The short version: Two school friends left their cushy jobs abroad to bring Mexican-inspired food to their homeland, while also trying to make the world a better place.
The long version: In the midst of the pandemic, Rajanvir, a supply chain economist (MSc, and a pro tennis player) in the Netherlands, and I, Rashmit, an environmental economist (MSc, and a pro musician) in the US, decided to quit our jobs to move back to India to be closer to our families. It was all very Swades, minus the water turbine project.
Living abroad, we were forced into a life skill that most Indian kids never have to worry about: Cooking! While cooking was initially a chore to us, we both grew to fall in love with it. I used to play in a band and one of my bandmates was Mexican. We used to host “Taco Jam Nights” where we’d cook a huge batch of tacos, invite all our musician friends over, and then spend the night eating tacos and jamming. Rajanvir and his tennis team used to frequent Mexican eateries after their practice sessions as a ritual. He’d even cook burrito bowls for his house-mates when he had a chance.
Given our joint fondness for Mexican and Tex-Mex food, the idea of Gracias Granny didn’t take long to strike once we’d decided to move back home mid-pandemic, wanting to contribute to the future of our own country and be closer to our families. Both of us had some experience in the F&B space. I had worked all kinds of jobs in restaurants throughout my time in college, moving up from being a dishwasher to a part-time chef at a global pizza chain. Rajanvir had operated his family restaurant and banquet for a few years too, learning what it takes to run a successful operation in this industry.
Mexican food is colourful, flavourful, and vibrant… much like Indian cuisine. But somehow Mexican cuisine has not yet taken hold in India, and our understanding is that it hasn’t been introduced in a manner that makes it feel… familiar. We’re trying to do just that at GG. We fuse Mexican food formats with our favourite global flavours, pair them up with some handcrafted coffee and drinks, all to introduce the cuisine to India in a fun, approachable way. Our punny phrase to describe this is… Mex It Up!
But GG is not just about good food and a cosy cup of specialty coffee. Environmental, human, and non-human animal well-being is at the heart of everything we do. As India’s first plant-forward restaurant, we are dedicated to showcasing the power of plants to shape the future of our food system, while still keeping our doors open to everyone. We encourage and incentivize our customers to make planet-friendly choices to create a better future for all. You can learn about all our sustainability efforts on our website.
What started out as a single-table cloud kitchen in 2022 is now a growing cafe and catering operation. We hope to see you in your neighbourhood real soon!
Gracias (Thank you), Rashmit & Rajanvir
