An Indian-origin restaurant owner in Texas has gone viral on social media after she shared an unconventional hiring philosophy that challenges common assumptions about ethnic restaurants, reports The Times of India.
Rashmi Bhat, who runs 7 Monk’s Cafe Texas, revealed in an Instagram video that her Indian restaurant has “almost no Indian staff.” Her comments quickly drew attention online, with many users surprised that a restaurant serving Indian cuisine does not specifically hire Indian employees. The post did not go down well with many users online with many calling it discriminatory, illegal and casual racism.
Viral Video Starts Conversation
In the video, Bhat explained that customers often expect employees at an Indian restaurant to be Indian. However, she said that was never the approach she and her mother adopted when they launched the business in 2019.
“I don’t hire Indians at my Indian restaurant,” she said in the video, adding that the reaction “usually surprises people”. Bhat explained that the restaurant's hiring decisions have always been based on character, work ethic and willingness to learn rather than nationality or ethnicity.
