34 min

Grow Your Restaurant From a Single Food Truck to Multiple Locations #LocalBites

    • Entrepreneurship

How do you make Indian food something people feel comfortable ordering on their own? This question led Samir (CFO/CTO) and Neal (CEO) Idnani to open NaanStop, a food truck that has now turned into multiple locations. The brother’s use their mom’s recipes and their own unique skill sets to create an Indian food restaurant with an easy to decode menu and powerful flavors. If you’re interested in starting a food truck, Samir and Neal have wisdom to share. Through trial and error, NaanStop figured out what worked for them when operating out of a food truck and used that to determine where to open a permanent spot. After opening a storefront in Atlanta, GA in 2012, NaanStop has opened two additional locations. The Idnani brothers are focused on providing their employees with opportunities for growth, both professionally and personally. Samir and Neal have recently received funding to expand the franchising side of their business and are sharing how they received that funding and what aspiring restaurateurs could look for to do the same. These two brothers have focused on their relationship with each other and prioritized that over profit and some opportunities. Listen in to this episode for the background of NaanStop, life and restaurant advice, and pointers for expanding your restaurant.

[00:00] Show intro
[0040] Welcome to Samir and Neal Idnani
[00:46] Why did the brothers decide to open a restaurant?
[01:15] The conversation around the dinner table
[03:29] From family to co-workers
[06:26] What did you learn from running a food truck?
[09:08] The factors that play into deciding on a location
[11:08] Learning from each location to make a successful brand
[14:55] How does NaanStop provide opportunities for growth for employees?
[18:09] What scenarios to look into for funding, and lessons learned from the process
[20:28] What it’s like running a business with a brother
[26:08] Decision points for deciding on outside funding and Full Point
[27:54] What’s next for NaanStop?
[29:49] Advice for aspiring restaurateurs
[34:19] Wrapping it up

How do you make Indian food something people feel comfortable ordering on their own? This question led Samir (CFO/CTO) and Neal (CEO) Idnani to open NaanStop, a food truck that has now turned into multiple locations. The brother’s use their mom’s recipes and their own unique skill sets to create an Indian food restaurant with an easy to decode menu and powerful flavors. If you’re interested in starting a food truck, Samir and Neal have wisdom to share. Through trial and error, NaanStop figured out what worked for them when operating out of a food truck and used that to determine where to open a permanent spot. After opening a storefront in Atlanta, GA in 2012, NaanStop has opened two additional locations. The Idnani brothers are focused on providing their employees with opportunities for growth, both professionally and personally. Samir and Neal have recently received funding to expand the franchising side of their business and are sharing how they received that funding and what aspiring restaurateurs could look for to do the same. These two brothers have focused on their relationship with each other and prioritized that over profit and some opportunities. Listen in to this episode for the background of NaanStop, life and restaurant advice, and pointers for expanding your restaurant.

[00:00] Show intro
[0040] Welcome to Samir and Neal Idnani
[00:46] Why did the brothers decide to open a restaurant?
[01:15] The conversation around the dinner table
[03:29] From family to co-workers
[06:26] What did you learn from running a food truck?
[09:08] The factors that play into deciding on a location
[11:08] Learning from each location to make a successful brand
[14:55] How does NaanStop provide opportunities for growth for employees?
[18:09] What scenarios to look into for funding, and lessons learned from the process
[20:28] What it’s like running a business with a brother
[26:08] Decision points for deciding on outside funding and Full Point
[27:54] What’s next for NaanStop?
[29:49] Advice for aspiring restaurateurs
[34:19] Wrapping it up

34 min