Beloved New York Indian Street Food Spot Set To Arrive in Dallas on April 4

The Kati Roll Company, also known as TKRC, has four locations sprinkled around New York City and two in London. Now, Texas gets into the act as TKRC will open its first Lone Star State (and first-ever franchise) shop in downtown Dallas on April 4.

Payal Saha, who opened The Kati Roll Company’s first location in 2002 in New York's Greenwich Village, did so without any prior experience in the restaurant industry. After she arrived there from Kolkata, India, where kati rolls are popular, she found herself missing them and wanted to bring an authentic version to the city.

“So much about Indian cuisine is complicated and doesn’t translate well to a grab-and-go concept. We knew the kati roll was the perfect vehicle for bringing cultural flavor in an unassuming form,” Saha says. “We’ve been pleased to see the fanfare throughout the years for what is nostalgic food for us.”
Kati rolls are made up of meats and vegetables that are grilled on skewers before being nestled inside the diners’ choice of paratha or roti — both Indian-style flatbreads — then topped with chutney and spices.

These are the stars of the menu, but there are other options like a chicken tikka roll and the shami kabab roll with minced lamb and lentil croquette with herbs and spices. Guests will also find momos on the menu, which are Indo-Tibetan dumplings, in both vegan and chicken options.

For dessert, there's gajar halwa cake bites, which are an eggless cake made with carrot, cardamom and ghee sprinkled with almonds. To drink, there's mango lassi or masala chai tea, along with other beverages.

All of the meats that The Kati Roll Company serves are halal, and the chicken is antibiotic- and hormone-free. The lassis are made in-house from organic yogurt and mangoes that are imported from India, just in time for summer. There are several vegetarian options as well.

The Dallas spot is the first franchise location for The Kati Roll Company.

“When we decided to move forward with a franchisee it was after years of ignoring others’ requests,” managing director Anil Bathwal says. “We believe we found the right partner for our continued expansion, as he understands our brand and our vision for the future.”

That franchisee is Dallas entrepreneur Hebron Sher, who brings a wealth of knowledge to the table from his time as a Chick-fil-A franchise owner. He and his partner, Allen Humphris, plan to work with Bathwal and Saha to continue developing the brand both in Texas and elsewhere.

“Living in Dallas, we see the interest and demand for cultural cuisine, and we were fervent in our pursuit of TKRC to bring their business to Texas,” Sher says. “We are thrilled to be a part of expanding TKRC into Texas as the first-ever franchise partner.”

The Kati Roll Company. 1322 Elm St. Opening April 4. Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – midnight.