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When physician Shirisha Reddy and engineer Bharath Ram moved from southern India to the United States more than a decade ago, they came to build careers in medicine and engineering, not restaurants. But that would change over time.
Today, the couple is behind Bharat Bhavan, a restaurant in Irving that they describe as the world's largest Indian vegetarian restaurant, seating up to 1,000 people at a time in its 19,317-square-foot space, with a menu that celebrates traditional Indian cuisine.
The concept was born from Ram's vision of bringing authentic Indian comfort food to North Texas. They opened their first restaurant in Frisco in December 2024, and in April of this year, they opened a second location in Irving.
After studying in India and completing their graduate studies in the United States, the couple decided to start a business without putting their careers on hold.
"We both came here to study and then settled into our careers," Reddy said. But one day, Ram decided he wanted to open a restaurant. "It was completely his vision, but I ended up helping execute it."
For Ram, the restaurant was about more than just opening a business. It was a way to give back to the community while filling what he saw as a gap in the local dining scene.
"He was tired of eating Indian food that wasn't authentic," Reddy said. "He wanted to bring the food we grew up eating. Many Indians living here, and many Americans, don't know what real Indian home cooking tastes like."
His idea is to offer dishes based on traditional recipes from his country. Many of the recipes are family favorites, and others were developed in collaboration with chefs from India. But many of these recipes have been adapted for American diners, including immigrants from India, whose tastes have evolved after years abroad.
"Even my own tolerance for spice," Reddy said, "is different now than it was 10 years ago."
The couple decided to focus on a vegetarian menu because of their commitment to fresh ingredients. And since meat sometimes arrives at restaurants after months of freezing, they decided not to offer it until they could ensure they could source it as fresh as possible.
"Everything is made fresh every single day; nothing comes from the freezer," said Reddy. If there were to serve meat, she said, Ram wanted it to be fresh as possible.
The menu features dishes inspired by regions across India rather than focusing on a single style of cooking. About half of the offerings remain constant, while seasonal specialties rotate throughout the year.
The Irving restaurant can accommodate about 600 diners in its regular dining areas and has a total capacity of nearly 1,000 people, including banquet and executive rooms.
On busy weekends, Reddy estimates that the restaurant serves between 1,500 and 2,000 guests throughout the day.
While most customers come from the Indian community, she hopes more Americans will discover the restaurant.
"I think many people don't realize a restaurant like this exists. We're trying to reach that market, too," she said. "One day we want to create the Chipotle of Indian food."
Details
Bharat Bhavan is at 530 W. Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway, Irving; and 13355 Main St., Frisco. bharatbhavan.com
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