A South Indian restaurant is preparing to open in Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties neighborhood this spring.
Bengaluru Cafe, owned by Sri Saravanan, will open at 809 N. 2nd St. The cafe currently operates in Fairfax, Virginia, and Saravanan told What Now Philadelphia he sees Philadelphia as the right next step for the brand’s growth.
“We have been doing the first location close to two years, and based on this success, we wanted to expand. We picked Philadelphia because the downtown area and the accessibility are pretty attractive,” he said.
Bengaluru, the capital of India’s southern Karnataka state, serves as the inspiration for the cafe. The menu pays homage to the region’s authentic fare. It will also be Philadelphia’s first South Indian restaurant to offer an entirely vegan and vegetarian menu.
Menu highlights include chaats, appetizers and shareable plates, such as tomato masala salad and vada pav, a classic Indian street food featuring a spicy potato fritter served on soft pav bread with tangy chutneys.
The cafe will also spotlight dosas, thin, crepe-like specialties. Options include masala dosa stuffed with spiced potatoes and Mysore masala dosa layered with spicy red chutney.
Milkshakes, fresh juices, South Indian filter coffee and masala chai round out the menu, offering classic beverage pairings for the cafe’s dishes.
Just in time for spring, Bengaluru’s interior will feature abundant greenery.
“Bengaluru is a garden city of India, so we brought in a little bit of a garden atmosphere with bamboo lighting. It has a greenery look, and it’s natural. The tables and chairs are natural wood,” Saravanan said.
Saravanan said he is eager to enter the Philadelphia market and get to know the local clientele.
“We are working to understand the demographics because it’s not just a family crowd; it attracts a lot of tourists, and footprints are going to be mixed. We are excited to open and go live,” he said.
The team plans to open Bengaluru Cafe by the end of March, with Saravanan stating, “Good things happen in March.” Visit the website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
