Restauranteur Sami Lal, is innately aware of this human connection as evidenced by the way he speaks and treats everyone, that comes into his establishment. Sami was born in India north of Punjab, near the famed Golden Temple. He started in the restaurant business in 1973 as a supervisor of a continental cuisine restaurant in West Germany. Eventually, Sami landed in Dallas Texas where he lived and worked for several years. He then moved to Little Rock and founded the Star of India, an unassuming restaurant known for its fragrant spices, above average service and Sami’s unwavering hospitality and love of life and people.
Tune in this week to hear Sami tell us first-hand about growing up in India and how he came to America, prayed, worked hard, saved and fulfilled his American Dream by founding The Star of India restaurant, 301 N Shackleford Rd, Little Rock, AR. Today you’ll enjoy a mouth-watering conversation while Sami talks about his healthy spices, menu, family recipes and favorite dishes. By Sami’s request, today’s show was pre-recorded. As you will hear, Sami is never away from work at his beloved restaurant The Star of India.
Behind The Scenes
TRANSCRIPT
EPISODE 45
[INTRODUCTION]
[0:00:08.6] TB: Welcome to Up In Your Business with Kerry McCoy. Be sure to stay tuned till the end of the show to hear how you can access the full interview and get related links. Now, it’s time for Kerry McCoy to get all up in your business.
[INTERVIEW]
[0:00:21.9] KM: Thank you, Tim. I’m Kerry McCoy, and like Tim said, it’s time for me to get up in your business. I absolutely love this show for its diversity in guests. Last week, we interviewed the retired, but really hard working still, four-star general, Wesley Clark, and today our interview is with Sami Lal, the friendly and well-known owner of the Star of India Restaurant in West Little Rock, Arkansas.
The dichotomy of these two successful and inspiring individuals who are living the American Dream is a perfect example of how alike and connected we all are to each other. This realization makes it easy to treat people the way you would like to be treated and makes the job of being a responsible employer or employee easier. With that said, my guest today, the restaurateur, Sami Lal, is innately aware of his human connection as evidenced by the way he treats everyone, and I mean everyone that comes into his restaurant as family.
For the next hour, Sami and I will be getting up in his business of growing up in India, moving to America, opening his restaurant, the Star of India, and hear how he is joyously and gratefully and prayerfully living the American dream. The show will end with the conversation about his menu and the healing powers of Indian spices.
I was blown away when I read the Wall Street Journal article about turmeric, the main spice in curry. This information is very encouraging for people with all kinds of health issues. If you can’t stay till the end of the show, next week a podcast and transcript will be available at flagandbanner.com, just click on the tab labeled radio show and search for this episode. It’s worth listening to.
Through our storytelling, my guest and I tell how we maneuvered with integrity the path of independence and leadership in pursuit of our dreams. My business experience began
Over 40 years ago when I founded Arkansas Flag & Banner, now known simply as flagandbanner.com.
During the last four decades Flag & Banner has grown and morphed from door-to-door sales, to telemarketing, to mail order and catalog sales, and now relies heavily on the internet. Each change in sales strategy required a change in the company thinking and procedures. My confidence, leadership knowledge and my company grew. My initial $400 investment now produces nearly four million in annual sales. Each week on this show you’ll hear candid conversations between me and my guest about real world experiences on a variety of businesses and topics that I hope you’ll find interesting.
Running a business or an organization is like so many things. It takes persistence, perseverance and patience. I worked part-time jobs for nine years before Arkansas Flag & Banner grew enough to support just me. It’s now grown and expanded so much that to operate efficiently we require 10 separate departments and 25 people to manage them reminding us all again that small businesses are the fuel for our economic engine.
Before we start I want to introduce the people at the table. We have Tim Bowen, our technician who will be managing the board. Say hello, Tim.
[0:03:34.8] TB: Hello, Tim.
[0:03:35.5] KM: Today, Tim and I have learned to do something new. Haven’t we, Tim?
[0:03:39.7] TB: That’s right. This is our first prerecorded show.
[0:03:42.7] KM: Poor Jason had to edit it all. He’s worked all week. I think these prerecorded shows are harder than the live ones. Per our guest request, it’s recorded, it wasn’t our idea. Because as you will soon hear, Sami is never away from work, not even for a free publicity. You know what they say, if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain, and that is how the show came to be.
My guest today, Sami Lal, is the founder and the owner of Star of India Restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas. Sami was born in India north of Punjab, near the famed and very holy Golden Temple. He started in the restaurant business in 1973 as a supervisor of a continental cuisine restaurant in West Germany of all places. Eventually, Sami landed in Dallas, Texas where he lived and worked for several years. He then moved to Little Rock and founded the Star of India, an unassuming restaurant known for its fragrant spices, above average service, and yes, Sami’s unwavering hospitality and love of life. It is a joy to welcome to the table the hard working, forever grateful, founder and working owner of the Star of India Restaurant. I hope you enjoy this recording.
Hello, Sami.
[0:04:57.4] SL: Hello, ma’am. How are you?
[0:04:59.0] KM: I’m fine, how are you?
[0:05:01.6] SL: Fine. Thank you.
[0:05:03.7] KM: Sami, your restaurant has received the Arkansas Times Reader’s Choice Award more than once. It’s been called “the best Indian cuisine in Arkansas” and has been nationally recognized by tripadvisor.com as number 9 on the list of places to eat in Little Rock.
[0:05:22.7] SL: Praise the Lord. That’s true.
[0:05:25.3] KM: Praise the Lord! Why do you say you’ve been so successful?
[0:05:29.5] SL: Well, the reason behind and whoever comes to my restaurant house is treated just like my families come. I treat just like my family I’m treating my home kids and my relatives and my home [inaudible 0:05:48.2] and children and middle. That’s why I love everybody from my heart. That’s what I’m doing. I work very hard trying to make a customer happy and myself happy too. That’s what I’m doing.
[0:06:03.6] KM: That seems like a simple recipe for being successful. You are known by everyone. When I mention to people that you were coming on the show it seems everyone knows you and they all said the same thing to me, “Ask him how he remembers everyone’s name.” Sami, how do you remember everyone’s name?
[0:06:26.3] SL: There’s [inaudible 0:06:27.6] because I don’t want to los it. I will pray the people and the whole people pray for me. I will still remember the name for everybody. Well, when people come, God comes to my tongue to remind me the name of whoever which is how I know the person.
[0:06:46.0] KM: You are giving the credit to God who gives you the skill to remember people’s names?
[0:06:56.9] SL: Yeah, that’s true. I’m just a servant. I’m doing my job. If God comes to my tongue, he is saying — I’m not saying anything. God comes to my tongue. He is saying the name. Who is the person? Who is Ali, and who is the Mila, who is the Mrs. Smith, and who’s the John and who’s Mr. Miller. Do you know what I mean? That’s why he comes to my tongue. I’m nothing. I’m just like you.
[0:07:23.2] KM: I love that answer. My daughter has been coming to the Star of India since she was a teenager. She says that you are always there. Is that true?
[0:07:34.3] SL: Yeah. Darling, this is my second home by the way. I’m always here because I don’t want to miss my friend who comes to eat and who comes to see me. That’s why I’m always here though. I depend on the people that’s why I like to see the people. I don’t want to miss my people if I’m not here.
[0:07:55.7] KM: That feeling is so contagious when people come into your restaurant. They all feel that about you. What do you attribute your excellent work ethic to?
[0:08:09.8] SL: Well, I work very hard just like — If I work 24 hours, then I’ll be happy to do it for the people. It’s just like I met your son long ago, so many years ago and when I met him first time he was very impressed and he bring the whole family. Your other son too, it’s just like I’m working very hard to bring the whole family. I love one person, they bring the whole family, I love the other person also. That’s why I’m working very hard to make people happy.
[0:08:44.9] KM: Is this part of your culture from India or is this is something that is just unique to you?
[0:08:53.4] SL: It’s only me. I don’t want to involve the culture, because my culture — All the culture is good. My culture is good too. I follow the culture also. I follow my own philosophy also. We do good job for the people and respect always, just like when you go to the church, you pray over there and to make God happy and if somebody comes to your door, I’m always thinking, “If God come my home to make them happy.” It doesn’t matter female or male. That’s why I’m trying to do work very hard.
[0:09:31.4] KM: That is the true gift of a servant. Sami, tell our listeners where you grew up.
[0:09:38.8] SL: I grew up over there in India, Punjab. I left Punjab to Germany. I lived over there three years. I was called to work at continental cuisine restaurant in Germany. I cook Spain food, French food, German food, Italian specialist cook. I then worked over there three years. Then I came to United States 1982. In United States, I lived over there in Dallas, Texas. I had been a server there. Dallas, Texas, I was creating the business. I have a good recommendation. People come to eat over there too. [inaudible 0:10:22.1] Lord blessing and people blessing the members over there in Dallas like I have a God gift.
In 1993 I came to Little Rock, Arkansas. Before I come, I was learning every meal. I left 4 o’clock in the morning from Dallas to Little Rock, Arkansas. I come 9 o’clock, 10 o’clock every Wednesday in the morning to Little Rock to look around which place is good for me to open the business. Only almost one year I did it, 1991 to 1992, then I decided to find The Plaza shopping center where I’m right now here. Then I opened the restaurant here 1993 in the United States, Arkansas, Little Rock. You God gave me opportunity and you guys blessed me to give the opportunity to serve the food here. That’s what I’m doing here in the United States.
[0:11:26.9] KM: That was a great story. I want to go back to the beginning though and ask if you were the head chef in Germany, West Germany, I know, but were you the head chef in India? Did you originally begin in the restaurant business when you lived in India?
[0:11:46.1] SL: No. I was a poor student, darling.
[0:11:50.2] KM: Poor student, darling.
[0:11:52.8] SL: I lived over there and I quit the school, then I left from there to see Germany to try to make some money for my family, and that’s the true story I’m telling you. I worked very hard over there, just like 16 hours a day and just to handle all the money problem in family. Then I worked over there for three years in Germany.
I’m came to Dallas. I worked over there — And my business over there. I’m a cooking chef over there and I was not cooking over there in India when I was there. I didn’t do even take my glasses to wash out, all the mother and sister took cleaning out your dishes too when you eat. I didn’t do anything work over there, but the cooking business — But I did work very hard over there too when I was a student. I did work very hard over there in India when I was a student.
[0:12:57.2] KM: What did you study as a student?
[0:13:00.1] SL: I just study just natural study. I didn’t do any diploma over there. [inaudible 0:13:04.2]
[0:13:06.3] KM: How old where you when you left India?
[0:13:09.6] SL: Oh, man! I was 25 years old. About 24, 25.
[0:13:14.5] KM: Did you have a job in India after you’ve got out of school? Did you have any kind of a job at all in India?
[0:13:21.5] SL: No. My parents, they had their own business, which is we didn’t survive that much business. Over there in India, it’s probably a different story. If one parent work, then they can support whole family. It’s not everybody was working over there when I was there. Right now, if you have a five member in the family and everybody working and making money and put it together then survive the life over there.
When I was over there in India, we have a three brothers and two sisters and my father and my mother — My father was only making the money. I was helping my father. It’s kind of small business, when you do it make money in the evening. Do other business tomorrow also. Business, do it again. That’s what I did.
[0:14:06.2] KM: What was your father’s business?
[0:14:08.6] SL: My father has a grocery store, Indian grocery store. That was not big. It was small. Plus, we had one. The government gave us a shop to open the four people. We did open that business too. My father had it, like kerosene oil, sugar. There was enough people that didn’t have money and the government gave opportunity to give them money and they gave us one shop and we were doing business also over there. That was not a great money maker business, but it’s surviving [inaudible 0:14:40.6] also. That business, we put a grocery store together, and that’s what we’re doing over there.
[0:14:46.5] KM: Are your parents still alive?
[0:14:48.7] SL: My father is — Unfortunately, he’s gone almost 22 years. My mom, she’s 90 years old. She’s still under God’s blessing. She’s under life.
[0:14:58.8] KM: Do you send money home to your mother?
[0:15:02.1] SL: I do send her sometimes, not all the time, because I have my older brother over there, his family over there. I have a couple of sisters over there and they are over there. They are concerned. They are taking care for my mom. They don’t need money. They have good enough money.
[0:15:20.1] KM: I see.
[0:15:22.3] SL: Because we have watch tools business over there in India.
[0:15:27.7] KM: For like watches?
[0:15:28.7] SL: Watch tools and jewelry tools and surgical tools. They make it over there. We have a manufacturing company over there.
[0:15:38.3] KM: It sounds like your family is doing very well. When was the last time you went to your homeland?
[0:15:46.4] SL: Yeah, you’re breaking my heart now. I’ve been there 19 years ago.
[0:15:52.4] KM: You’re going to have to take plenty of time off work.
[0:15:55.4] SL: See, I work very hard here and I don’t want if I go over there and by the time I come here then I don’t want my customer is — My family people, whoever comes to eat here, which is I don’t call the customer, I always call family people just like you understand me what I mean. Customer, I never call. I always call my family member and I don’t want to lose them, that’s why I didn’t go over there.
Everybody ask me all the time whenever I spoke to mom, I spoke every couple of days. Every three days I spoke to my mom. She said, “Come to see me before I die.” I said, “Mama, you don’t want to die. Don’t worry, I’ll pray for you.” That’s why I didn’t go over there 19 years ago.
The older brother, three years ago, he comes to see me then his son and his daughter-in law and kids they come to see me two years ago. They spent with me one month, but I didn’t go over there.
[0:16:56.6] KM: That’s fabulous. That’s so nice. They have seen your restaurant?
[0:17:03.1] SL: Yes. They’ve seen my home. I’ve got a house here. 8 years ago I buy the house here. I have three daughters, which they help me all the time. They’re great people. I would ask the Lord, “Whatever children you give to me, give to everybody.” I love them.
[0:17:22.3] KM: You never take a vacation.
[0:17:24.5] SL: Vacation. It’s only reminded when I saw my customer here. I do think sometimes to make myself happy to take a little vacation, but it’s not like people does it. You’re not paid to have a full day off. I put my wife here. I say, “You stay here. I don’t want any family member comes to eat here and go disappointed.”
[0:17:52.7] KM: When you take time off, you put your wife in the store, in the restaurant.
[0:17:56.7] SL: Yes. I have to be. This is the store I had and I have three young daughters which is I have to take care all the fees, college fees and all those things, and that’s why [inaudible 0:18:09.2].
[0:18:11.9] KM: Do they work in the restaurant, your daughters?
[0:18:14.6] SL: Well, I’ll tell you one thing darling, they help me a lot. They do work sometimes. If I’m very busy, they look in the camera, “Daddy is too busy. Restaurant is too full.” Then they jump in very fast. They help me do standing up behind the bar and they’re taking care of the customer. They’re making [inaudible 0:18:32.6] which a lot of help I need to do with that business.
[0:18:36.1] KM: A camera in your restaurant so they can look from home to see if you need them, and then they come down there if you need them? That is the first time I’ve ever heard anybody say that.
[0:18:44.9] SL: Yeah, they look over there, “Daddy is too busy. Mommy is too busy,” and then they go. Then even they don’t call me, I’m coming. I look over there, “Hey, my daughter is here.” I said, “Come on baby. Help me over here.” They say, “Dad, we look at the camera. Oh man! I know you are busy. You should call me.” I said, “Honey, I don’t want to disturb you.” My older daughter, she’s about 25 years old. She work with HD company and she work over there and [inaudible 0:19:10.6]. I said, “Baby, I don’t want to disturb you.” That’s why they say, “Dad, you should call me anytime. I’ll be happy to help you whenever I’m home, but I cannot come [inaudible 0:19:10.6] to help you here.” But she always does help me all the computer system, all the technology, whatever I need some additional job, which is I don’t want to do that and she help me also. I have two other daughter. They always help me. One daughter is doing design for me. Another is doing for me, work for me — Work for me, but they do work for me, but [inaudible 0:19:43.5]. Sometimes I need a computer. I said, “Baby, I’ll get you that computer. You can help me with that work.” They say, “Okay, dad. We’ll do it.”
[0:19:51.3] KM: Oh, I love that. Were they born in America or were they born in India?
[0:19:55.9] SL: God bless America. They’re born in Little Rock.
[0:19:59.1] KM: Oh, I love that. You were born near the Holy Temple in India?
[0:20:05.0] SL: Yes.
[0:20:05.4] KM: I’m sure you’ve been there. Have you ever worshiped there?
[0:20:09.0] SL: Yes, I did. I always worshiped every single day before I come to the restaurant at home. Then when I come to the restaurant, I worship here also here in my restaurant. I ask the Lord, “Hey, God, I don’t need anything from you. I just need from whoever comes to eat here and they’re happy. Whatever we’re cooking, we can make a good job to make them happy. Hey, God, I want you to stay with us all the time. I don’t need anything besides three items. I need a good health from people whoever comes to eat here and good health to my family and good heath from the Lord. May God bless everybody.”
[0:20:49.0] KM: What is the religion of India?
[0:20:51.1] SL: I’m Hindu, but I do believe everybody. I do believe Christian. I do believe Baptist. I do believe everybody. Human being is same, but I believe every single religion. It’s not only I believe in Indian Hinduism. I’m 100% Hindu, but I do believe all the religions.
[0:21:09.2] KM: When you went to Germany, how old were you?
[0:21:11.6] SL: Oh, Jesus! I was over there about 25, 26, or something.
[0:21:17.6] KM: How did you find that job in Germany?
[0:21:20.7] SL: It’s a good question. I came to Germany, and a friend, I take the plane from Oldenburg to Hamburg. Then somebody there — And the guy was over there close to where I live over there in India, Punjab. I was helping his mom and he left. He had some kind of business. I was collecting money, whatever. The people owed him money and he was [inaudible 0:21:45.3]. One day, I will take care of that whatever you’re doing for my mom. His mom was about 75 years old. I was buying grocery for them over there and collecting money. Whoever gave it to me, I gave it to his mom. He said, “Whenever you come in Germany, I’ll be happy to help you.”
When I came to Germany, Hamburg, then [inaudible 0:22:03.7]. Let’s start a work with the dishwasher. I said I’ll be happy to do whatever work we have. Then I started to work over there as a dishwasher, then God gave me an opportunity. The boss was very sharp. He looked at me. He said, “This man is very sharp and he’s doing everything.” He said, “Don’t do dishwasher. Do something else.” I did something else to come up the big shift over there.
One day there was [inaudible 0:22:32.1] work for me under my job and I was sitting like I’m a king over there and I was tasting the food over there. That’s why I did [inaudible 0:22:40.1].
[0:22:41.2] KM: Tasting the food?
[0:22:42.6] SL: Tasting the food, but I was cooking then food, then I was tasting the food only because he trusted me very much. He said, “Don’t do work. Just tasting the food, or whenever the chef cooks the food.” I said, “Okay.”
[0:22:55.5] KM: He trust you very much. It was continental cuisine in West Germany? You started as a dishwasher and you became a food taster at the very end because he trusted you so much. What is continental cuisine?
[0:23:11.7] SL: They have a food over there, German food, French food, Italian food, Spain food, and all kinds of food. I was the head chef. Then he said, “Well, you are perfect. You don’t need more cooking job. You work sitting job. You need a sitting job and tasting job. That’s it.”
[0:23:30.4] KM: Moved you from the head chef to a sitting job and tasting. That sounds like a pretty good job. Why did you leave West Germany and go to Dallas, Texas when you had a sitting, tasting job?
[0:23:43.2] SL: You ask me very good question, darling, which is you remind me my small size life. When I was going school over there. I was fourth grade school. I looked the book over there, American flag. [inaudible 0:23:56.3]. United States America, the story over there. Each school, each class we have one book that have a paragraph over there, America. Then when I saw — I was little child when I was fourth grade. I say, “Well, this is American flag. I hope one day that dream comes to true. Taking me to America, but I will go over there if the Lord is blessing me. That’s why [inaudible 0:24:23.3] to America.
[0:24:25.8] KM: You always wanted to be in America? You went from India where you were helping this man’s mother, to West Germany where the man gave you the job, and then you went from West Germany to America because you’ve always wanted to be there.
[0:24:42.4] SL: I came to America.
[0:24:47.6] KM: How did you get the job in America? What was the opportunity that came along that you said, “This is my opportunity. I’m leaving.” What happened?
[0:24:54.8] SL: What happened, two people was here. I didn’t have a job. I didn’t have anybody here in the United States of America. People were wearing summer clothes, I was wearing winter clothes because I didn’t have money. I was looking for the money just like people walk on the streets. One of the doctors, I think he’s passed away. He end up [inaudible 0:25:21.1] dentist doctor over there in Dallas. One time I had a problem and then I go over there. Walk through there, I find the dentist place over there and they did a treatment free for me and they said, “What do you do?” I said, “Nothing.” They said, “Well, where are you staying?” I said, “There are people I’m staying — I was staying with one of the guys. They let me stay over there.” He said, “Why do you wear this kind of clothes?” I said, “I don’t have these kinds of clothes. Summer clothes I don’t have.” I said, “Please help me look a job.” [inaudible 0:26:00.3]. He said, “No problem.”
Then he find a job for me. I work for one of the hotels. I worked over there very hard, then I quit the hotel to work [inaudible 0:26:15.1]
[0:26:16.5] KM: How did you go from West Germany and move to Dallas, Texas?
[0:26:21.5] SL: I came to West Germany to Dallas. [inaudible 0:26:26.2].
[0:26:28.4] KM: Did you start working in the restaurant business in Garland, Texas?
[0:26:32.3] SL: No. I was doing hotel. Then after the hotel work, I quit the job up there and then I was doing restaurant building.
[0:26:39.8] KM: I see. Was your English very good at that time?
[0:26:45.9] SL: So-so. When I come new I was very nervous [inaudible 0:26:53.9] people talking to me English. I was talking to them in German.
[0:26:56.9] KM: In German. How many languages do you speak?
[0:27:00.8] SL: Lord is blessing. I speak a few languages. I speak German. I speak Indian language. I speak little bit English too.
[0:27:10.7] KM: Did you own your own restaurant in Texas?
[0:27:13.1] SL: Yeah. That was my business partner. We have a partner business.
[0:27:17.9] KM: You went to work for a hotel. How did you end up owning your own restaurant in Texas?
[0:27:23.6] SL: I went to — One day I was pretty upset. I said, “Well, I have to be stuck here all the time. It’s better to move it on some [inaudible 0:27:28.6].” I was talking to them. One of the guys from South Africa, he said, “Are you from Punjab? What are you looking for?” I said, “I have a restaurant experience.” Then I go to the restaurant.
[0:27:50.4] KM: You went into restaurant business together?
[0:27:52.3] SL: He took me from there because I didn’t have a partner. He said, “I’ll take you over there.” I said, “Okay. I will go.” Then I went there and I started the restaurant business. I met a friend over there who work over there, then we put it over there [inaudible 0:28:03.4].
[0:28:05.2] KM: You met a friend from South Africa who took you to eat in an Indian Restaurant and you began to work at the Indian restaurant and after a while and he saw what a hard worker you were, you became partners of that Indian restaurant?
[0:28:19.0] SL: Yes. Different restaurant. Yes. Everybody knows, Sami is here, he’s working hard, whatever. Just like — Whenever your time comes, God makes connections to make a good time to grow up.
[0:28:31.6] KM: Yes, when the time is right, God does make the connection for you. I hear what you’re saying. I think this is a great place for us to take a quick break.
I think that there’s a reoccurring theme, Tim, in everything that he says. Of course, he gives praise to God every time.
[0:28:48.7] TB: Absolutely.
[0:28:49.3] KM: There was something that I heard in this last segment that I want to clarify for everybody, because I realize Sami’s English is a little hard to understand sometimes, but he had a theme. He was working for a friend of his in India when he’s about 25 who the gentleman had moved to Canada and he was watching his garden — Oh no. Actually, that’s different. He was helping his mother. When he was in India he was helping this man’s mother who had moved to West Germany. The man said, “For helping my mother, why don’t you come to West Germany and I’ll get you a job at this restaurant.” He got a job at this restaurant, worked extremely hard. Went from the dishwasher, to the head chef, to the sitting and tasting — Isn’t that cute?
[0:29:34.0] TB: What a great job.
[0:29:34.6] KM: I know. I want that job. Then he decided to come to America and stayed with another friend. He had some dental problems. Went to work to the dentist. The dentist said, “Let me buy you some summer clothes. You look like you’re burning up in your winter clothes,” and introduced him to another man who took him to a restaurant, in an Indian restaurant where he ended up getting a job. Again, started as the bus boy and eventually ended up owning part of that restaurant and became part owner.
Friends helping friends. Created opportunities that you hear all the time through these themes in our shows is that you never know who’s watching. Then working hard at whatever job you’re doing and you never know where it’s going to lead.
When we come back we’re going to have Sami tell us how in 1993 he financed an opened his highly successful restaurant, the Star of India in Little Rock, Arkansas and we’ll have him tell us about his menu, healthy spices, and his favorite dish.
In the last segment, Sami told us about being a poor student in India and then he talked about how when he was a student he opened up a book and saw the American flag and read a little bit about America and decided he wanted to come live here from even as a young youth. I just think that speaks volumes about our country. He talked about his culture over there which I think is lovely where the whole family works for the common good of the whole family. Where the father had a grocery store and a garment business and he worked there till he was 25 years old and at that time he moved to West Germany and that his brother is still currently there in a very interesting business. It took me a while to try to figure out what he was saying, but his older brother has a manufacturing of tools for jewelry and watches.
[0:31:19.8] TB: The tools that people use to fix jewelry and watches are what they manufacture.
[0:31:24.6] KM: There’s just a job doing everything. Isn’t there? He doesn’t have to send money much he says anymore because they’re doing great over there and his brother and sisters are taking care of his mother who’s 90 something years old and his father has passed away. During this next segment, Sami is going to tell us how in 1993 he financed and opened his highly successful restaurant, the Star of India in Little Rock, Arkansas, and we’ll have him tell us about his menu, favorite dishes and the healing powers of the traditional Indian spice, turmeric.
Sami, your parents were not in the restaurant business. You got in the restaurant business in West Germany so that you could get out of India with a plan of always coming to America. You did move to Dallas, Texas where you became partners of an Indian restaurant there and then you decided to move to Little Rock, Arkansas. Why did you pick Little Rock, Arkansas?
[0:32:19.4] SL: I love Arkansas.
[0:32:20.3] KM: How did you know about Arkansas?
[0:32:22.2] SL: Okay. When I was over there in Dallas, I’m was sitting over there I was meeting a lot of people from Arkansas [inaudible 0:32:31.0]. They said “Why don’t you to open the restaurant over there in Little Rock, Arkansas.” Then I said, “Well, you never know when the time comes and [inaudible 0:32:44.6]. He told us — Well, after two years, you cannot have more restaurant. We cannot have more place. I can’t rent anymore place.” Then we say, “Okay.” Then [inaudible 0:32:57.2] I did one year [inaudible 0:32:58.9] to look at that like I told you before about few months ago and then I find the place here. Then I come and there was no restaurant. When I come I opened a restaurant, so many people come and go. I said, “Whatever luck comes I’ll take it. Whatever luck’s theirs somebody else take it.” That’s why I come to [inaudible 0:33:20.7] restaurant here 1993.
[0:33:22.1] KM: I love that. Whatever luck finds, I’ll take. Whatever luck theirs, they’ll take it. Yours was actually the business that you were in, the restaurant you were in in Dallas. It was losing its lease and so you were going to have — The business was going to close and you figured that was a sign from God and you liked Arkansas and decided to move up here. What did your family think when you told them you were going to move them to Little Rock, Arkansas?
[0:33:48.8] SL: When I came, [inaudible 0:33:52.2]. I married in India, then my wife was over there in India. When I came to [inaudible 0:33:52.2], I bring my wife from there to here in Little Rock. I had one baby over there, older daughter. She was born India 1992, in March 1992 over there in India. Then she was one and a half year old and I bring her here and then I have two other children, they’re born here in Little Rock and when my wife comes, I say, “How do you like it?” She said, “Honey, where my husband, I have to follow. I have to stay over there too.” She’s a very nice sweetheart.
[0:34:37.1] KM: In India, did the parents arranged the marriages for you?
[0:34:41.0] SL: That’s a good question. I didn’t see her before I married. Never my parents arranged marriage.
[0:34:47.0] KM: You know, that’s not all bad. I think maybe my parents might have made some pretty good decisions for me when I was young. I don’t think they’d go in America very well though. She sounds like a lovely person. To open a business in Little Rock, Arkansas, do you have to be a U.S. citizen to get a city permit?
[0:35:06.8] SL: It’s not necessarily, but I U.S. citizen when I opened this restaurant.
[0:35:10.7] KM: That is not necessary. I did not realize that.
[0:35:13.6] SL: See, if you have a Green Card, you can open business, but I was an American citizen when I applied for a city permit license.
[0:35:22.7] KM: What is the first thing you did when you came to Arkansas to open your restaurant?
[0:35:29.4] SL: First thing is I pray here.
[0:35:32.0] KM: Where?
[0:35:32.4] SL: I prayed here.
[0:35:35.1] KM: Prayed?
[0:35:36.4] SL: Yes, I prayed here, then I said, “Hey, God, I’m not asking you for so many things. I’m not asking you so many things. I’m asking good health and please help me all the time. Stay with me all the time. Don’t move from my heart. I’m under your feet.”
[0:35:52.4] KM: I love that. “Don’t move from my heart. I don’t ask many things. I’m under your feet.” That’s lovely. Did you go the very first thing was to pick out your location or did you plan your menu first?
[0:36:06.8] SL: No. I pick up the location here, the building, the location here, [inaudible 0:36:11.4] here then I make a menu. I go step-by-step. You don’t need a menu to go build a restaurant. You need a menu when you set up the restaurant, then you need a menu. That’s why I did step-by-step.
[0:36:26.1] KM: Where is the restaurant? What is the address of the restaurant? We’ve had a caller that called in and wants to know. He travels through Little Rock, from Dallas to Little Rock and he wants to know what your address is exactly.
[0:36:37.4] SL: 301 North Shackleford Road, Little Rock, Arkansas.
[0:36:41.5] KM: What are your hours, Sami?
[0:36:44.3] SL: We open 11 to 2:45 every single day. Lunch buffet, we have it. Then we have a 5 o’clock to 10 o’clock a la carte menu. We open seven day week, but we do Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day, we close. Other day we open every single day under Lord’s blessing.
[0:37:03.6] KM: Every single day till 10 o’clock except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s? Did I hear that right?
[0:37:09.6] SL: No. Only Thanksgiving and Christmas Day we close and 363 we open every single day.
[0:37:17.1] KM: 363 days a year?
[0:37:19.4] SL: Yes ma’am.
[0:37:19.9] KM: When you started your restaurant and you obviously have broken English, did you find that people were helpful?
[0:37:27.8] SL: My broken English — Like I said, I always say [inaudible 0:37:27.8] Help me God. Hey, God, help me. Then he go through some there and he make a connection for me.
[0:37:37.3] KM: It sounds like he has made lots of great connections for you. Was there anything that you were — When you found your opening your restaurant, was there any obstacle that you thought might keep it from happening.?
[0:37:50.1] SL: No.
[0:37:51.2] KM: Did you use your money that you had saved to open your restaurant?
[0:37:54.0] SL: Yeah, I’ll tell you a funny story. It’s a very interesting story I’m telling you. You can tell your friends too, darling. When I opened the restaurant I didn’t have the money. I picked up the glass from the [inaudible 0:38:07.0] store, you know the water glass. I didn’t have it.
[0:38:12.4] KM: You went to pick up what from the [inaudible 0:38:13.1] store?
[0:38:14.3] SL: Glass.
[0:38:16.0] KM: Oh! Glasses from the restaurant supply store. Yes. Okay. I’m sorry.
[0:38:19.9] SL: Yes. I said, “Can you bill it to me?” He said, “No. No. No. No. No.” I said, [inaudible 0:38:19.9] after they broke. They cannot give money to anybody. [inaudible 0:38:31.6] I need money right now then I’ll get you glasses. I’ll give my credit. I could get a couple of glasses from there.
[0:38:41.8] KM: Well, that’s probably a good plan not to loan money to opening restaurants. I love the name of your restaurant, the Star of India. Having grown up so close to the Golden Temple, I might have been tempted to choose that name. How did you pick the name of your restaurant the Star of India?
[0:39:02.0] SL: I follow the religious. I asked my priest over there “What best name I can give?” Then he say, “You can use Star of India. It’s a good luck for you because —” That’s why I come up [inaudible 0:39:16.0] and that’s why I use it.
[0:39:18.2] KM: Your priest named your restaurant.
[0:39:20.6] SL: Yes.
[0:39:21.7] KM: I looked up the Star of India, it is a 500 carat blue sapphire. From the outside of your restaurant, you don’t realize how big it is or how decorated it is. Can you talk about the decorations inside?
[0:39:34.0] SL: The decorations [inaudible 0:39:35.1] is I did a decoration only decorate style Indian style. The arches we have — I think about the 50,000 year old and the new into religious arts and then build this kind of arches. I did it. I build new room here, which is the party room if somebody had a [inaudible 0:40:02.4] party or dancing party or birthday party or anything, I just build it six months ago. Sometime if you will have — Or any friends you will have, you can tell them that it’s a romantic dining hall. I made it here party area which has a projector and screen and also decorated by Indian style too.
[0:40:23.0] KM: I love that. I will tell them. Did the decorations come from America or did you order them from India?
[0:40:30.6] SL: I ordered from India.
[0:40:32.0] KM: The music is lovely also, but I must say that Trip Advisor, you would have had a five star rating from Trip Advisor. You got a five on everything except for the music. I don’t think Trip Advisor liked the Indian music, and I find it charming.
[0:40:46.4] SL: You tell the Trip Advisor, maybe they will come to listen again to the music. [inaudible 0:40:52.4] music for them, whatever music they like. I try to make happy everybody.
[0:40:59.1] KM: Every restaurant has something that they are known for and I think I’m going to know the answer to this question, but when people think of your restaurant, what do you want them to think of?
[0:41:11.7] SL: I always think majestic [inaudible 0:41:14.2] and help me to the business and pray for me. It’s good to help and I can then the way I’m running the business. That way they can think about me.
[0:41:22.8] KM: I think when people think of your restaurant they think of the hospitality, the great service, the great food. The Star of India is open in the morning. What time?
[0:41:33.5] SL: Lunch buffet, 11 to 2:45.
[0:41:37.8] KM: 11 to 2:45 and has the very popular lunch buffet.
[0:41:42.9] SL: In the evening time is a la carte menu.
[0:41:45.3] KM: From 2:45 to 5:30 you close and you get ready for your dinner and the a la carte menu.
[0:41:52.6] SL: No. We close 2:45 to 5:00.
[0:41:55.4] KM: Oh! To 5:00 and then you prepare for your dinner?
[0:41:57.1] SL: And we open 5:00 again.
[0:41:59.9] KM: Is the lunch of the dinner menu very different from each other?
[0:42:02.2] SL: The dinner menu, I have about 300 dishes. You can pick whatever you want; vegan, or gluten-free, or lamb, or chicken, or beef, or shrimp, or fish. The lunch menu, we have lamb or three chickens, one dish for vegetarian, salad bar, three desserts, and so many fish or seafood. Everything. Beef also.
[0:42:21.3] KM: I know that the lunch buffet is all you can eat and is extremely popular. Which would you say is more popular, the lunch or the dinner?
[0:42:30.0] SL: If you have a romantic date, you can come to dinner too, darling.
[0:42:33.1] KM: Have a romantic dinner?
[0:42:34.5] SL: You have a romantic date and you’re going to bring your own person, which is you love forever, which is love from your heart, and you can have a candlelight in the evening, and you have [inaudible 0:42:45.0], and you can have a drink, a little shot and tequila shot or Johnny Walker or whatever. You want to do it, then you can have a candlelight dinner. There’s a little romantic dinner for you at night time.
[0:42:57.1] KM: That’s nice. Is there a liquor or an alcoholic beverage that India is known for? The Asian culture loves Saki, the Mexican culture loves tequila. What does India’s alcoholic beverage of choice?
[0:43:11.6] SL: Today, I don’t call India anymore. I will call if [inaudible 0:43:17.2] call. I will call them mini America.
[0:43:21.9] KM: Mini America. What is that mini America?
[0:43:23.5] SL: Whatever you’re getting from here — I don’t call India anymore. I call mini America India.
[0:43:29.8] KM: Mini America India. I like that.
[0:43:32.6] SL: Whatever you’re getting here, you’re getting there, too. That’s no problem.
[0:43:37.5] KM: This is a great place to take a break. Oh, there it comes. This is a great place to take a break. We’re running out of time, and I really want to get to talk about his menu because he serves a lot of turmeric, which studies have shown. There’s a Wall Street Journal written that he can give you when you got to your restaurant that show that turmeric is an anti-inflammatory cholesterol lowering properties.
Clinical trials have shown promising results for various cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, skin disorders. In India, tradition calls for the bride to cover herself with turmeric to prevent wrinkles. Some mothers mix the powder with milk to ease upset stomachs. Johnson & Johnson sells a turmeric band-aid in India because the powder is reputed to help healing wounds. I think it’s all interesting. Let’s hear what Sami has to say about his recipes.
Sami, how did you pick your menu? Are they family recipes?
[0:44:30.4] SL: I think of the menu, [inaudible 0:44:32.9], there is a India menu they added, plus I added up about 50, 60 dishes from me. Totally, what I’m cooking here, it’s my own style; not from somebody other’s style.
[0:44:46.6] KM: Do you think that there’s an influence of American flavors to make it more appealing to Americans? Did you take some traditional Indian dishes and kind of Americanize them?
[0:44:57.6] SL: Yeah. I have a lot of American cooking. Then I have some Indian and different culture also, nationality. I cook for the fresh food. I see the person, I ask them, “How do you want it? Indian style? Mild or medium or hot?” I can make that style for them.
[0:45:16.5] KM: Is Indian style hot?
[0:45:17.8] SL: Where I come from, it’s not hot. It’s kind of medium hot, where I come from.
[0:45:21.8] KM: Indian food is inherently gluten-free. It seems like.
[0:45:27.2] SL: Indian food is also cooked by American, which is good for cancer, diabetes, [inaudible 0:45:33.0], and all those things. I have one article. He spends $20 million on Wall Street Journal. We have article in my restaurant. It’s spice. I use it and you can come to pick up and somebody can come to the [inaudible 0:45:49.5] and give them the article. They spent $20 million in the recent and they put it over there in the article. I distribute to everybody. Whoever wants to come, I give it to them.
Just like turmeric and cumin, they use it with all the food and it was just good for your health and also cancer, diabetes, all those problems they come that.
[0:46:10.4] KM: Turmeric and cumin. You make a spice of your very own at your restaurant.
[0:46:17.0] SL: Yes, I make.
[0:46:18.2] KM: The Wall Street Journal wrote an article about. You can come and buy it from you?
[0:46:22.1] SL: You can come pick the article from me and give to the people. [inaudible 0:46:26.6] those article, I have it here. I think it’s 10, 15 years ago. I don’t remember when they ordered.
[0:46:34.9] KM: I do know that there are lots of people that love Indian food because when they finish eating it, they don’t feel they’ve eaten a lot but they don’t feel very full. It’s also inherently gluten-free and it can be vegetarian.
[0:46:49.2] SL: It is gluten-free and vegetarian and non-vegetarian, too. Non-vegetarian means also gluten-free, too.
[0:46:55.8] KM: You like to serve lamb? I’ve read you like to serve lamb — You serve a lot of lamb and chicken. Is that right?
[0:47:03.7] SL: Lamb, chicken, beef, shrimp, fish, veggie.
[0:47:07.4] KM: How do you keep up with all the recipes? You said you had how many dishes on your menu?
[0:47:13.7] SL: I have about 200 to 300 dishes.
[0:47:17.7] KM: They cannot all be on your menu.
[0:47:20.1] SL: It does have all in the menu. I have a pretty [inaudible 0:47:24.0]. I cook fresh.
[0:47:26.5] KM: You cook fresh. How do you keep up with all of those? How do you keep up with all of those recipes and all of those items to cook at night?
[0:47:35.6] SL: Just like you asking me so many questions in the interview and how you keep it up is [0:47:41.1] all those things. That’s how I was keeping up with my business, too.
[0:47:46.7] KM: Perfect answer. I completely understand that answer. There’s not a special Indian beverage that is popular in India that you all drink and everyone drinks.?
[0:47:58.5] SL: It does have a non-alcoholic mango smoothie. It’s mango lassi.
[0:48:03.6] KM: Mango what?
[0:48:04.7] SL: Mango lassi, mango juice with lassi and a little bit of yogurt. Fresh yogurt. I have to make my own yogurt to make that mango drink.
[0:48:13.5] KM: You could get it at your store. At your restaurant, I mean.
[0:48:16.3] SL: Yeah. A mango drink.
[0:48:18.1] KM: For some reason, when I think of Indian food, I think of curry. You didn’t mention that in your spices. You mentioned turmeric and cumin. Do you use a lot of curry?
[0:48:29.0] SL: I made my own curry because if I tell you the spice, you can fill up your whole list over there. The list will never be finished whatever I tell you the spice I’m using. There is 150, 200 spice I use here like green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, blue cinnamon, cloves. A lot of seeds over there like coriander, cumin seed, coriander powder, bay leaves, cloves. A lot of the things I use. You have the fresh garlic and ginger and onion and a lot of stuff to make the curry.
[0:49:06.2] KM: That just sounds confusing and only you Sami could put all that together and make it all work. I guess that’s why you can’t ever take any time off because you’ve got 300 dishes and 200 spices that only you have in your head because you’ve been given this gift from God that you speak about. I had heard a lot about your —
What a lovely interview. We’ve run out of time. We had a little bit more of Sami, but he really tells about, again, how much he loves his patrons, he loves his family, he loves his restaurant, he loves America. He probably said God bless America 10 times throughout that interview.
If you would like to dine at Sami’s, at the Star of India, his address is 301 North Shackleford Road in Little Rock, Arkansas, and his buffet is 11 to 2:45 every day. He’s at work every day.
[0:50:01.1] TB: Even Sundays?
[0:50:01.2] KM: Even Sundays.
[0:50:02.8] TB: I know it — Sunday.
[0:50:04.5] KM: There you go. He said it’s his home, his second home. Then he closes at 2:45 and reopens again at 5 with a dinner menu from 5 to 10:30 p.m., which is actually kind of late for Little Rock, 10:30, every day, same hours. His worth ethic is really unbelievable. Again, it’s the Star of India, Sami, at 301 North Shackleford Road.
Who do we got next week, Tim?
[0:50:32.1] TB: The mayor of Little Rock.
[0:50:34.3] KM: Mark Stodola.
[0:50:35.8] TB: That’s right.
[0:50:36.3] KM: I can’t wait to hear about the technology. What’s it called in downtown — The Technology Center in downtown Little Rock?
[0:50:43.8] TB: Yeah.
[0:50:45.3] KM: He’s really doing great things for small businesses. He’s got a beautiful technology center I went into not too long ago.
To my guest, if you’ve got a great entrepreneurial story you would like to share, I’d love to hear from you. Send a brief bio or your contact into to —
[0:51:01.9] TB: questions@upyourbusiness.org.
[0:51:04.2] KM: And someone will be in touch. Finally, to our listeners, thank you for spending time with me. If you think this program has been about you, you’re right, but it’s also been for me. Thank you for letting me fulfill my destiny. My hope today is that you’ve heard or learned something that’s been inspiring or enlightening, and Sami was definitely that, and that it, whatever it is, will help you up your business, your independence or your life. I’m Kerry McCoy, and I’ll see you next time on Up In Your Business. Until then, be brave and keep it up.
[END OF INTERVIEW]
[0:51:33.9] TB: You’ve been listening to Up in Your Business with Kerry McCoy. Want to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free copy? Go to flagandbanner.com. Click the tab labeled “Radio Show”, there you’ll find a podcast with links to resources you heard discussed on today’s program. Kerry’s goal: to help you live the American Dream.
[END]
Listen to this week's podcast to find out: