Sameer Malhotra is the CEO and co-founder of Café Spice, a nationally distributed brand bringing authentic Indian cuisine to a broad American audience. Raised in a family of restaurateurs, Sameer has grown Café Spice from a single restaurant concept into a $50 million food manufacturing business.
Café Spice is a family-owned food company specializing in globally inspired, ready-to-eat meals. Partnering with Whole Foods Market and other retailers, Café Spice provides hot bar items, refrigerated and frozen meals, and private-label products for supermarket chains across the U.S.
Founded in 1998 as a bistro-style Indian restaurant in New York City, Café Spice transitioned from restaurants to large-scale food manufacturing after Whole Foods tapped the brand to supply its Indian hot bars.
Today, Café Spice operates from a state-of-the-art 70,000-square-foot facility, produces both branded and private-label products, and continues to innovate with new offerings like Cantina Latina, a Latin-inspired line of prepared meals.
Growing up in his family’s acclaimed Indian restaurants gave Sameer firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities of introducing Indian cuisine to America.
Café Spice pivoted from restaurants to manufacturing after landing Whole Foods as a client, eventually supplying Indian food to every Whole Foods hot bar in the country.
Company culture emphasizes “grittiness and safety,” with longtime employees playing a key role in consistency and growth.
Scaling recipes for national distribution required investments in food safety, standardized spice rooms, and consistent culinary processes.
Education and sampling are central to marketing—demos help consumers overcome misconceptions that all Indian food is spicy or “just curry.”
QUOTES
“Whole Foods decided they were going to open an Indian hot bar, and that’s where the entire business changed. Now, 20 years later, we make the Indian food for their hot bars in every store in the country.” (Sameer)
“We’ve always been a gritty team. Culture is grittiness and culture is safety.” (Sameer)
“As restaurateurs, you’re creating food that’s going to be consumed within an hour. Here, we’re making food that may be frozen or refrigerated and eaten days later. Food safety became the most important part.” (Sameer)
“I walked into the Whole Foods office in a suit, 23 years old, and the guy who greeted me was in cargo shorts and flip-flops. I felt completely out of place.” (Sameer)
“Spice is always a trend. Generationally, spice is much more accepted now than when we started the business.” (Sameer)
“Rather than discounting, I focus on demos. People need to taste the food and realize how good it is.” (Sameer)
“The biggest misconception is that all Indian food is curry and all Indian food is spicy. Not everything is curry, and not all Indian food is spicy.” (Sameer)
“We changed the name from ‘alugobi’ to ‘curried cauliflower and potatoes’ and sales doubled. People knew what it was.” (Sameer)
“We put in robotic arms for packaging. It increased output, reduced giveaway, and didn’t reduce jobs. Technology has been a game changer.” (Sameer)
“Surround yourself with like-minded people, but also fill the gaps you don’t have. You need people who will push you—not just yes men.” (Sameer)
