Basu Ratnam’s journey into the culinary world is one deeply rooted in family, culture, and a passion for great food. From his childhood in Long Island to his time at Brown University, his love for food was shaped by both his mother’s innovative approach to Indian cooking.
But it wasn’t until his mid-20s that he fully embraced his Indian heritage, seeing an opportunity to modernize and elevate Indian cuisine for a broader audience. Through INDAY, his fast-casual concept, Basu set out to challenge perceptions of Indian food while building a brand that balances authenticity with accessibility.
Basu Ratnam’s Background
Basu Ratnam’s deep-rooted passion for food traces back to his time in Providence, Rhode Island, where he attended Brown University. Growing up on Long Island, he was drawn to Brown for its strong tennis program and its balance of academics and athletics. While in college, he frequently dined at local culinary hotspots like Al Forno, finding ways to indulge in his love for great food even on a student budget.
His upbringing played a significant role in shaping his culinary perspective. His mother, a PhD in psychology and a professor at SUNY Old Westbury, was also an incredible home cook with a mission to make Indian cuisine more accessible and healthful. Growing up in a predominantly white town, she constantly adapted traditional Indian dishes to be more approachable for their community, a philosophy that would later influence Basu’s culinary ventures.
“I take a lot of my food passion from my mom. She was an incredible home cook and spent a lot of time and energy making Indian food more accessible and healthful and approachable.”
Despite his father’s initial reservations—having hoped Basu would pursue a more conventional path like attending Wharton or Harvard—Basu chose to follow his passion for food. Leaving a stable and lucrative career at 26, he leaped into the restaurant industry. His first venture saw immediate success, with lines out the door on opening day. While his father initially struggled with the idea, fearing financial instability, Basu’s mother understood the journey, having instilled in him a love for hospitality and Indian cuisine.
“I think now we're at a point where my Dad's starting to see the vision and understands a little bit why we did what we did. But in the beginning, the first thing he said to me was, ‘I can't believe you're opening a restaurant, and it's not even a restaurant I can bring my friends to.’ “
His parents' diverse culinary backgrounds—his father from Hyderabad in South India and his mother from Calcutta in the Northeast—meant Basu grew up surrounded by a fusion of regional Indian flavors. His mother, determined to honor family traditions while catering to her family's evolving tastes, mastered both North and South Indian cooking, preparing multiple meals daily to accommodate everyone’s preferences.
This rich culinary heritage, combined with his own experiences, set the foundation for Basu’s innovative approach to modern Indian cuisine at INDAY.
“We've been lucky. We had great investors from the beginning and in our first restaurant, we had a line out the door the day we opened. So failure was never really the thing I was worried about, but it was just a big adjustment.”
Rediscovering Identity Through Food
Basu Ratnam’s decision to open a fast-casual Indian restaurant wasn’t just about business—it was deeply personal. Growing up as an “ABCD” (American Born Confused Desi), he didn’t fully embrace his Indian heritage or its cuisine until his 20s, when he felt a growing desire to reconnect with his roots.
At the same time, he saw a cultural shift happening around food: farm-to-table dining, the rise of fast-casual concepts, and an increasing focus on healthy eating. With Indian ingredients like turmeric and lentils being recognized as “superfoods,” Basu saw a missed opportunity to tell the story of Indian cuisine in a modern way.
“Healthy eating, healthy living, mindfulness, yoga, taking care of your body. All these things were kind of like hitting the sort of modern zeitgeist. You started seeing Turmeric lattes and this idea of superfoods and I felt like Indian food was ripe to tell that story.”
His goal wasn’t just to introduce Indian flavors but to present them in a format that resonated with contemporary dining trends—accessible, fresh, and mindful.
“I felt like there were no Indian brands available for consumers. It just felt very organic to who I was. So we opened the first strictly fast-casual Indian restaurant that was an Assembly line format.”
Learning from Success While Forging a New Path
When Basu first launched his restaurant, he followed the fast-casual model that had proven successful for brands like Chipotle, even hiring Chipotle’s interior and kitchen designers. However, a pivotal conversation with Chipotle founder Steve Ells changed his perspective.
“Steve said, if you're not thinking about people planning, development, and putting your culture at the center of your company, you're never going to make it. He also said if you're copying Chipotle, which has an old business model, you're going to be out of business in 20 years.”
Ells emphasized the importance of long-term thinking, cautioning that simply copying a decades-old model wouldn’t ensure lasting success. Basu also realized that an assembly-line format wasn’t the best fit for Indian cuisine. Unlike Chipotle, where customers immediately recognize ingredients, Indian dishes often require context and explanation.
“I felt like the first store was successful, but I just felt like we were losing more customers than we should be. Because people were so unfamiliar with the cuisine and so unfamiliar with the ingredients.”
He wanted to create a dining experience that showcased chef-driven, flavorful, and vibrant food—something that couldn’t be reduced to just a “build-your-own-bowl” concept. This realization led to an evolution in his approach, prioritizing education, storytelling, and a more curated experience for customers.
“I didn't just want to be a salad bar or a Chipotle. I wanted to serve flavorful, bright food that was interesting, and chef-driven. And you just can't really do that on an assembly line format where people are picking their ingredients.”
Building INDAY: A Slow, Intentional Path to Growth
For Basu, expanding a restaurant concept wasn’t just about opening more locations—it was about earning the right to grow. INDAY’s journey reflects a deep understanding of the balance between patience and ambition.
“I always believed that you had to earn the right to open your second, third, or fourth location. Treating everything like a concept that’s meant to scale is the first way to turn off consumers.”
The first location opened in late 2015, with the second following in 2018, a deliberate pace by fast-casual standards. By that time, the business was profitable, the team was strong, and there was confidence in the operational model.
While expansion was always part of the vision, the goal was never to be a single-unit operator. INDAY was built as a brand, not just a restaurant, with a mission to change the way people think about Indian food. Growth required more than just opening new stores—it meant structuring the company to sustain multiple locations, from building corporate resources to refining service models.
Fast-casual dining operates on a scale-driven model. A single location can work, but sustainable success demands multiple units to justify investments in training, IT, marketing, and third-party delivery management. For INDAY, expansion meant staying ahead of these operational needs while ensuring each new store contributed to long-term growth.
“We have like 20 software providers that come between us and our customers. It's like you're always out in front of corporate resources. So, you need to open the stores to pay off the expanded corporate team. And it's just like a chicken and egg thing for a long time.”
From Assembly Line to Guest-Centered Ordering
When INDAY first launched, the service model resembled a traditional fast-casual setup: guests moved down an assembly line, choosing a base, toppings, and sauces—similar to Chipotle’s approach. However, the second location introduced an early shift toward a more curated experience. While the serving line remained, frosted glass blocked visibility, requiring guests to place their order without seeing the ingredients.
“It was baby steps. I had some conviction that this was the right way to build a business where you had to order with a hospitality specialist or cashier that guides you through the ordering process and then you picked up your meal at the end of the line.
This was a transitional step toward a more personalized service model. The goal was to move away from the transactional nature of assembly-line ordering and toward a guided experience led by a hospitality specialist. The shift required a careful balance—ensuring a seamless guest experience while maintaining operational efficiency.
“We spent a lot of money on the space, if it didn’t work and people didn't adapt to the serve line model, to this service model, I know I’d have to put in a new glass and then just run it like a Chipotle-esque thing, because we knew that worked at our first store.”
The third location built on these changes, refining the guest ordering process further. By 2019, INDAY had three profitable locations and had secured a significant round of funding to accelerate growth. Just as the company was preparing for its next phase of expansion, the pandemic hit, forcing a complete reevaluation of the business model. The experience reinforced a central lesson: growth isn’t just about scale—it’s about adapting, refining, and staying true to the brand’s vision.
“In 2019, we had three, it was profitable. We felt pretty good about where we sat. There was no one else doing what we were doing. We'd grown in our minds pretty slowly. We took our time. We were patient. And then we'd raised a bunch of money ready to like open five and then two months later, pandemic hit. And after the pandemic, it felt like we started a new company.
Opening Restaurants and Managing Stress
Running a fast-casual restaurant in a city as competitive as New York is no small feat. Between the challenges of market saturation, shifting customer habits, and unexpected disruptions like the pandemic, restaurant owners face relentless pressure. Managing that stress isn’t just about resilience—it’s about having the right support systems and mindset to navigate the inevitable ups and downs.
For those in the industry, stress management often starts with self-awareness. Acknowledging the emotional toll of entrepreneurship is crucial, and many successful operators turn to structured support, such as therapy, to maintain perspective.
“If you believe in what you're doing and you love the product and you love your team, it might take longer than you want, but you're going to figure it out. You can't keep comparing yourself to other people.”
Beyond professional help, having a strong personal support network can make a significant difference. Partners, family, and close friends provide not only encouragement but also essential reminders to focus on long-term goals rather than getting caught in constant comparison with competitors.
The restaurant business rarely follows a linear path. Unexpected obstacles arise, and the pressure to scale, compete, and stay financially viable can be overwhelming. But those who persist understand that every industry has its own challenges—there is no "easier" business. The key is clarity of purpose. If the mission is strong and the belief in the product and team is unwavering, setbacks become learning opportunities rather than reasons to quit.
At the end of the day, successful restaurant owners don’t just manage stress—they embrace it as part of the journey. They adapt, stay patient, and remain committed to their vision, knowing that sustainable growth takes time.
“I think anything worth pursuing today is hard. I'm not resigned to doing it because everything is difficult, but I think the humbling experience has made it just really clear to me that anything worth doing and pursuing doesn't move in a straight line and no one owes anything. You’ve just got to go build it.”
Conclusion
From rethinking the fast-casual model to navigating the challenges of growth and adaptation, Basu has built INDAY with a clear vision: to introduce Indian cuisine in a way that resonates with modern diners.
His story is one of persistence, learning, and innovation—proving that success in hospitality isn’t just about great food, but about creating meaningful experiences that stand the test of time.
Listen to our full conversation with Basu Ratnam on The meez Podcast
