Chawla’s Cuisine is a household name in India and brothers Ramneet and Rishabdeep Singh are hoping to spread its fame and food to Cambridge and beyond.
“It is a famous and popular brand in the Indian and North Indian community,” said franchise owner Ramneet Singh. “Their cream chicken is world famous.”
The cream chicken recipe is a closely guarded secret and the brothers are going through great lengths to protect it from being copied by local competitors.
“Even, if they tried to copy it, they cannot,” said Rishabdeep Singh with a grin. “We are importing the ingredients from India.”
Locals will get a chance to taste Chawla’s signature dish and their many other menu options when the restaurant at 693 Coronation Blvd across from Cambridge Memorial Hospital, opens this week.
The new business had a soft opening Jan. 16 and will have a grand opening this Saturday with special guests and a 20 per cent off grand opening special.
The opening of Chawla’s 2 Indian Bistro and Party Hall is welcome news to many in the community who worried about the fate of the 70-year-old iconic building after the former Galt View Restaurant closed in August 2022.
Jamie Houghtling, who owned and operated the Galt View for more than seven years, told CambridgeToday that the new owners were planning to develop the property and tear the building down.
“Earlier, they were thinking about it (tearing it down) but they changed their mind,” Ramneet said. “We took over and brought in our Chawla’s franchise.”
The brothers are proud to usher in the new year by launching the next chapter in the historic building’s rich history.
“This is something new for the community,” said Rishabdeep. “We are really excited for this project, and we want everyone to try our cream chicken. We look forward to welcoming all the people.”
The Singh brothers were born in Chandigarh, in the state of Punjab in Northern India where Ramneet owns and operates two other businesses.
“I have one club and one restaurant there,” he said. “It’s not Chawla’s. It is my own brand.”
His nightclub, 26 Boulevard, is a popular entertainment venue in Chandigarh.
“It is one of the best lounges in the tri-city over there,” he said. “Every Punjabi from Punjab or Hariana know that place.”
Rishabdeep came to Canada in 2016 to study hospitality and hotel administration at Georgian College in Barrie where he graduated in 2019. Ramneet moved to Canada last year.
“I came here to visit once, and I loved it so, I plan to expand my business here,” he said.
“From Barrie, we decided to move to Kitchener. We found that it is a growing city, and it has opportunities.”
Partnering with Chawla’s has broadened their opportunities and resources.
“Chawla’s has more than 100 outlets in India,” Ramneet said. “We have one in Seattle and one in New York as well as one in Brampton that opened in 2013.”
Harsamrath Chawla the president of Chawla’s Cuisine and grandson of the founder S. Attar Singh Chawla, is visiting from India to help the brothers with the launch and to scout for other potential locations in the area.
“We will be doing it soon,” Ramneet said. “Once we get settled with this. Our motto is to give food the same taste as we give in India. That’s really difficult, but we will do that. That’s why we have secret recipes and ingredients.”