Curry Up Now, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing Indian fast casual concept popularly known for its innovative approach to Indian cuisine, has signed the lease for its first location in the Austin area. Franchise partners Ankita Mehta, Kamlesh Modi, Ratnakar Mody and Aryan Vig identified the Domain NORTHSIDE mixed-use retail space as the ideal site for their first location in Austin. The franchisees are also preparing to open the first Texas Curry Up Now location in the Dallas area and looking aggressively at sites for an additional three locations in 2021.
Home to the famed Rock Rose entertainment district, Domain NORTHSIDE is the latest evolution in mixed-use real estate in North Austin. The unique lifestyle center combines iconic global brands and local Austin businesses with morning-to-night experiences, on-site residences in The Standard at Domain NORTHSIDE and signature events. The space also includes an area for murals that Curry Up Now can utilize for its popular graffiti-style brand artwork.
“This is a premiere location, and the fact that we could easily convert a former restaurant space at half the cost of a brand new build, in half the amount of time, made it even more appealing,” says Mehta. “Curry Up Now’s menu is unique, fun, sexy, naughty and affordable cuisine that you can’t find anywhere else. It’s a striking yet approachable concept that we know the Austin community will embrace. We are also looking at opening ghost kitchens in this market to help support brand growth.”
“I love the entire state of Texas for Curry Up Now, but I have a special affinity for Austin and have been eyeing this market for a while. In fact, it is one of our most requested cities to open in,” says Akash Kapoor, CEO and founder of Curry Up Now. “We have found the perfect partners in the Mody, Modi and Mehta families to operate this market for us. I am also excited that this location will feature a smaller version of our bar, Mortar & Pestle. We’ve engineered a way to serve 16 signature cocktails in a fast casual space, without the need for mixologists or bar managers. Our cocktails are also the perfect complement for our food.”
The Texas franchise partners signed a deal in November 2020 to bring multiple Curry Up Now restaurants to the Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin areas. Their first location in The Grandscape, a large multi-use entertainment, dining and retail complex in The Colony, is expected to open in the coming months.
“This is a brand that’s hard to compete with because there just is no other fast casual concept like Curry Up Now,” said Dan Rowe, CEO of Curry Up Now’s franchising partner, Fransmart. “It has grown tremendously across the nation as franchisees learn about the concept and see its undeniable potential. The Austin franchisees are also converting an existing restaurant space, which will enable them to open faster and boost their ROI.”
