Curry Up Now Will Franchise National Tikka Masala Burrito Expansion

Fast-casual Indian chain Curry Up Now will open locations around the country through a new franchise partnership with Fransmart, spreading its cheeky fusion-style dishes like Indian burritos and “sexy fries” with toppings like paneer or lamb to new markets. At the moment, Curry Up Now operates five locations around the Bay Area, but with the franchise agreement in place, five new locations are already headed to Sacramento and five more to Atlanta. The first of the new arrivals will be open by the end of 2018.

Rana Kapoor, Akash Kapoor, and Amir Hosseini founded Curry Up Now as a food truck fleet in 2009 before putting down roots with brick-and-mortar locations. Last May, the small chain acquired another Bay Area fast-casual Indian chain, Tava Kitchen, with an eye toward growth. At the time, co-owner Akash Kapoor made his ambitions plain, telling Eater SF he’d like to see 400 to 500 Curry Up Now restaurants nationwide.

But referencing the fast casual innovator Chipotle, to which Curry Up Now has drawn (sometimes simplistic) comparisons, Kapoor has distinctions to draw. “We’re not the Chipotle of Indian food... we’d love to have as many locations of Chipotle, but that’s not us.”

As a franchise development company known for taking businesses like 5 Guys Burgers & Fries to markets across the country, Fransmart presents a reliable path to that kind of growth. Just yesterday, Fransmart announced a deal with Mamoun’s Falafel to remake the small, East Coast Middle Eastern chain into a nationally franchised business with eight Northern California locations alone. Stay tuned to see whether Curry Up Now follows that trajectory.