The Kati Roll Company
The Kati Roll Company is a fast-casual Indian restaurant chain founded in 2002 in NYC, operating seven locations across Manhattan, Texas, and London. It serves urban consumers with Kolkata-style kati rolls, momos, and sides, and recently launched a multi-unit franchising program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Kati Roll Company does
The Kati Roll Company (TKRC) is a fast-casual Indian restaurant chain founded in 2002 by Payal Saha in Greenwich Village, New York City. The company specializes in Kolkata-style kati rolls — skewer-grilled meat or vegetarian fillings wrapped in paratha or whole wheat roti — alongside a supporting menu of momos (Indo-Tibetan dumplings), sides, lassis, beverages, alcohol, and desserts. TKRC operates seven locations: four in Manhattan (Greenwich Village, Midtown West, Midtown East, World Trade), two in Texas (Dallas, Plano), and one in London, and is widely credited with introducing Indian kati rolls to American diners. The company positions itself on fresh, daily preparation with proprietary spice blends (up to 30 hand-ground spices), halal-certified meats, and antibiotic/hormone-free chicken, with no pre-packaged foods or sauces.
The business operates through three revenue streams: (1) direct restaurant sales via company-owned storefronts, (2) franchise fees and royalties from a recently launched franchising program offering single-unit ($40,000) and multi-unit (3-5 units, $80,000-$135,000) licenses with a 6% royalty, 2% marketing fund, and $300/month technology fee, and (3) corporate catering services. Total per-unit franchise investment ranges from $404K-$845K. TKRC sells through multiple channels including walk-in, direct online ordering (via Toast Tab and BentoBox), and third-party delivery (Uber Eats). The company maintains an active earned-media presence with coverage in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Food Network.
TKRC is privately held by its founders Payal Saha (Founder) and Anil Bathwal (Managing Director) with no disclosed institutional investment, M&A activity, or secondary transactions. The company has 51-100 employees and operates an entirely off-the-shelf technology stack (BentoBox, Toast Tab, Uber Eats); its core intellectual property resides in culinary recipes, proprietary spice blends, and 20+ years of refined operational playbooks rather than in proprietary software or AI.
The Kati Roll Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Kati Roll Company
- Legal name
- The Kati Roll Company
- Website
- https://thekatirollcompany.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Kati Roll Company is a fast-casual Indian restaurant chain founded in 2002 in NYC, operating seven locations across Manhattan, Texas, and London. It serves urban consumers with Kolkata-style kati rolls, momos, and sides, and recently launched a multi-unit franchising program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where The Kati Roll Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
The Kati Roll Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Restaurant Sales: Revenue from company-owned restaurant locations selling kati rolls, momos, sides, beverages, and desserts directly to consumers
- Franchise Fees and Royalties: Initial franchise fee of $40,000 per unit plus ongoing royalty of 6% of gross sales and marketing fund contribution of 2%
- Catering Services: Corporate catering orders placed through dedicated catering portal
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Single Unit Franchise |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Multi-Unit Franchise (3-5 units) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Kati Roll Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Kati Roll Company operates a fast-casual Indian restaurant concept selling authentic Kolkata-style kati rolls (skewer-grilled meat or vegetarian fillings wrapped in paratha or roti) alongside momos, sides, lassis, beverages, alcohol, and desserts. The company also generates revenue through corporate catering services and a recently launched franchising program targeting multi-unit operators.
Product overview
The Kati Roll Company is a fast-casual Indian restaurant chain offering kati rolls as its core product alongside complementary offerings. The main product line consists of kati rolls (skewer-grilled meat or vegetarian fillings wrapped in paratha or roti) available in multiple varieties including chicken tikka, steak tikka, shami kabab, achari paneer, chana masala, aloo masala, and unda (egg) variants. Supporting products include momos (Indo-Tibetan dumplings), sides (chips, raita, chutney, breads), lassis (yogurt smoothies), beverages (soda, chai), alcohol (Kingfisher beer, Basmati Rice Lager), and desserts (Gajar Halwa Cake Bite). Additional services include catering and a franchising program for expansion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Kati Rolls Signature Indian street food wraps made with skewer-grilled meat or vegetarian fillings stuffed in buttery paratha flatbread or whole wheat roti, topped with chutneys and spices. Varieties include chicken tikka, steak tikka, shami kabab, achari paneer, chana masala, aloo masala, and unda (egg).
- Momos Indo-Tibetan dumplings, steamed or pan-fried, with chicken or vegan fillings served with a trio of sauces (spicy red chili, tomato sesame, and soy vinegar).
- Sides Complementary items including spicy potato chips (fried and seasoned in-house), raita sauce, green chutney, and paratha or roti breads.
- Lassi Indian-style yogurt smoothies made daily with homemade organic yogurt containing live cultures. Flagship variety is Alfonso Mango Lassi made from Alphonso mangoes.
- Beverages Assorted beverages including soda, colas, water, and Masala Chai (Assam black tea flavored with ginger and cardamom).
- Alcohol Beer selection including Kingfisher (fully matured beer with pleasantly bitter taste) and Basmati Rice Lager (multi-award winning lager brewed to traditional Indian recipe).
- Gajar Halwa Cake Bite Eggless mini dessert cake made with fresh carrots, cardamom, and ghee, topped with almonds, inspired by traditional Gajar Halwa.
- Catering Services Catering services for corporate events and gatherings, ordered through the Toast Tab catering platform for businesses and groups.
- Franchising Program Franchise opportunity offering single-unit licenses at $40,000 per unit (total investment $404K-$845K) and multi-unit agreements for 3-5 units at $80,000-$135,000, with 6% royalty, 2% marketing fund, and $300/month technology fee on a 10-year term.
Quantifiable outcome
- Introduced kati rolls to American diners and built NYC cult favorite
Companies that use The Kati Roll Company
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Kati Roll Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
The Kati Roll Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Kati Roll Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Inday: NYC-based Indian fast-casual concept; directly comparable to TKRC in target customer (urban NYC diners), cuisine (modern Indian), and service model (quick-service with delivery). Competes for the same lunch/dinner/late-night occasions.
- Curry Up Now: Indian fast-casual chain with street food positioning, multiple US locations, and catering; overlaps directly with TKRC on format (wraps/bowls), customer (urban Indian food enthusiasts), and expansion model.
- Tava Indian Kitchen: Indian fast-casual concept with a similar build-your-own / entrée-plus-sides model; comparable on cuisine, price point, and target customer to TKRC.
- Biryani by Kilo: Indian QSR chain focused on biryani and Indian street food; comparable cuisine, delivery-driven model, and US multi-city footprint to TKRC's franchise ambitions.
Broad incumbents
- CAVA: Large US fast-casual Mediterranean chain; comparable on the underlying fast-casual unit economics, build-your-own format, urban trade area strategy, and growing franchise/company-store mix, though not Indian cuisine.
- Shake Shack: Public fast-casual leader with strong NYC origins, cult brand, and city-by-city expansion playbook; a useful operational and brand-equity benchmark for TKRC's growth phase.
- Chipotle Mexican Grill: The benchmark US fast-casual chain; comparable in service model, kitchen throughput design, and franchise/expansion considerations, though at vastly greater scale than TKRC.
- Sweetgreen: Public fast-casual chain built on a single-format concept and a digitally native ordering stack; comparable on technology integration (Toast/BentoBox/online ordering) and unit-level operational discipline.
Regional players
- Paradise Biryani: Large India-based Indian restaurant chain best known for biryani; useful comparable for category economics, menu architecture, and chain operations, but primarily serves the Indian market rather than the US.
Others
- Saffron Road: US-based Indian and ethnic frozen/CPG brand; an adjacent thematically related player that demonstrates the path from Indian restaurant equity to packaged retail products, a potential future extension for TKRC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Kati Roll Company social profiles
Digital presenceThe Kati Roll Company compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Kati Roll Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Kati Roll Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Kati Roll Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Kati Roll Company M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Kati Roll Company
What does The Kati Roll Company do?
The Kati Roll Company operates a fast-casual Indian restaurant concept selling authentic Kolkata-style kati rolls (skewer-grilled meat or vegetarian fillings wrapped in paratha or roti) alongside momos, sides, lassis, beverages, alcohol, and desserts. The company also generates revenue through corporate catering services and a recently launched franchising program targeting multi-unit operators.
Is The Kati Roll Company a public or private company?
The Kati Roll Company is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Kati Roll Company founded?
The Kati Roll Company was founded in 2002. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Kati Roll Company based?
The Kati Roll Company is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Kati Roll Company make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are franchise Fees and Royalties and catering Services.
Who are The Kati Roll Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Inday, Curry Up Now, Tava Indian Kitchen and Biryani by Kilo. Broad incumbents are CAVA, Shake Shack, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Sweetgreen. Paradise Biryani is listed as a regional player. Saffron Road is listed as an others.
Does The Kati Roll Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Kati Roll Company.