Chilli Chutney expanding into Winnipeg

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/04/2023 (982 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After serving as Brandon’s definitive source of East Indian cuisine for nearly two decades, Chilli Chutney is getting ready to expand into Winnipeg, with owner Laxman Negi hoping to open the restaurant’s second location sometime within the next couple of weeks.

Talking to the Sun on Saturday, Negi said he’s looking forward to introducing the business into a bigger market and is confident that their unique blend of Indian and Asian menu items will find a dedicated customer base.

“We [already] get a lot of customers from Winnipeg, and they think our food is way better than what they have in Winnipeg in other restaurants,” he said.

“They like the atmosphere of what we’ve created here. They like the food and the service and the quality. And I just thought this is the right time.”

While expanding one’s business to this extent is always a stressful endeavour, Negi said the prep work that has gone into opening this second location has been relatively easy so far.

Part of this has to do with the building he selected at 1663 Kenaston Blvd., since it was constructed in 2012 and previously operated as a Swiss Chalet.

“We didn’t do any major renovations because the building is pretty much new,” he said. “So the kitchen is brand new, we had to buy some chairs and some paint. We are adding a buffet there, too.”

The owner is also comforted by the fact that this new Winnipeg location is being managed by his partner, Sarvesh Sahni, who cut his teeth in the culinary industry in New Dehli alongside Negi.

Because of this shared history, Negi believes that Sahni is right person to help roll out the same buffet, delivery and dining services in the provincial capital, alongside an expanded menu that puts a larger emphasis on Indian “street food.”

“It’s for when you go to the market and you feel like you want something quickly, within five or 10 minutes, and then you can still go on with your shopping,” he said.

While Negi became the owner of Chilli Chutney in 2011, he has been working there since the beginning, having been hired as the head chef when the restaurant first opened its doors in 2005.

When he took over as boss, Negi did not shy away from making some major changes to help the business expand, which included moving the restaurant from its downtown location at 935 Rosser Ave. to 555 34th St. in 2015.

“We now have a buffet that is three times bigger than the one we had before,” he told the Sun at the time. “We used to have eight to 10 hot dishes; now we have 18, plus a salad bar and grill. There’s a lot of variety and we try to have lots of good food that people can enjoy.”

Throughout his time working at Chilli Chutney, Negi said he’s very proud that he got to introduce so many Brandonites to authentic Indian cuisine, since such a thing was very hard to come by in the Wheat City prior to 2005.

Because of this, Negi wants to reassure his loyal Brandon customers that local service will not suffer during this expansion into Winnipeg and that the 34th Street location is still considered their “main restaurant.”

“We cannot ignore anything here. This is our home,” he said.

“We are renting the building in Winnipeg, but we own the restaurant here [in Brandon]. So we can’t neglect it. We can’t even think about it.”

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @KyleDarbyson