An Indian-origin restaurant owner in Texas has sparked discussion online after revealing that her Indian restaurant has “almost no Indian staff” and explaining why she chooses not to hire employees based on nationality or ethnicity.Rashmi Bhat runs 7 Monk’s Cafe Texas and said in a viral Instagram video that her hiring approach often surprises people, especially given the restaurant serves Indian cuisine.“I don’t hire Indians at my Indian restaurant,” she said in the video, adding that the reaction “usually surprises people”.She explained that many customers assume staff at Indian restaurants will naturally be Indian, but said that was never her intention when building the business with her mother in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“When most people walk into an Indian restaurant, they assume everyone working there has to be Indian. But that’s never how we hired,” she said.According to Bhat, the goal from the beginning was to build a team based on reliability and willingness to learn, rather than cultural background. She said the focus was on creating a strong workforce drawn from the local community.She added that the restaurant employed a mix of people, including high school students, college students, single mothers and retirees looking for a second chance.
“We set out to build a great team, regardless of their skin colour. So we hired high school students, college students, single moms, and retirees looking for a second chance,” she said.Bhat said many of her staff initially had little familiarity with Indian cuisine, but over time learned the dishes and now confidently recommend meals to customers. Some had never tried Indian food before joining the restaurant.“Our team doesn’t come from the same culture, but they know what it’s like to be introduced to an entirely new food. And every day, they help introduce thousands of people to ours,” she said.The restaurant serves Indian and Mediterranean cuisine and has built a local following since opening. Bhat said it survived the challenges of launching just before the pandemic and gradually established itself in the area.
