The Popular Indian Fast Casual Plots Seventh Brick-and-Mortar & Third Craft Cocktail Bar
Curry Up Now, the largest and fastest-growing Indian fast casual in the U.S., will increase its California footprint with a recently announced corporate location opening in San Ramon at the highly-anticipated City Center Bishop Ranch, a 300,000-square-foot shopping, dining and entertainment destination. The upcoming locale, slated to open before year’s end, will span 3,100 square feet and allow for three different dining experiences, including indoor seating for 85, outdoor seating for 30, and an attached Mortar & Pestle Bar.
“We’re thrilled to be opening our seventh Curry Up Now location, alongside the third location of our eclectic craft cocktail bar concept, Mortar & Pestle, in the exciting new City Center Bishop Ranch,” said Akash Kapoor, founder and owner of Curry Up Now. “We look forward to bringing our sexy, naughty, and innovative Indian fast-casual eats, and our slow-crafted signature cocktails, seasonal libations, and the U.S.’s only goli bottle Bunta cocktail program to Contra Costa County.”
Curry Up Now was 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, a San Ramon native who has been instrumental in bringing this location into the Curry Up Now family. The fastest growing Indian fast casual brand in the United States, Curry Up Now is known for taking traditional Indian flavors and presenting them in a friendly, recognizable format. Their menu fan-favorites include the iconic Tikka Masala Burrito, Deconstructed Samosa, Sexy Fries, and Naughty Naan, as well as traditional items such as Kathi Rolls, Biryani, and Thali Platters. The menu also includes Indian street food offerings like Pani Puri, Samosas, Bhel Puri, and Papdi Chaat, along with a playful Street Snack Menu that includes reimagined riffs on Maggi Instant Ramen Noodles, Tacos, Fried Ravioli, and Indian-Chinese Chicken Wings. Curry Up Now prides itself on offering fresh, all-natural curries, chutneys, and sauces; cage-free eggs; local organic produce and dairy products; and protein options that are halal, naturally raised, and free of antibiotics and hormones. To accommodate all guests, no matter their dietary preferences, Curry Up Now offers a wide array of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free items on the menu.
The San Ramon location will feature the brand’s third Mortar & Pestle craft cocktail bar, where Kapoor works alongside leading bitters producer and bar consultant, Bittercube, to develop the bar’s ever-changing beverage program and cocktail menu. The bar program features an eclectic menu of signature cocktails inspired by global flavors and traditional Indian ingredients, as well as an array of exclusive house-made tonics, shrubs and syrups, Bittercube Bitters, craft beers, and wine available by the bottle or glass. New to Mortar & Pestle’s signature offerings are the Bunta Bottles, the first and only goli bottle cocktail program in the United States. In India, many sodas are traditionally sold in goli bottles, a glass bottle whose mouth is sealed by a round marble held in place by the pressure of the carbonated contents. After a recent trip to India, co-founders Kapoor and Hosseini were inspired to fill these popular goli bottles with carbonated alcoholic contents, spearheading the first bar program of its kind in the U.S.
Experts in the hospitality industry project that Indian food will continue to be the fastest growing ethnic food segment in the U.S., making room for Curry Up Now to solidify its position as the largest and fastest growing Indian fast casual restaurant in the nation. In the last year alone, Curry Up Now has been recognized by a number of the restaurant industry’s top publications for its innovative approach to Indian cuisine and huge potential for growth. The concept was featured in QSR’s 40 Under 40, Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2018 Breakout Brands, and was listed as #38 in Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers.
The upcoming San Ramon corporate location joins over 50 franchised locations in progress across California, New Jersey, and Atlanta, along with multiple market deals in the works in 13 additional states. The brand currently operates three food trucks and six corporate brick-and-mortar locations across the Bay Area, as well as two Mortar & Pestle cocktail bars in San Jose and San Mateo.
Curry Up Now was established in 2009 by Akash Kapoor and his wife Rana, 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: ‘40 Under 40,’ Fast Casual: ‘Top 100 Movers & Shakers,’ and Nation’s Restaurant News: ‘2018 Breakout Brand.’ Curry Up Now currently operates six brick-and-mortar locations in San Francisco, San Jose, San Mateo, Oakland, Palo Alto, and Alameda, as well as three food trucks rolling under the same name. For more information about Curry Up Now, visit www.curryupnow.com.
