The popular Indian fast casual is coming to the bustling Research Triangle area of NC, carrying brand momentum into 2022 with several new locations on the horizon
Curry Up Now, the nation’s largest and fastest growing Indian fast casual concept, today announced a multi-unit franchise deal to bring its innovative approach to Indian cuisine to North Carolina. The deal continues the Bay Area brand’s expansion to the East Coast and marks the first location opening in the Tar Heel State. Family franchisees Viral Patel, Amit Patel, Alpesh Patel and Pathik Patel of VAAP Management will open at least five Curry Up Now restaurants in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina.
As seasoned operators of Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins franchise locations, the VAAP Management team recognized the value in operating a dual-brand to reach consumers during different day-parts. They plan to open Curry Up Now’s sister concept, Mortar & Pestle craft cocktail bar, alongside select locations.
“My family and I began our franchising journey in the 90s and have always wanted to break into Indian cuisine. When we discovered Curry Up Now, we jumped at the opportunity to package our love for traditional Indian food with an engaging brand and the convenience of a fast casual setting,” said franchisee Pathik Patel, president, VAAP Management. “With companies like Google, Apple, Amazon and more announcing expansions in the Triangle area, we recognize the growth and vibrancy of this community and can’t wait to bring something new to the table.”
With menu items like Chicken Masala Burrito, Sexy Fries, Naughty Naan and Deconstructed Samosa, Curry Up Now offers playful takes on traditional Indian street food and street snacks. Its flexible restaurant footprint is ideal for prime real estate and conversion options ranging from 1,300 to 3,500 square feet. The franchise group is currently seeking and evaluating properties for its first two locations with a focus on Morrisville and Research Triangle Park (RTP).
“Raleigh and Durham frequently rank as top places to live, work and play. Curry Up Now caters to the lunch and dinner crowd, so the residential, retail and office park environment found within the greater Triangle area is going to be a perfect fit for our first of many locations in the state,” said Akash Kapoor, CEO and Founder of Curry Up Now. “We have great franchise partners in Pathik and his family, and we have full confidence that they will successfully grow the Curry Up Now brand in North Carolina.”
In the last ten years, husband-and-wife co-founders Akash and Rana Kapoor have expanded the Curry Up Now empire to include three food trucks, 16 brick-and-mortar restaurants spanning coast to coast, and several digital kitchen outposts nationwide with more than 50 restaurants in varying stages of development.
In 2021, Curry Up Now signed multiple, multi-unit franchise deals to expand in California and Texas, and opened a new brick-and-mortar location in San Ramon, California, after operating as a food truck for several months. The brand also successfully implemented its first five digital kitchen outposts and opened new locations within two well-known California universities’ student unions: Stanford University’s Tressider Memorial Union and the University of California San Diego’s (UCSD) Price Center.
In early 2022, Curry Up Now plans to open its first location in the Dallas area in the Grandscape development, located in The Colony, Texas, as well as its first Austin location in the DOMAIN Northside complex. The brand is working with Fransmart, the industry leading franchise development company behind the explosive growth of brands like Five Guys Burgers and Fries, The Halal Guys and Qdoba Mexican Grill, as its exclusive franchise expansion partner to build the brand.
“A key factor in our interest in franchising with Fransmart was the patience and effort they put into creating a good two-way relationship with us throughout this process,” said Patel regarding his Curry Up Now franchising experience.
To learn more about Curry Up Now franchising opportunities, visit www.fransmart.com/curry-up-now or watch https://youtu.be/QasJA3UYivQ.
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: ‘40 Under 40,’ 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 16 brick-and-mortars and three food trucks nationwide, and has both corporate and franchised units in development across California, New Jersey, Colorado, Utah and Georgia. For more information about Curry Up Now, visit http://curryupnow.com. To learn more about franchising opportunities with Curry Up Now, visit http://fransmart.com/curry-up-now.
As the leading franchise development firm in the country, Fransmart turns emerging restaurant concepts into successful national and global brands. Founded by Dan Rowe, the man who identified and grew brands such as Five Guys Burgers & Fries and QDOBA Mexican Grill from single unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today, Fransmart’s formula for success is finding emerging brands ripe for expansion and building successful multi-unit franchise businesses across the U.S. and globally. Fransmart’s current and past franchise development portfolio brands have opened more than 5,000 restaurants worldwide, and facilitated franchise investments that have cumulatively generated 1-billion in revenue to date. For more information, visit www.fransmart.com, Facebook at facebook.com/fransmart, Twitter at twitter.com/FransmartSocial, LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/fransmart and Instagram at instagram.com/fransmartsocial.
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