Upscale Indian dining has a new home in New Hyde Park.
Manjeet Kaur and her husband, Kuljit Rathor, are opening the doors of their first restaurant, Minny’s Bar & Grill, this week. They’re gearing up to serve Indian classics, cocktails and “a little bit of everything” in its spacious dining room and long bar table.
The couple, who live around the corner from the restaurant, said their inspiration for Minny’s is the diversity of their New Hyde Park community.
“The community inspired us,” Kaur said. “There are all different races here, so we want a little bit of everything. Our menu is going to cater to everybody.”
“It’s mostly Indian food. Indian food, with a touch of American. It’s a fusion, because we want to cater to the whole community,” Kaur continued. We want to make sure that everybody, when they come here, can say, ‘Have you tried that?’ Or, ‘Oh, I eat that at home. I want to try their version of this.”
She said she hopes the restaurant will serve as a meeting place, community center and place where people can try something new.
“We hope this brings togetherness,” Kaur said. “It should be a meeting place for diverse communities.”
Opening day can’t come soon enough for the pair: Their establishment has been eight years in the making.
In 2017, the pair took over a lease from a former Indian restaurant, Madras Woodlands. When they tried to open their restaurant, the Town of North Hempstead told them that a slew of repairs were needed to bring the space, which had served as a restaurant for decades, up to code.
However, the repair notices came one by one, Kaur said, resulting in its taking nearly a decade for the couple to open their doors and the building’s original landlord selling the location to someone else out of frustration.
But eight years is nothing for a lifelong dream. Currently a public school teacher and realtor, Kaur and Rathor said the dream of owning a restaurant took root in each of them when they were young.
Kaur said she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her family, who worked in the restaurant industry for decades
“I grew up in the restaurant business, but I was never actively involved. It was more given to my brother…so I was just watching,” Kaur said. “It’s something I always wanted to do, but never could.”
Rathor said the restaurant industry pulled him in while eating in Brooklyn diners with his dad as a young kid.
“I’m originally born and raised in Brooklyn. My dad used to go jogging in Prospect Park, and after that he used to take me and my brother to a cafe restaurant for breakfast. I used to like the atmosphere. I used to be so amazed at how the guy behind the bar, behind the counter, was cooking on the griddle, making eggs and coffee,” Rathor said. “I said to myself and my pops, ‘One day, I’ll probably own a cafe, too.’”
Both said they hope this venture provides their three children with security.
“I worked hard for everything I have,” Kaur said. “My family never really gave me anything and [my husband’s] parents never really gave him anything either. We’re doing everything on our own, but I want my kids to have something.”
Both said they hope the establishment provides people with the opportunity to try something new.
“There’s hardly any Indian fine dines around here,” Kaur said. “We hope people will flock here just to try something different. The menu’s different, the vibe is going to be different. Maybe we’ll bring a little bit of a city vibe in here so people don’t have to travel to the city and instead can come to our place.”
The grand opening of Minny’s Bar and Grill is on Sept. 6. After that, Kaur’s team will be feeding all who walk through the door at 1627 Hillside Ave. every day from 11 a.m. till 10:30 p.m.
Read more: New Italian restaurant opens in Syosset.
