Indian restaurateur Rahul Sahota believes he has revolutionized small-scale Indian food in Arizona because his Indian restaurant doesn’t have a freezer or microwave. He does not use seed oils, food colors and is now the proud owner of Arizona’s first drive-thru restaurant that caters to the Indian population and those who love Indian food.Sahota came to America from a small village in Punjab. His message on Tikka Drive’s website read, “No English. No money. Just a dream, and the patience of a father’s work ethic passed down through generations.”He wrote, “My family and I worked every job in the kitchen, learning the restaurant business from scratch, saving every dollar. We opened a small 12-table restaurant in Arizona. No investors. No marketing. Just heart, hustle, and hand-crafted dishes.”
‘75% of customers did not want…’
Sahota said his work experience in the Indian food sector in the US made him understand that 75% of customers did not want to eat there. They just wanted their Indian food and wanted to leave. This led to the idea of a drive-in restaurant and after two years of work it became a reality.“We keep our menu small with only six main dishes because our restaurants do not have freezers or microwaves. Everything is made fresh, and you will never be served frozen food here. We are proud to set a new standard for the Indian food industry with food cooked in ghee, no seed oils, no artificial food colors, fresh naan, fresh lemonade and a drive-thru experience without compromise. We are here to raise the bar and set the standard,” he told Fox. Said in 10. PhoenixInterview.“This is my American dream story,” he said.
‘No doesn’t define you’
Sahota said when he was raising money for his restaurant, he mostly heard no. But he did not give up. “And if it inspires even one person to take the next step toward their dream, or if I can help guide or mentor anyone in their journey, that’s why I started Tikka Drive Business Club, a nonprofit created to help inspire and guide the next generation of entrepreneurs. Naz doesn’t define you. What you do after listening to them does.”