'Don't hire Indians': Indian-origin restaurant owner in US defends bizarre hiring policy

Indians have been facing the wrath of far-right extremists and Trump administration policies ever since January 2025. While this has created a divide among the American and Indian-American communities online, one thing it has helped to do is solidify the bond between the Indians.

At a time when one would like to believe that Indians are standing with each other against racism and discrimination, a video going viral on the internet has sparked a heated debate.

Rashmi Bhat, owner of 7 Monk's Café, based in Texas, United States shared a clip on Instagram that opened with a provocative statement: "I don't hire Indians at my Indian restaurant."

The Mumbai-born woman explained that when she admits this, it "usually surprises people." She added that many customers assume that the staff serving food and interacting with customers come from the same background as the cuisine being offered. “When most people walk into an Indian restaurant, they assume everyone working there has to be an Indian,” said Bhat. “But that’s never how we hired.”

She explained that from the beginning she and her mother prioritised building a team based on attitude, reliability and willingness to learn rather than ethnicity or cultural background. She shared that their goal was to create employment opportunities for people in the local community while growing their business.

“When my mom and I opened 7 Monk’s Cafe, we didn’t set out to build an Indian team. We set out to build a great team, regardless of their skin colour. So we hired high school students, college students, single moms, retirees looking for a second chance,” she added.

Bhat revealed that some of her employees at the eatery had never even tried Indian food before, but now they had their own favourite dishes to recommend to the customers.

Located in New Braunfels, Texas, 7 Monk's Café, serves Indian and Mediterranean cuisine. Bhat opened the restaurant in 2019 with her mother, shortly before Covid hit.

Social media reactions

Bhat's admission received mixed reactions online with some opposing her personality and others appreciating her for being inclusive.

"An Indian restaurant built on Indian culture while excluding Indians is a serious contradiction," one pointed out.

"That's true assimilation. Ignore all the Indians crying in the comments because they aren't getting special treatment from your restaurant," added another.

"That’s reverse racism. Comes across horrible!" wrote one.

"If I'm coming to eat indian i want a indian to cook it !!!" claimed a user.

"If people come to a restaurant which is marked as " Indian Food " and then see White people making it , then how is that authentic, I mean if I am going to a restaurant which is marketed as " Italian Food " in Italy and then k see an Indian making the Italian food I would be disappointed on a whole other level," shared one.