The Innovative Indian Concept Will Open In The City’s Business District This Fall
Curry Up Now, the largest and fastest growing Indian fast casual concept in the United States, has secured its first of five locations planned for Northern New Jersey in Newark at 58 Halsey Street. The restaurant, slated to make its debut in early Fall, will open within a mixed-use development alongside tenants like Whole Foods, Petco, and Barnes & Noble. This opening will mark the first Curry Up Now location in the Northeast, and joins more than 40 franchised units in development across the country.
“We were thrilled to land our first Curry Up Now location in Newark’s business district, in a fast-growing neighborhood in the heart of the city, close to Rutgers University, Prudential Center, Red Bull Arena, and major businesses in downtown,” said Pritesh Benjamin, New Jersey franchisee. “We’re very proud to soon introduce Curry Up Now’s Indian street food and innovative eats to the people of Newark, where we know our guests will not only experience high-quality Indian cuisine but also an enhanced ambiance deeply inspired by the brand’s Indian roots.”
“It’s exciting to be entering into new markets across the country and to have the opportunity to spread Curry Up Now’s iconic Tikka Masala Burritos, Sexy Fries, Indian street foods, and traditional Indian offerings from coast to coast,” said Akash Kapoor, Founder & CEO of Curry Up Now. “We can’t wait to begin our Northeast expansion and think that Newark will be a great launchpad for us, especially because New Jersey is one of our most requested locations from our fans on the East Coast. We also love the fact that there is a dense lunch and dinner population around our upcoming location, and that we are located in a great redevelopment project in Newark.”
Curry Up Now began as a food truck, 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, which quickly gained steam and became known in California for its innovative and interesting approach to Indian cuisine. The brand’s popularity resulted in multiple restaurant openings around the San Francisco Bay Area, and today, Curry Up Now operates three food trucks and six corporate brick-and-mortar locations, two of which also house the brand’s craft cocktail bar concept, Mortar & Pestle. From the start, the brand has been known for taking traditional Indian flavors and presenting them in friendly, recognizable formats. Fan-favorite menu items include their iconic tikka masala burritos, quesadillas dubbed ‘Quesadillix,’ Deconstructed Samosa, Sexy Fries, and Naughty Naan, as well as a Street Snacks
menu and traditional Indian Street Food menu. Ingredients are clean and sourced from local vendors whenever possible, and the menu is designed to support alternative diets in an effort to accommodate all guests no matter their dietary preferences.
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 a front runner in the segment. Within the last year, Curry Up Now has been recognized by 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, listed as #20 in Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers 2019, and named a Hot Food & Beverage Chain by the International Council of Shopping Centers.
In 2018, Curry Up Now solidified multi-unit franchise deals in nearly every major region in the country, including the West Coast, Northeast, South, and the Mountain States. The brand currently has 41 franchised and corporate stores sold and in varying stages of development across the country, including locations in Atlanta, GA; San Ramon, CA; Sacramento, CA; Irvine, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; and New Jersey, which are expected to open throughout 2019. The brand has pending franchise deals in 13 additional states, and aims to have another 100 units sold by year’s end, with an additional 200 units sold in 2020. For more information on the growing Indian fast casual, follow @CurryUpNow on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter or visit www.curryupnow.com.
Curry Up Now is partnered 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 their exclusive franchise development partner to grow the brand. The concept is currently looking for experienced multi-unit foodservice operators to develop franchise territories in top 40 major media markets across the U.S. To learn more about franchising opportunities with Curry Up Now, visit http://go.fransmart.com/CurryUpNowApply.
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, Nation’s Restaurant News: ‘2018 Breakout Brand,’ and International Council of Shopping Centers: ‘Hot Food & Beverage Chain.’ Curry Up Now currently operates six brick-and-mortars and three food trucks in California’s Bay Area, and has both corporate and franchised units in development across California, New Jersey, Colorado, Utah, and Atlanta, GA. For more information about Curry Up Now, visit www.curryupnow.com.
