curry Up Now locations in San Jose and San Mateo, California, serve handcrafted cocktails created with homemade syrups, sodas, and tonics to curate unique Indian-inspired libations.
“We’re excited to have the support of Kitchen Fund, an investor with a wealth of experience that will allow us to strategically grow Curry Up Now,” says Akash Kapoor, Curry Up Now’s CEO.
Kitchen Fund is a growth restaurant investor that provides financial capital and operational expertise to emerging restaurant brands. Kitchen Fund was founded in partnership with Fransmart, the leading global franchise development firm behind brands like Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Qdoba, and The Halal Guys. Kitchen Fund has invested in several impactful brands, including INDAY, Mr. Holmes Bakehouse, and Hummus & Pita, Co.
“The Curry Up Now team has married authentic flavors with a Cali-inspiration that will resonate with guests across the country,” says Greg Golkin, founder of Kitchen Fund. “It is different than anything you have ever eaten.”
Indian food is the fastest-growing ethnic food segment in the U.S., and industry experts project that growth to continue. Since acquiring Tava Kitchen, Curry Up Now has secured their place as the nation’s largest fast-casual Indian restaurant chain. The concept, which draws Indian and non-Indian consumers, is ready to scale to more than 1,000 units across the country. The investment from Kitchen Fund will go towards building infrastructure for the growth of corporate and franchise locations in the future.