Royal India’s Reign Ends, Another Restaurant Planned
S. 27th Street space isn't slated to be vacant for long.
Aloo Gobhi. Photo taken Dec. 1, 2022 by Cari Taylor-Carlson.
Royal India‘s reign of S. 27th Street has come to an end. But a new restaurant, Honest Pav Bhaji, is already slated to take the throne.
Known for its East Indian cuisine, Royal Indian quietly closed in early 2024, according to a tenant of the building, 3400 S. 27th St.
Throughout its more than 27 years in business, Royal India emerged as a reliable destination for a wide range of authentic dishes, from samosas and pakora to chicken makhani and chana masala. The vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurant also offered an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Restaurateur Paramjit Kaur took ownership of the business in May 2017. She revamped the restaurant’s look, feel and function, adding delivery services, online ordering and catering, according to a 2018 report from the Journal Sentinel.
She also curated a cocktail program, which combined Indian flavors with classic craft beverages. Kaur’s brother, Jaswinder Singh, became the restaurant’s head chef.
Last year, Kaur expanded her portfolio with a second establishment, Turmeric Indian Cafe & Bar. Opened in November, the restaurant serves a broad selection of Indian street foods, entrees and fusion dishes in the northeastern corner of Downtown.
Turmeric remains open today, and hasn’t announced plans to close. Kaur did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
New Restaurant Proposed
Following Royal India’s departure, a new restaurant is seeking to open in the building.
Bhavin Patel, along with his wife, Apeksha Patel and friend, Kinjal Patel, recently submitted a license application for Honest Pav Bhaji.
The trio hope to open the first Wisconsin location for the chain, which operates nearly 100 restaurants across the United States, Canada, Thailand, Australia and India.
Honest serves an all-vegetarian menu of Indian street foods including samosas, fried rice, pani puri (crisp pastry shells filled with vegetables, chickpeas and flavorful sauces) masala dosa (a stuffed, fermented crepe made of rice and lentils) and — of course — pav bhaji (thick vegetable curry served with a soft bread roll).
The concept is rooted in Ahmedabad, a city in western India, where founder Vijay Gupta began selling vegetarian food from his family-run street cart in 1975. Although the business has since expanded across the globe, each location continues to use the Gupta family’s “secret spice blends,” which are made in India and shipped worldwide, according to the restaurant’s website. Now, they’re headed to Milwaukee.
Bhavin brings several years of industry experience to the new venture. He previously worked at Maharaja on Farwell Avenue and managed the now-closed Sbarro, a pizza restaurant, at Southridge Mall.
The 2,560-square-foot restaurant will receive new lighting and a fresh coat of paint, Bhavin said, but he has no plans for further changes to the space.
A liquor license for the restaurant is pending before the Milwaukee Common Council. If approved, Bhavin said he hopes to open the restaurant in early May.
This article has been updated to include the correct opening date for Royal India.
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