Home-cooked food is often considered a luxury for people working away from their hometowns. For many Indians working abroad, especially in countries like the United States, it can feel like a distant dream. However, a group of enterprising Gujarati women in New York has found a way to fulfil this craving. They've created a system that delivers home-cooked, desi-style meals to Indian professionals in the city. This initiative mirrors Mumbai's famous dabbawalas, but with a twist-operating legally in New York requires navigating a complex web of food licenses. Despite these challenges, this niche service has tapped into a growing demand, offering a homely experience with the convenience of delivery and proving that there's significant potential in catering to specific groups of people.
One social media creator, Ishan Sharma (@ishansharma7390), who specialises in content around YouTube, AI, business, and freelancing, recently drew attention to this phenomenon in a reel on Instagram.
"Just heard from a friend who lives and works here in New York about how he gets lunch delivered right in his office 5 days a week. He showed me a group that he was added to and was named #4, which had 800 people in it. Imagine the total number of customers they must be serving daily," he wrote in the caption.
Watch the video here:
"And it all works on WhatsApp. They prepare all the meals at home, and an uncle delivers them one by one to every office. Really interesting for me to see. A great small business idea that you can try out as well. Only need to efficiently plan out the delivery to complete the loop."
Well, this small business idea was also reportd in The New York Times and other media organisations a few times.
According to NYT, "there are several women, mostly in Queens, making meals for time-pressed Indians who feel that tug for ghar ka khanna (home-cooked food). These cooks are often housewives who turn out dishes that may remind you of your mother's or grandmother's. Each is different: some are South Indian and skilled at sambars, rasams, and rice dishes."
