The fast-growing Indian street food restaurant chain and cocktail bar concept expands in The Golden State with the latest opening in City Center Bishop Ranch
Curry Up Now, the nation’s largest and fastest growing Indian fast casual concept that is popularly known for its innovative approach to Indian cuisine, is celebrating the opening of its San Ramon, California, location at 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road in City Center Bishop Ranch. The new location also features the craft cocktail bar, Mortar & Pestle, that Curry Up Now first launched in 2014 in San Mateo, marking the fourth Mortar & Pestle bar location.
This edition of Mortar & Pestle has 24 local brews on tap. The bar also features signature cocktails such as the eponymous Mortar & Pestle, Escape from the Bay, Junkyar Heart, Ambika’s Grove and many others. Curry Up Now is one of the few fast casual chains that also has a craft cocktail program in the same restaurant.
“We’ve put a lot of work into this store over the past year and are extremely excited to open our doors to the San Ramon community,” said Akash Kapoor, Founder, CEO and Chief Troublemaker for Curry Up Now. “We’ve incorporated a ton of unique and innovative elements to this location, like specific dishes only available on the San Ramon menu, table-side ordering and in-store robots that help deliver the food to your table.”
The highly anticipated grand opening comes after the restaurant was originally set to open in 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the postponement, Curry Up Now’s food truck was open to the Tri-Valley community in the City Center Bishop Ranch shopping center.
Curry Up Now recently celebrated its 12th anniversary in September after launching as a popular Bay area food truck in 2009 and opening of its first brick-and-mortar location two years later in San Mateo, California. The husband-and-wife co-founders, Akash and Rana Kapoor, have now expanded their empire to include several food trucks, 19 restaurants spanning coast to coast and several digital kitchen outposts nationwide. The successful establishment is known for its one-of-a-kind take on traditional Indian cuisine – from Tikka Masala Burritos to Deconstructed Samosas. Traditional favorites include Thali Platters, Kathi Rolls and Family Style Entrees that create the perfect spread for the whole family.
Curry Up Now’s ingredients are clean and sourced from local vendors whenever possible. The menu is designed to support vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and Halal diets to accommodate all guests, no matter their dietary preferences. The vibrant colors and design aesthetic of the restaurant chain appropriately match the bold, authentic flavors of the Indian food.
As the chain continues expanding into major markets across the country, Curry Up Now is seeking experienced, multi-unit foodservice operators through its franchise development partner Fransmart. The craft cocktail bar Mortar & Pestle is also now available as a sister brand for interested franchisees.
Curry Up Now was established in 2009 by husband-and-wife team Akash and Rana Kapoor, and ably supported by co-founder and now Senior VP of Operations, Amir Hosseini. The concept, which is known for its innovative spin on traditional Indian cuisine, has been recognized in publications such as Zagat: ‘5 Hottest Fast-Casual Chains,’ EATER SF: ‘SF’s Best Indian Restaurants,’ 7×7: ‘100 Things To Eat Before You Die,’ QSR: ‘The 40/40 List,’ Fast Casual: ‘Top 100 Movers & Shakers,’ Nation’s Restaurant News: ‘2018 Breakout Brand,’ and International Council of Shopping Centers: ‘Hot Food & Beverage Chain.’ Curry Up Now currently operates 19 brick-and-mortar locations, three food trucks and several digital kitchen outposts nationwide, and has both corporate and franchised units in development across California, New Jersey, Colorado, Utah, Georgia, Texas, and Indiana.
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