First Class
TRENDSETTERS
“If it’s good enough
for the English, it’s
good enough for the
Americans.”
CURRYING FLAVOR
Qaiser “Kaz” Kazmi’s big idea to make Indian
food easy, fast and tasty is heating up D.C.
You’ve heard about startups being
founded in a garage. But how about a
gas station? Sounds a little improbable,
especially for someone in the food business. But that’s just how the CEO of
Merzi, a new, healthy, Indian fast-food
restaurant, got his start.
From a previous career in technol-
ogy, Qaiser “Kaz” Kazmi already had
skills in marketing, sales and human
resources. But when he decided to take
a gamble that Americans would go for
especially for someone in the food busi-
a new concept in Indian food—a build-
your-own-meal, Chipotle-style curry
house, if you will—he knew he needed
to do a test run. A friend who owned
an independent mini-mart leased him
the space.
“I wanted to do something di;er-
ent,” says Kazmi, 42, whose family is
from Kashmir but who grew up in Eng-
land. “I wanted to break barriers, the
social norms we have in life.”
Merzi means “choice” in Hindi, and
his concept allows customers to choose
their meal, step by step. You start with
a base—rice, salad, naan or chaat—and
then build from there by adding beans,
chickpeas, meat, vegetables, sauces and
chutneys. The beauty of his idea, Kazmi
says, is its simplicity. Nobody needs a
Sherpa to lead them through a confus-
ing maze of foreign words on an Indian
menu; it’s a snap to understand.
“America is getting to the point where,
if you can just explain to the general population what the food is about, they will
come,” he says.
Kazmi, who lives in Ellicott City, Md.,
with his wife and four children, has a couple of other here-and-now trends going
for him, too: He’s trying to be as local,
organic and green as possible, and he’s
emphasizing healthy cooking. Nothing is
fried and he uses oil rather than traditional
Indian ghee, or clarified butter. His recipes
are his own—his mother was a fantastic
cook and taught him well—and his sauces
are inspired by his British upbringing.
In England, he says, “there’s a pub
on every corner, and in between every
pub is a curry house. I took that gamble
that it’s going to happen here. If it’s
good enough for the English, it’s good
enough for the Americans.”
That seems to be true so far. Now
he’s hoping it will be good enough for
a lot more Americans. He’s looking to
expand nationally.
“That’s what the gas station gave me,”
he says. “The ability to create a model
and the ability to be consistent. Now I’m
looking for investors who can see the
vision. I gave up my job not to do one or
two restaurants—I want to do something
really big.” 202-656-3794; merzi.com
—Liz Johnson
