BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — For 14 years, Kelly Tandooris Western Kitchen and Grill has been serving Kern County with Indian inspired dishes, fresh naan and family-style hospitality.
Now, rising food costs are forcing the longtime local restaurant to make difficult changes to its menu.
Walking into the restaurant, customers are still greeted by the familiar smell of sizzling naan and spices filling the air. Behind the counter, owner Bucky Hussain says the business has had to adapt to survive.
“The menu, we just had to increase it,” Hussain said. “We had to increase the goat curry from 17 to 19. I’ve had to increase the lamb from 17 to 19, and the beef.”
Hussain says the biggest challenge has been the rising cost of meat.
What once centered mainly around Indian cuisine is now expanding to include dishes inspired by other cultures, including Mexican flavors, in hopes of bringing in more customers and keeping the family-owned business afloat.
But for Hussain, the issue goes beyond inflation. Finding meat that meets halal standards has become increasingly difficult and expensive.
“We’ve been looking for tri-tip for a while, but we were just unable to get it,” Hussain said. “Our tri-tip is halal, and they weren’t stocking it anymore.”
To help offset costs, the restaurant has also begun substituting some fresh ingredients with canned products and leaning more heavily on lower-cost menu items like chicken.
Hussain says the goal is to maintain quality while staying financially stable.
The average cost of halal meat typically ranges from $4 to $15 per pound depending on the protein.
Poultry sits on the lower end, while premium cuts of beef and lamb sit on the higher end.
Halal meat generally costs 10% to 30% more.
Halal meat is specially prepared under Islamic law draining all blood from an animal while praying.
“We use other stuff. We use more chicken, more cost-effective foods, so it keeps our menu alive, keeps the quality and everything,” he said.
Even with the changes, loyal customers say they haven’t noticed a difference in taste.
“Just then until now, I love it,” customer Mudassar Niaz said. “The food is really, really good. It’s delicious all the time. Same taste never changes.”
Hussain admits business has slowed, with many days bringing in fewer customers than before.
Still, he says diversifying the menu has helped keep the restaurant’s doors open.
“We’ve had a diversification of dishes that we use, which has helped me and helped my wife to keep going,” Hussain said.
As restaurants across the country continue navigating inflation and rising food costs, Kelly Tandooris Western Kitchen and Grill is finding ways to adapt without losing the flavors customers have come to love.
The question now is if restaurants begin changing ingredients to keep prices manageable, would you be able to taste the difference?
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