Meet Gurpal Singh, owner of Paratha Grill…
Q: What is your name? Tell us about yourself.
A: My name is Gurpal Singh and I am 72 years old. I have lived in the United States for 38 years. I was a teacher at a university in Delhi. In 1984, 50,000 Sikh individuals were killed as a result of riots between Sikhs and Hindus in Delhi. This was the time after Indira was killed. I was compelled by my four sisters and parents to come to the United States, fleeing danger from the riots. For a while, I taught in Mississippi. However, I ended up jumping into business to take care of my family. I started with a clothing business. I was one of the first people to import garments from India in 1987. Then, I started a wholesale clothing business. Then, I went into restaurants. Now, I manage restaurants while being a real estate broker.
Q: Tell us about the history of your restaurant?
A: I own eight to nine restaurants. I was a teacher at a university in Delhi and came to the United States in 1984. After my kids obtained an education, one of my kids wanted to start a restaurant. He opened a Flame Broiler in 2004. My older son wanted to open up a pizza place, so we opened up a restaurant called Brooklyn Pizza. This is how I got into the restaurant industry and eventually opened Paratha Grill.
Q: What type of food do you serve?
A: Our food is North Indian Cuisine. We specialize in our variety of Parathas, which is essentially an Indian pizza. My wife is a vegetarian and has to cook meals twice a day. So, my idea for Paratha Grill was to bring home to the restaurant. We are one of the only stores that offers numerous different types of paratha. Also, as numerous individuals from multiple cultures visited our restaurant, we started serving parathas with curries. This is common in places like China and Malaysia.
Q: How do you continue your culture through food?
A: By serving Indian food, we help our Indian community adopt their cultures and not forget their roots. I see serving people food as an act of service. As a Sikh, I give food to langhars (community kitchens) in gurdwaras (spaces of devotion for Sikh individuals). Langhars provide free food to any individual who comes to the gurdwara. I donate food on Saturdays and Sundays.
Q: How does your restaurant engage with and support the immigrant and refugee communities in Los Angeles?
A: Serving Indian food helps circulate our culture within our community, which can be beneficial for Indian immigrants. Additionally, I sponsored about four of my employees in this restaurant and helped them with labor certifications. I supported them in obtaining their green cards and bringing their families to the United States. Now, they have their whole families here.
Q: Can you share any success stories or memorable experiences of how your restaurant has positively impacted individuals or communities?
A: As I managed this restaurant, I met and reconnected with many of my old friends. I am seeing some people 20 – 30 years old. This restaurant is a hub for the Indian community.
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges that your restaurant has faced since its inception, and how have you overcome them?
A: Honestly, I have never had any challenges in his restaurant because I have amazing chefs. They have been working with me for 10 years. I am delighted to have like-minded people working. This dynamic depends on how you respect, teach, and treat your workforce. My chefs and workers immigrated from India. My chef came to the States 10 years ago. After landing here at 2 pm, he came to the restaurant at 5 pm. I hired him on the spot and we have been working together for ten years. Now, the chef’s kids are going to two great universities!
Q: What opportunities do you see for your restaurant in the future, both locally and potentially on a larger scale? What are your goals?
A: Though I have the opportunity to open more restaurants, it is not something that I would like to pursue. I am content with my Indian restaurant.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?A: You must spend quality time for your business to grow. America is a land of opportunity, SPEND QUALITY TIME IN YOUR ETHICS. Once you are focused on this, nothing will go wrong.
