Today we’d like to introduce you to Viral Patel.
Viral, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My mom, Sonali Patel, and I opened Bombay Pizza Co. in December of 2009 as an Indian-Italian pizzeria. A pizzeria that serves Italian cuisine graced with Indian herbs and spices. We serve Pizzas, Pasta, Mini-Burgers, Soup & Salads, Desserts and a diverse selection of beverages ranging from local & international beers to all-natural sodas imported from India.
Keeping a fusion of cooking styles in mind, we have created pizzas with indulgent Indian favorites like Tandoori Chicken, Saag Paneer, and our homemade Cilantro-Mint Chutney. In keeping with Italian tradition, we have lasagna, chicken parmigiana, and chicken scaloppini spiced with Tandoori masala.
We also carry Indian “street food” classics like Vada Pav (A masala laced Potato Burger), and the flavor-packed Kati Roll that originated in Calcutta, a century ago. Our rolls feature Tandoori spiced chicken and Paneer, a light yet firm Indian style cheese.
We have decorated our restaurant with colors from the Sun like Saffron and a roasted Yellow that present a comfortable and homey atmosphere – so comfortable that you have no choice but to overeat. We use Thomas Edison era light bulbs to give our sun colors a “glow”. Our walls are decorated with scenes of Bombay (now called “Mumbai”), reminiscent of its beauty and its people in their natural poses.
At Bombay Pizza Co., we realize many of you have traveled to India or might be planning to in the near future. Bring us a picture descriptive of your experience. The picture won’t be complete without YOU in the front and a part of India in the background.
Great, 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?
Oh, definitely it has not been a smooth road. I started this concept with $50,000 in my pocket and a working capital left of $1,680. There are constant challenges every day, making every day a unique day.
The challenges that I faced 8 years ago are a lot different today, including the rising number of pizzerias opening daily. These new chains have dropped their prices significantly, so it becomes a bit hard to compete. Regardless, the most challenging is the staffing.
Unfortunately, the work ethics are not the same as it used to be, causing a very high turn over. The change in climate has also affected the cost of produce, causing the food cost to fluctuate constantly.
Bombay Pizza Co. – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are an Italian-Indian pizzeria. We create unique food items by making Italian food and spiking with Indian spices. We are well known for our pies, as well as our Kati Rolls. These rolls are kind of like an Indian Burritos without the rice and beans.
Our not only proud of how we make our food but for the fact that we don’t compromise our quality to save a buck. We chose to serve halal meats in our restaurants if we ever had a day that we didn’t have the halal meat product than we will, not substitute with a non-halal product. Our customers trust us and we as a company will never break their trust on safe an quality products.
What sets us apart than others is our food is good, but our services supersede our food. We strive to deliver consistent food and our service daily.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Our proudest moment is daily when that person takes the first bite of our food and the reaction of that explosion of flavors in their mouth.
Contact Info:
- Address: 914 Main St, ste#105 Houston, TX 77002 (Bombay Pizza Co.)
636 Hwy 6, ste#900 Sugar land, TX 77478 (Bombay Pizza Express)
15119 Wallisville Rd, ste#500 Houston, TX 77049 (Bombay Pizza Express) - Website: www.bombay.pizza & www.bombaypizzaco.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bombay-Pizza-Co-228400071168/?ref=bookmarks
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