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 New Rochelle, NY - Expect long lines on Monday, May 12, 2008 in front of Samosa Cabana, an Indian restaurant located in New Rochelle, NY. That's the day the "Under Renovation" signs will be gone and the new, hip Indian Grill will reopen with a brand new look, menu, and attitude.
If you're looking for your typical Indian restaurant, seek elsewhere. Samosa Cabana is as unique as its founders created it to be. In an effort to unveil an innovative concept of Indian fusion dining, the young owners have decided to give away free samosas, wraps, and lassi all day from 12pm to 12am. "We want people to try our food for free, no questions asked. You're going to be hooked once you try it!" said Tobin George, one of the young owners.
George is a 21 year old nursing major, who decided to start Samosa Cabana with his long time friend Franklin Philips, a 23 year old IT analyst who was working at Lehman Brothers at the time. They both had the idea to start a new, trendy, urban Indian restaurant with an emphasis on creating quality fast food in a casual setting, all considering the importance of aesthetics. According to them, even a simple 20 minutes in a fast food restaurant should be a refreshing 20 minutes. The restaurant started off serving many items, and headed in the direction of every other typical Indian restaurant.
George and Philips, who knew they had sidetracked from their original concept, quickly realized that simplicity was the key to success, especially after observing many successful restaurant chains. They decided to shut down their restaurant, change the decor, add seating, and create a new ambience. They also simplified the menu to include simple choices of wraps, platters and salads. The wraps would include a variety of biryanis, a rice dish with the choice of vegetables, chicken, lamb, or shrimp mixed in. The platters include everything in the wraps, minus the wrap itself. Platters are available with grilled chicken, grilled lamb, or vegetarian, which includes chickpeas and potatoes instead of meat, topped with the famous Cabana sauce. Customers could also add sides including vegetarian, chicken, cheese, and spinach samosas, tandoori wings, and masala fries. They could top it all off with a refreshing mango or strawberry lassi.
"We're trying to bring Indian food to the mainstream. There are many Indian restaurants that serve many different dishes, but we are seeking a different approach. Our concept is to create a national, fast, casual Indian chain, serving limited menu items that can be made fresh and fast." said Philips.
This is definitely, as the restaurant's slogan claims to be, Indian food redefined.
Samosa Cabana is conveniently located in the heart of New Rochelle, next to City Hall, and close to entertainment central, New Roc City. The restaurant is open between 12 pm and 12 am from Monday through Saturday. George and Philips are in the organizational stages of creating 3 to 5 more Samosa Cabana locations within the next 5 years. Catering is available upon request. They can be reached at (914) 637-8560 or (914) 479-2205. For more information regarding their restaurant, please visit http://samosacabana.com.
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