MyCentralJersey.com:
The blip in the economy didn’t stop two friends – Pinky Kaur and Charan Singh – from plunging into the restaurant business and opening a Panchero’s Mexican Grill on Sept. 15.
Singh, a former human resource specialist and stay-at-home-mom, and Kaur, an advertising representative for IndiaPost newspaper, have been friends for more than four years.
“I started a business because I wanted to secure my kids’ future,” said Kaur, a mother of two, who emigrated from India in 1994. “I don’t want them to face the same struggles I had when I first came here.”
Singh, on the other hand, had stopped working when she had her third child and was desperate to get back into the swing of things.
The duo researched several franchises and finally zoned in on Panchero’s – a quick-service, fresh Mexican franchise that serves tortillas pressed fresh for each customer.
“I liked the concept of the fresh tortillas, it’s healthier,” Singh said.
Panchero’s has no microwaves, fryers or freezers in its stores that are currently present in more than 50 locations in 18 states and three in New Jersey, including Flemington.
“What is left over at the end of the day goes into the garbage. We only serve fresh,” Kaur said.
Photo by nicolasnova