Hidden Gems: Meet Choolaah Indian BBQ

Today we’d like to introduce you to Choolaah Indian BBQ. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Co-CEOs and co-Founders Raji Sankar and Randhir Sethi were serial entrepreneurs in the tech industry when they decided to switch industries and develop Wholesome International, a restaurant development company. In 2003, they drew up a business plan for a restaurant concept with the goal of making Indian cuisine mainstream in the US. While developing the business plan for their Indian restaurant concept, they quickly realized that they lacked the knowledge and expertise to open and operate a new restaurant concept and decided to table the idea and looked towards franchising instead. 

In the fall of 2004, the founders began franchising Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and today Wholesome International owns and operate 26 locations in Pennsylvania and Ohio. After successfully franchising Five Guys, the founders turned their focus back towards their original restaurant concept, which is now known as Choolaah. 

In 2012, Choolaah began to come together, with a focus on developing the brand and positioning, menu, robust supply chain, and developing training and education tools for our team. In 2014, Sankar and Sethi opened their first location in Orange Village, Ohio, a suburb just outside of Cleveland, and today they have 7 locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When Co-Founders Raji Sankar and Randhir Sethi entered the restaurant industry, they quickly learned how difficult it can be to establish and maintain a restaurant brand. They franchised two emerging brands – Five Guys Burgers and Fries and a Pan Asian concept. The Pan Asian franchise did not make it. 

While working with both concepts, it became clear that the Five Guys concept had a clear vision, made-to-order burgers, fresh-cut fires, and a consistent supply chain. The juxtaposition between the two-concept led to key learnings of what it takes to open and operate a successful restaurant concept. The pair used these learnings from both concepts to develop their own award-winning fast-casual, Choolaah. 

We’ve been impressed with Choolaah, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Choolaah is a fine casual Indian concept which is authentic and accessible. It combines 4,000-year-old clay cooking techniques with responsible ingredient sourcing, craveable flavors, and unlimited customizable options. 

At Choolaah, our mission is to delight every guest, every time creating raving fans, and we do this by delivering delicious food people love to eat, know is good for them, compulsively rave about, and can’t wait to come back for. 

We cook our premium sourced proteins and delicious naan bread right in front of guests in our open kitchen in our 700-degree tandoor ovens. We make spice blends from scratch, and we pride ourselves in serving clean food with nothing artificial ever. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Our vision is to transform the quality of life of everyone we touch. This includes our teams, our guests, our partners, and our communities. 

A new Choolaah in Westlake is also under construction and will be located within Crocker Commons, which includes nearly 30,000 square feet of retail and 63,000 square feet of office space. 

Contact Info:

• Website: choolaah.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choolaahyum/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChoolaahYum/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Choolaahyum
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/choolaah-cleveland-2

Image Credits
Matt Dayak