CBC listener whose pitch made it on air opens dream restaurant
Inder Raj Gill pitched an idea to a CBC radio show based on his own experience trying to open a restaurant
A former Uber driver from Surrey, B.C., opened his dream restaurant almost two years after pitching a TV series idea based on that dream on a CBC radio show.
Inder Raj Gill was thrilled to hear his pitch — which was based on his own life — being discussed and praised on CBC's On The Coast in May of 2023.
His restaurant, which the pitch was based on, called Those Indian Guys, opened last weekend in Surrey.
"It went phenomenally. We could not have asked for a better grand opening," Gill said this week on CBC's On The Coast.
In 2023, CBC's On The Coast asked listeners to pitch an original movie or TV show that could be filmed in Metro Vancouver. The show received about 100 submissions, and among those chosen to be discussed on air was Gill's.
The TV series Gill pitched would follow two immigrants who had just moved to Vancouver from India in their journey to open a restaurant, showing the ups and downs along the way.
"The story follows their journey, their wins and losses, until their grand opening. It's based on ongoing true events. It's my friends and my story," Gill had said at the end of the pitch.
Reaction caught on dashcam
Gill's reaction to hearing the pitch on the radio in 2023 and a subsequent phone call with his wife was captured on his car's dashcam.
"This is unbelievable. I'm still pinching myself," Gill had said at the time.
Gill moved to Canada with his wife in 2018. He said since 2022, he and two friends have been working to open the restaurant.
"Since I did a lot of Doordash and UberEats driving, I knew there was a huge demand for Indian food," said Gill.
Opening the restaurant as a newcomer to Canada was challenging, said Gill.
He said finding a place to rent to them was difficult as their restaurant was a new concept and not a pre-established chain. Gill said they visited over 70 locations before landing one.
There are many obstacles to navigate for first-time restaurant owners, according to the CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association, Ian Tostenson.
And he said these challenges can be exacerbated for those who are newcomers to Canada.
Finding a place, for example, may be difficult for newcomers who don't have any local references or experience, or robust emergency funds.
"It's a pretty complex situation," said Tostenson. "If you're coming from another country, it's probably very intimidating."
Indian food with a twist
Gill said Those Indian Guys specializes in healthy takeout, offering Indian food that is both convenient and nutritious.
"We wanted to do it in a. . . way where it wasn't difficult, and it wasn't an indulgence," he said.
The menu also experiments with Indo-Mexican and Indo-Chinese fusion, said Gill, offering dishes like butter chicken quesadillas and chili chicken baos.
Gill hopes to open a second location in the next few years and eventually expand into catering. But for now, he says the community has welcomed them with open arms.
"We were welcomed in a way where it's like people already know who we were," said Gill.
"They are so happy to see us."
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With files from On The Coast