What started as a six-year-old’s summer experiment—selling lemonade and masala dosas at a Brooklyn park—has now become a thriving pop-up restaurant bringing in over $15,000 a month. Swetha and Venkat Raju, a Bengaluru-born couple living in New York, never imagined their daughter's playful business venture would transform into a sought-after culinary experience, now known as Brooklyn Curry Project.
According to a report from CNBC Make It, it all began in May 2021 when their daughter, Mahati, wanted to set up a lemonade stand near Fort Greene Park’s Green Market. Instead of just drinks, Swetha, an ardent home cook, decided to whip up some masala dosas—crispy, crepe-like South Indian pancakes filled with spiced potatoes.
To their surprise, the dosas were an instant hit. Customers took a bite, their eyes widened, and soon, the family found themselves at the center of a growing frenzy.
From Weekend Pop-Up to Brooklyn Sensation
A month into their venture, Swetha and Venkat brought butane stoves to prepare fresh dosas on-site, escalating demand further. By September 2021, hundreds of customers were lining up every Saturday, sometimes waiting hours for a bite of their now-famous $10 dosas.
Seeing an opportunity, the couple took the leap—expanding their operations from a humble park stall to a commercial kitchen, where they now prepare their dishes. Today, Brooklyn Curry Project hosts a monthly seated lunch and continues its pop-up service, with dosas now priced at $12.
A Taste of Home, A Slice of Community
For Swetha and Venkat, food is more than just a side hustle—it’s a way to recreate the vibrant, regionally diverse food culture of India that they deeply missed after moving to the U.S. in 2016.
"In America, all Indian restaurants taste the same," Venkat explained to CNBC. "In India, the flavors vary dramatically from one state to another. We missed that."
Their journey to Brooklyn wasn’t easy. Swetha moved first for a software engineering job, and Venkat followed with their two children a year later. The transition felt isolating, but food became their way of connecting.
"When I moved here, the hardest part was eating alone. Back home, meals are shared. It felt like something was missing," Swetha says. So, they started inviting neighbors over for chai and biscuits, unknowingly setting the foundation for what would become Brooklyn Curry Project.
Balancing Jobs, Family, and a Thriving Food Business
Running a pop-up restaurant while maintaining full-time jobs and raising two young children is no easy feat.
Swetha, a software engineer, and Venkat, a real estate lawyer, dedicate their weeknights to grocery shopping, followed by six-hour prep sessions every Friday before opening their pop-up on Saturdays from 10:30 AM to 2 PM.
Their investment is both financial and physical—they spend $700 per week on ingredients and supplies, an additional sum on their four part-time staff, and $3,800 on rent. Despite the workload, they cherish the connections their food fosters.
"People from all over the world meet at our stand. Some have even found lifelong friends and future spouses while waiting in line for our dosas," Venkat shares with pride.
The Future: From Pop-Up to Permanent
With growing demand, the Rajus hope to turn Brooklyn Curry Project into a full-time restaurant. They’ve already launched a crowdsourced fundraising campaign and are scouting locations for a permanent space.
"When you cook and share a meal, that's how you show you care," Swetha reflects. "Food connects people, bridges cultures, and builds communities."
From a child's lemonade stand to a thriving pop-up restaurant, the Rajus' journey is proof that passion, resilience, and a really good dosa can turn even the simplest idea into an extraordinary success story.
( Originally published on Apr 03, 2025 )
According to a report from CNBC Make It, it all began in May 2021 when their daughter, Mahati, wanted to set up a lemonade stand near Fort Greene Park’s Green Market. Instead of just drinks, Swetha, an ardent home cook, decided to whip up some masala dosas—crispy, crepe-like South Indian pancakes filled with spiced potatoes.
To their surprise, the dosas were an instant hit. Customers took a bite, their eyes widened, and soon, the family found themselves at the center of a growing frenzy.
From Weekend Pop-Up to Brooklyn Sensation
A month into their venture, Swetha and Venkat brought butane stoves to prepare fresh dosas on-site, escalating demand further. By September 2021, hundreds of customers were lining up every Saturday, sometimes waiting hours for a bite of their now-famous $10 dosas.
Seeing an opportunity, the couple took the leap—expanding their operations from a humble park stall to a commercial kitchen, where they now prepare their dishes. Today, Brooklyn Curry Project hosts a monthly seated lunch and continues its pop-up service, with dosas now priced at $12.
A Taste of Home, A Slice of Community
For Swetha and Venkat, food is more than just a side hustle—it’s a way to recreate the vibrant, regionally diverse food culture of India that they deeply missed after moving to the U.S. in 2016.
"In America, all Indian restaurants taste the same," Venkat explained to CNBC. "In India, the flavors vary dramatically from one state to another. We missed that."
Their journey to Brooklyn wasn’t easy. Swetha moved first for a software engineering job, and Venkat followed with their two children a year later. The transition felt isolating, but food became their way of connecting.
"When I moved here, the hardest part was eating alone. Back home, meals are shared. It felt like something was missing," Swetha says. So, they started inviting neighbors over for chai and biscuits, unknowingly setting the foundation for what would become Brooklyn Curry Project.
Balancing Jobs, Family, and a Thriving Food Business
Running a pop-up restaurant while maintaining full-time jobs and raising two young children is no easy feat.
Swetha, a software engineer, and Venkat, a real estate lawyer, dedicate their weeknights to grocery shopping, followed by six-hour prep sessions every Friday before opening their pop-up on Saturdays from 10:30 AM to 2 PM.
Their investment is both financial and physical—they spend $700 per week on ingredients and supplies, an additional sum on their four part-time staff, and $3,800 on rent. Despite the workload, they cherish the connections their food fosters.
"People from all over the world meet at our stand. Some have even found lifelong friends and future spouses while waiting in line for our dosas," Venkat shares with pride.
The Future: From Pop-Up to Permanent
With growing demand, the Rajus hope to turn Brooklyn Curry Project into a full-time restaurant. They’ve already launched a crowdsourced fundraising campaign and are scouting locations for a permanent space.
"When you cook and share a meal, that's how you show you care," Swetha reflects. "Food connects people, bridges cultures, and builds communities."
From a child's lemonade stand to a thriving pop-up restaurant, the Rajus' journey is proof that passion, resilience, and a really good dosa can turn even the simplest idea into an extraordinary success story.
( Originally published on Apr 03, 2025 )
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