Meet Rahul Sahota, the Indian entrepreneur whose Arizona restaurant had no refrigerator or microwave: ‘Coming to America, no English, no money, just a dream’
Indian restaurateur Rahul Sahota believes he has revolutionized Indian food in Arizona on a small scale because his Indian restaurant does not have a refrigerator or microwave. He uses no seed oils, no food dyes, and is now the owner of Arizona’s first drive-thru restaurant serving Indians and people who love Indian food.Sahota came to the United States from a small village in Punjab. “No English, no money. Just a dream and the courage of my father’s work ethic passed down from generation to generation,” his message on the Tikka Drive website read.“My family and I worked every job in the kitchen and saved every dollar while learning the restaurant business from the ground up. We opened a small restaurant with only 12 tables in Arizona. No investors, no marketing. Just heart, effort, and handcrafted dishes,” he wrote.
“75% of customers don’t want to…”
Sahota said his experience working in the Indian food industry in the U.S. taught him that 75 percent of customers don’t want to eat in a store. They just want to eat Indian food and then leave. This sparked the idea of opening a drive-thru, and after two years of work, it became a reality.“We intentionally pared down the menu to just six entrees because we don’t have refrigerators or microwaves in the restaurant. Everything is made fresh and you’ll never get frozen food here. We’re proud to set a new standard in the Indian food industry with food cooked in ghee, no seed oils, no artificial food colors, fresh naan, fresh lemonade, and an uncompromising drive-thru experience. We’re here to raise the bar and set the standard,” he told Fox 10.“This is my American dream story,” he said.
“No doesn’t define you”
Sahota said when he raised money for his restaurant, most of the time he wasn’t heard. But he didn’t give up. “If this inspires one person to take the next step toward their dream, or if I can help guide or counsel anyone on their journey, that’s why I started Tikka Drive Business Club, a non-profit organization to help inspire and mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs. Nos don’t define you, it’s what you do after hearing it,” he said.
