Inderpreet Singh came to Canada as an international student in 2017 and has now opened his first business, Saffron Indian Restaurant, in Guelph.

The new restaurant at 5 Municipal St. is the same location where Bombay Cafe served Indian food for 29 years. After the closure, another restaurant called Biryani Delight opened and existed for less than a year.

When Singh got the keys, he decided to gut the house, renovate and start over. He bought all the kitchen equipment, bar fridges, countertops, tables and everything.

“So the entire renovation took about three to four months,” Singh said. The restaurant opened Sept. 17 and “I guess we’ll get a good response in a week,” he said.

Singh is from Calcutta, India, and after graduating from culinary school he wanted to continue his education with a master’s degree in the same field, but his qualifications were not recognized here. He graduated from Conestoga College in Kitchener with a degree in business administration.

While at school he worked part-time as a chef, working at Saffron Indian Cuisine in Cambridge. The restaurant’s owner helped Singh open his restaurant in Guelph, almost like an extension of the original restaurant with the same menu.

The restaurant specializes in North Indian cuisine and offers meat, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free dishes. He wanted the food to appeal to a wide audience. He also knew to offer mild, medium and hot options so people with any spice tolerance could eat.

“North India is basically the main cuisine of all of India,” Singh said.

Singh’s wife, Sharandeep Kaur, arrived from India a month ago and helps run the restaurant. Singh also cooks and Kaur serves.

“My father never wanted me to come to Canada. He always wanted me to take over his business,” Singh said. His family runs a clothing store in India.

“After I came to Canada after about two or three years of fighting, I always thought I had made a mistake. I shouldn’t have come in here,” Singh said. “Because it’s not that easy for an international student to come here and settle in.”

He graduated with a degree in business administration and finally found the right place to open his first restaurant.

“Basically, I wanted to start my own business from day one,” Singh said.

“Running your own company during a startup is not that easy. But first of all, once everything is sorted out, it’s a good option. It gives you a lot of freedom.”

Singh and Kaur both said their favorite item on the menu was butter chicken. The restaurant has applied for a liquor license and hopes to serve beer, wine and spirits in the future.

“We would say just give it a try,” Singh said.