It is often said that, “Behind the success of every small business, there is a family.” This statement best describes Tandoor Indian Cuisine in Brandon, a family-owned and operated restaurant.
“My parents opened the restaurant in November of 2008 with no restaurant or business experience,” said Keziah Beulah, restaurant manager. “My mom has always loved to cook and would cook for friends and family. People would always tell my mom how good of a cook she is, so my parents went forward with the idea to open a restaurant to share their cooking.”
Tandoor Indian Cuisine opened when Beulah was a junior in high school. “When they had the idea of opening the restaurant more than 10 years ago, there were not any Indian restaurants in the Brandon area,” Beulah said.
Being a family-owned and operated restaurant is what makes Tandoor Indian Cuisine different from some of the other Indian restaurants in the area. “We ourselves eat there a lot and we want to make sure the food we eat is of the best quality,” Beulah said. “So, the products that we use for our guests are the same we are using for ourselves.”
Chicken Tikka Masala is their most popular dish. “Almost every Indian restaurant has this dish, but the way we make it, to be honest, I do not think I’ve had it anywhere else,” Beulah said. “The way we make it here is so rich and creamy and full of flavor.”
Many people who have not tried Indian food are often scared to because they think it is too spicy. Beulah and his family are aware of this, so they give their guests options for how spicy they can have their food. “If you have never tried Indian food because you think it might be too spicy, we have many items on our menu that are not spicy at all,” Beulah said. “Most of our menu, you can choose the spice level that you would like (mild, medium, hot or Indian).”
Beulah and his family are strong supporters of shopping local as well. “We know the struggle of being a local business and how much hard work needs to be put in to survive,” Beulah said. “The amount of work my parents put in to the restaurant just reminds me that shopping local is better for our community and it can also help out a lot of people.”
Visit www.tandoorbrandon.com or call Beulah at 654-7300. It is located at 805 E. Brandon Blvd. The hours of operation for lunch are Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dinner hours are Monday to Saturday 4–9 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Sundays.
