Owning 3 New York Restaurants: Two Women's Entrepreneurial Journey During Covid-19
Dine-in became take-out. The dining industry changed overnight during Covid-19. Today’s women dreamers, Indu Kaur and Kiran Wadhwa, share their story of running top New York Indian restaurants during this time, and their journeys as women in the restaurant industry. Check out their story below!
We are the daughters of Kulwant Wadhwa, the owner of The Curry Club. We have been running The Meadow Club since 2014, until we tragically had a fire in 2018. The Meadow Club has been under renovation ever since. We took over SāGhar in February 2020 and created a brand-new concept that Long Island had never seen before. We are both very passionate about the hospitality and event industry and utilize our creativity and our father’s business acumen to run all three businesses with hard work, dedication and daily involvement.
What is it like being a woman in the restaurant business?
Being a woman in the restaurant business has its own challenges. People are not accustomed to women in leadership positions, let alone running restaurants. The Hospitality industry is a very male dominant industry and it is difficult to get over the biases that come with that. Restaurant schedules are also very demanding, making it difficult to balance parenting, home life, as well as work. With that being said, we bring a very loving, warm, and detail-oriented touch to our business, which our clientele absolutely love and return to us for. We are learning every day and feel blessed to be a part of a business that allows us to put smiles on people’s faces with delicious food and great service.
Who is a woman chef or restaurant owner you admire?
We really admire Maneet Chauhan for all of her accomplishments in the food industry. She has mastered her craft and really inspired so many Indian women that they can be professionals in a very male dominant industry.
What was the most exciting moment of running this restaurant?
The most exciting moment was when Newsday contacted us to do a video documentary on our restaurant and our family’s history. We have been through many hurdles personally and professionally in the past 20+ years of being in America. It was such an honor and blessing that such a prominent company such as Newsday wanted to cover our story and share it with all of New York in order to inspire other families like us who are immigrants and were able to overcome many challenges and become successful business owners.
Tell us about your restaurant and how you come up with the menu?
SāGhar {Home of the Sea} is an Indian Fusion Restaurant overlooking the Port Jefferson Harbor. Our water view rooftop and our family’s rich history was our inspiration for the restaurant’s concept. Our father, the owner of The Curry Club & The Meadow Club has built a legacy for us sisters, and we wanted to combine our traditional Indian heritage with our modern western upbringing. SāGhar's menu vision draws you to the streets of New Delhi, the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, the beaches of Goa, the villages of Punjab, and even to the far reaches of the Asian Continent. We entered uncharted waters as we fused together the many rich delicacies of India with our local Port Jefferson Fare.
What are some favorites that people love to order?
People rave about the Makhmali Kebob, Rasam Podi Sea Bass, Lobster Malabar, and the Kashmiri Lamb Shank. These unique and flavorful dishes have been carefully crafted by our chef, Amarjit Singh who has over 25 years’ experience in the restaurant industry, and specifically with The Curry Club for 13 years.
How has COVID impacted your restaurant and how have you worked keeping in mind all the restrictions?
We took over our restaurant in February 2020; never in our wildest dreams did we think we would have to shut our doors one month later due to COVID. We closed for 3 months and spent our time raising money to donate meals to the hospitals all over Long Island and Queens. We developed our SāGhar concept during this time and opened up on the first day that Governor Cuomo announced Outdoor Dining was allowed: June 10, 2020. We have been very lucky to have the rooftop where people feel comfortable sitting, and with a brand-new menu and concept – the seats have been filled every weekend. Recovering financially from 3 months being closed, as well as our catering hall, The Meadow Club being under renovation for 2.5 years due to a fire has not been easy. We are trying our best to build ourselves back up, but until Indoor Dining becomes the norm again and we can fill our restaurant to capacity, it will take time. We have been very conscious of all of the restrictions during our business operations; staff wearing masks, checking temperatures as guests arrive, social distancing and restricting tables to 10 people or less. Keeping our customers and our team members safe is our highest priority.