New Indian restaurant bringing some spice to Renfrew food scene

RENFREW -

Monday to Friday, Kiranraj Kamath is an IT services delivery manager. But once he logs out Friday afternoon, the apron goes on.

"We had friends all over and they were all pushing, saying ‘Why don't you start a food truck?" says his wife Nima.

So that's exactly what Kamath did, opening Indian Curry Pot restaurant.

"I've been cooking for the past 20 years," Kamath tells CTV News. "Opening an Indian restaurant was always in the back of my mind. Even if it's a takeout place, let's start small."

Indian Curry Pot is open Friday evening to Sunday on Burnstown Road in Renfrew, where the Kamaths took over an industrial kitchen from a previous local eatery.

It's only been three weekends that they've been open, but they've been so popular and busy that they haven’t even had time to take the previous sign down.

"Both of us didn't expect more than three or four orders," Nima tells CTV News. "Thursday night we had around 60 to 62 orders, and Saturday we were all sold out. We did not have any ingredients left to cook for Sunday."

Renfrew resident Shawna Walker has ordered from Indian Curry Pot every weekend they've been open.

"I haven't been able to get it since I've lived in the Renfrew area," which Walker mentions was almost a decade ago. "There's not as much diversity here in food choices."

"We were totally blown away by the response that we got," says Nima. "And we are great full to the Renfrew community for that," added Kamath.

For now, the family is starting slow. But Kamath hopes to one day log out of his Monday to Friday job for good.

"If people love my food and if they start liking it and if the community loves it, maybe down the road I might even convert it into full-time."