Rangoli Grill Opens Its Doors At Cornerstone Square

Westford’s first Indian restaurant opened its doors inside Cornerstone Square last week, but it’s not what might immediately come to mind when one thinks of Indian cuisine.

Blending a style of traditional Indian ingredients and flavors with a fast food style buffet format, the Rangoli Grill takes Tandoor grilled meats and traditional Indian toppings and combines them with a Subway/Chipotle-style mix-and-match format where one can get a variety of items such as rice bowls and wraps.

Operated by Gulshan Kumar and his wife Rashmi, who will be splitting time between the restaurant and her duties as an English teacher at Westford Academy, hopes are high that the Rangoli Grill can present traditional Indian cuisine in a manner that can attract a broad audience.

“This whole community was a little underserved when it came to ethnic cuisine, particularly Indian cuisine, so I wanted to introduce Indian cuisine in a way that isn’t overwhelming,” said Gulshan. “We wanted to give people the chance to see what they’re ordering and choose what they want. Our goal is to be flavorful, fast, healthy and offer choices.”

Planning for the restaurant had been in the works for several years, but preparation began to truly take shape about six months ago when the couple decided on a location in Cornerstone Square next to Five Guys.

“Without Cornerstone Square, I think our restaurant would have happened, but not in Westford,” said Gulshan. “I looked at this location with its newness and anchor stores and thought it would bring in a type of clientele that would try this food as well as a number of office workers coming in from along Route 110.”

Gulshan believes that Westford’s large Indian community will find the food authentic enough for their tastes with uniquely Indian cuisine customs like a separate bar for Chaat, a puffed rice dish that includes tomato, cilantro and other items,  he also believes that the emphasis on customization and a less intimidating approach to Indian cuisine will also bring in those who might not have tried more traditional sit-down Indian restaurants nearby.

“My effort in bringing this restaurant here is to go beyond the Indian community,” he said. “The Indian community knows our food, but it’s the folks who are not used to this cuisine, but are familiar with the Chipotle model and know what a wrap or a rice bowl is that can make us a place for native Indians as well as non-Indians.”

More information on the Rangoli Grill can be found on the restaurant’s website.