Indian Restaurant Owner in US Reveals Why She Won't Hire Indians

Rashmi Bhat, a 7 Monk’s Cafe owner in New Braunfels, Texas, made headlines over the weekend after sharing an Instagram video to start with an unexpected line:

“I don't hire Indians at my Indian restaurant.”

Her comment was quickly picked up online and stirred a bitter argument as to authenticity, diversity and hiring practices in ethnic restaurants.

Who Is Rashmi Bhat?

Rashmi Bhat, who was born in Mumbai, runs 7 Monk's Cafe with her mom.

That restaurant offers Indian, Mediterranean food, and opened in 2019, shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic left the hospitality world in shambles.

Despite launching in a tough economic period, the restaurant survived, slowly becoming a favourite spot for locals to eat out.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rashmi Bhat (@toastyindian)

Why Doesn't She Hire Indians?

She is on Instagram and in her viral video said her hiring decision is based on a person’s attitude, work and will to learn rather than his or her ethnicity.

She said many customers “have this assumption that every person working in an Indian restaurant has to be Indian.”

But she says that was never the philosophy behind her business.

“When people walk into an Indian restaurant, they basically assume that everybody working there has to be Indian. But we never hired like that,” she said.

“We Wanted a Great Team, Not an Indian Team”

Bhat added when her mother opened the restaurant, they wanted to offer opportunities to citizens at home, instead of hiring staff from one ethnic group.

“We didn’t set out to help build an Indian team. We set out to create a great team,” she said.

The restaurant is hiring:

• High school students
• College students
• Single mothers
• Retirees seeking a second chance
• Local community members

She also said employees had never eaten Indian food prior to joining the restaurant, but now confidently recommended dishes to customers and have their own favorites on the menu.

Social Media Reacts

The video promptly went viral and attracted over 1 lakh views and thousands of reactions within hours.

Bhat had a lot of followers on social media who backed her approach by complimenting her on stressing skills and character over ethnicity.

But there were others who said a restaurant serving traditional Indian food should employ Indian chefs and staff to preserve its authenticity.

Some of the comments were:

• "I would rather my Indian food come from an Indian."
• "No Indian cooks, that's not authentic."
• "The employees should be knowledgeable about the menu and customs as they are in the field."

The conversation has revived widespread discussions on whether authenticity in food actually hinges on who cooks and serves it, or the quality of the food itself.

The Bigger Debate

The comments of Bhat have split opinion online.

As some of her supporters point out, restaurants should only focus on hiring the best people for the job. However, others argue that cultural knowledge plays an important role in providing authentic culinary experiences.

As the debate continues on social media, one thing is sure: Rashmi Bhat's hiring policy is now having a national resonance well outside the walls of her Texas restaurant.