Why We Started Franchising

People have been asking to franchise The Kati Roll Company for a long time. In 2016, Eater NY reported that we had been getting two to three franchise inquiries a week for the previous ten years. For most of that time, the answer was no.

In 2024 the answer changed. This is the story of why, and of what we look for in the people who take the roll to new cities.

Years of saying no

Payal Saha opened the first store in 2002 with no restaurant experience and one assistant, and the two of them did everything by hand: grinding the spices, making the bread from scratch and grilling the fillings. That is still how the food works. A kati roll is simple to eat and not simple to make well, and a franchise is only as good as the hands making the roll.

So we waited. We kept the menu short, kept making everything fresh daily, and built the things a franchise would need before handing it to anyone else: the recipes, the spice blends, the sauces and the breads, made the same way every time.

The first yes: Texas

When we did decide to franchise, Anil Bathwal told QSR Magazine, it came after years of turning requests down. What changed was the partner.

Our Dallas franchise partner opened our first franchise location on April 4, 2024, at 1322 Elm Street in downtown Dallas, our first store outside New York. That August the same partner opened our second Texas store, in Plano. You can read about both in Kati Roll in Texas.

Then New Jersey

In July 2026, our Jersey City franchise partner brought Kati Roll to Journal Square, our first store in New Jersey and our seventh overall. That story is in Kati Roll comes to Journal Square.

What stays the same in every store

A franchise store is still a Kati Roll. To keep every roll the same roll, our spice blends, sauces and breads come from us. Meats come from suppliers we approve, and every one of them is certified halal. Partners cook from our proprietary recipes, and the menu stays the menu: no additions, though we give every suggestion due consideration.

Around that, partners get the support to build and run a store: help with site selection, design and blueprints, lease negotiation guidance and the leasehold improvements; comprehensive initial training before opening day; POS, online ordering and digital loyalty; targeted marketing services; and operational support as they grow. You choose the site with our guidance, and we approve it.

Who we look for

Our first franchise partners will define Kati Roll in new markets, so we are choosy. We want operators who want to build something, not investors looking for a line item. Multi-unit operators and first-time owners are both welcome. What matters are five things:

• Franchise or business experience in food.
• A strong local presence and a growth mindset.
• Alignment with our values and the way we treat people.
• Financially prepared.
• Passionate about food, people, culture and hospitality.

Our motto is Real Food. Happy People. Our principle is respect: respect yourself, respect your team, respect the food. We look for partners who already work that way, and What It Takes to Own a Kati Roll explains what each of the five means at the counter.

How it works, and what it costs

The path has five steps: inquiry, introduction, application, discovery and agreement. Discovery means coming to New York to eat with us, meet the team and see the stores. From inquiry to agreement usually takes 4 to 6 weeks, and a new store can be ready in as little as 4 to 6 months after the agreement, depending on the site, financing, approvals, training and construction. From Inquiry to Opening walks through each step.

The fee, the investment and the ongoing fees are set out in What a Kati Roll Franchise Costs. Multi-unit agreements for 3 to 5 units are strongly preferred. The Franchise Disclosure Document governs, and you receive it during your application.

This post is not an offer to sell a franchise. An offer is made only by a Franchise Disclosure Document delivered in accordance with applicable law.

If you have read this far, you might be the kind of partner we are looking for. Everything else, including the full support list and the questions owners ask first, is on our franchise page.