Inspired by the concept of Amma Unavagam, a 29-year-old guy named Dhinesh Kumar, who hails from Orathanad, started three restaurants in the US, and the initiative is proving to be a boon for Indian immigrants and students living there.
Keeping in mind the affordability of Amma Unavagam, Dhinesh’s Amma’s Kitchen provides quality food at a very low cost — in fact, dishes like idli and vada cost only $1 respectively and even biryani is available for just $7! In a conversation with DC, Dhinesh speaks about his initiatives in the US and his plans.
“The goal for every Amma’s Kitchen outlet is to provide a clean, amicable dining experience that is healthy and pure. We wish to provide a culinary experience to our patrons who can relive their home upbringing, but at a very reasonable price,” Dhinesh says, adding, “When I came to know about the concept of Amma Unavagam, we were inspired and that is how it all started.”
With lots of positive feedback, Amma’s Kitchen, which was initially opened at just one location in New Jersey last year, has now cropped up in two more locations in the state this year. “The public response to our food outlets has been tremendous and very encouraging. Hence, we expanded our restaurants.
Customers have been able to identify their cultural lineage and homely traditions in our authentic cooking style. Plans are underway to expand to new locations in Florida and Texas too!”
Dhinesh, who has been living in the US for five years, says that he emphasises more on providing food through naturally grown produce. “Our plan for every outlet is to be a locavore and support the local farming community where we are situated. I always like to stand by the term Unave Marundhu (Food is Medicine). In NJ, we have tied up with a 65-acre local farming establishment that supplies chemical free, naturally grown produce for the kitchen. We intend to be an environmentally minimal footprint establishment, through sustainable practices like using bio-degradable products.”
Dhinesh, who claims that his family is fiercely devoted to late J. Jayalalithaa, also states that the restaurants will serve as memories for beloved Amma internationally.
On a concluding note, he says, “Our motto to expand is ‘Think Local, Be Global’. Our vision to grow is to gain a foothold in markets that are culturally diverse and culinarily adventurous, so that we can bring the spirit of traditional cooking to the hearts and minds of supportive patrons.”
