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San Francisco-based fast-casual Indian chain Curry Up Now looks to rapidly expand following a major investment from Liquid 2 VenturesSan Francisco-based fast-casual Indian chain Curry Up Now looks to rapidly expand following a major investment from Liquid 2 Ventures

The brand featuring Indian street food with a twist, plans to double in size by the end of the year

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

March 30, 2020

4 Min Read
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With no formal culinary background or training, Akash Kapoor and his team of entrepreneurs opened Curry Up Now, based in San Francisco, as a food truck serving Indian comfort food with a global twist in 2009. Now the restaurant chain is at 11 units and counting (including three food trucks), has started franchising, and plans to double in size by the end of 2020 with new locations coming to Newark, N.J.; Atlanta, Ga.; and San Diego. Curry Up Now also announced in January a new investment from seed-stage venture capital firm Liquid 2 Ventures.

But could that all change with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic? Although CEO Akash Kapoor remains optimistic that their expansion plans have not been disrupted, the company announced last week t...

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About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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