Four local women have teamed up to bring a popular restaurant franchise to Sarasota, but before opening its first brick-and-mortar location, they're serving customers from a food truck.
The Red Chillez Indian Fusion Food Truck made its debut July 3 at Nathan Benderson Park’s annual Independence Day celebration and is now open six days a week at 4413 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, the future home of what will be the second Red Chillez Indian Cuisine restaurant in Florida and the sixth in the country.
Since July 3, the women have served diners at community functions in Parrish and Bradenton, as well as at the restaurant site.
What is Red Chillez?
The first Red Chillez Indian Cuisine opened in Largo, Florida, in August 2024.
Since then, it has expanded to include two restaurants
in Georgia, and one each in North Carolina and Iowa.
Janak Patel told the Herald-Tribune that when his wife and her friends were interested in starting a restaurant, there was corporate interest in coming to Sarasota.
Patel’s wife, Sweta Patel, and three friends Neha Patel, Gopika Trivedi, and Shruti Desai-Pathak are the backbone of the restaurant endeavor.
It helps that the Manatee County residents have all been family friends for years.
Their husbands, Janak Patel, Hemendra Patel, Pranav Trivedi, and Parthiv Pathak, are providing support, while they are also busy with their own business endeavors. For example, Janak Patel is in hospitality, specifically motels, as well as gas stations and convenience stores.
Patel said Red Chillez was appealing because of the corporate structure and guidance.
“They have a special chef to train with them,” he added.
Why a Red Chillez food truck and restaurant in Sarasota?
The restaurant, with an anticipated opening in about two months once internal renovations of the former Mama G’s German Bakery & Coffeehouse are complete, will offer more traditional, authentic Indian food, said Gopika Trivedi, one of the co-owners.
“The truck is more of a fusion food,” she added.
For example, on Aug. 1, the food truck presented an Indo-Chinese fusion night special from 5 to 10 p.m. with a menu that included variants like hot and sour soup, and Szechuan noodles and rice, as well as Chinese samosas to go along with paneer or chicken chili and fast food like loaded chicken or vegetarian momos.
The typical food truck menu offers gluten-free curry bowls, as well as samosas, momos, naan, French fries and onion rings.
For the grab-and-go lunch crowd, the food truck also offers delicacies such as butter chicken, paneer masala and spicy chickpeas or potatoes and cheese in wraps that also come with French fries.
The menu would be similar for catering.
The four women all bring different talents to the endeavor.
For Sweta Patel, cooking was a lifelong passion, and she enjoys developing new flavor combinations.
Neha Patel also enjoys experimenting with recipes.
Trivedi and Desai-Pathak, both physical therapists, share a deep appreciation for diverse cuisine.
If you go
Red Chillez Indian Fusion Food Truck is open Tuesday through Sunday at the future restaurant site, 4413 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, when it is not at a community event.
Hours are from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m., though hours could change for special events.
To stay updated on the location and menu, follow them on Facebook and Instagram at @redchillezindiancuisine and @redchillezindianfusionfoodtruck.
Earle Kimel primarily covers local governments in Sarasota County as well as land development and environmental issues for the Herald-Tribune. Follow him on Facebook, and X. He can be reached by email at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Fast-growing Indian restaurant franchise rolls into Sarasota
