Tashan’s space was previously a Rusty Taco within Westchester Commons. (Mike Platania photo)
Sunny Baweja doesn’t rush into things.
In 2010, after working in the restaurant industry for about a decade, he decided to step out on his own and open Lehja Restaurant in Short Pump Town Center.
As the Indian spot grew to have a dedicated local following and picked up a handful of James Beard Award nominations over the years, Baweja began looking into opening a second spot in the city, before the COVID pandemic ended those plans.
Now, six years later Baweja is at last expanding his local presence.
He’s currently preparing to open Tashan Indian Kitchen & Wine, a new concept in Westchester Commons in Chesterfield County.
Baweja said he waited until the feeling was right before expanding.
“To me, opening a restaurant, it’s not just having a place. You need to have a reason why. It should have a theme behind it, and the area should need it and demand it. It should have its own soul,” Baweja said. “Until I feel it, I can’t just open (one).”
Sunny Baweja (Courtesy Sunny Baweja)
That feeling started to come from Midlothian during the pandemic, when Baweja said customers from neighborhoods like Hallsley and Salisbury were constantly ordering delivery from Lehja.
“We were going nonstop to those neighborhoods,” he said. “They were huge supporters to Lehja during COVID.”
Still, Baweja was methodical in finding his next space, and in the spring he found a suitable spot in Westchester Commons.
He leased a 2,400-square-foot end cap space at 15816 WC Main St. that was previously a Rusty Taco location. Thalhimer’s Alex Wotring, David Crawford and Kevin South worked the deal.
Baweja said Tashan, which translates to “swag” from Hindi, will be a sister restaurant to Lehja, focusing on cuisine from the Punjab region of northern India.
“It’ll be pretty, pretty close to Lehja but it has its own style, its own personality,” Baweja said. “We are still finalizing the menu details.”
He added that Tashan will also have a sizable wine menu, albeit not as extensive as the one at Lehja, which counts hundreds of bottles in its cellar.
Baweja said he’s pushing to have Tashan open sometime this fall, offering lunch and dinner. Lehja will remain open as usual.
Setting out to open a second restaurant has been a challenge, Baweja admitted.
“But I love challenges, and food makes me happy,” he said. “And especially, Indian food makes me even happier.”
Last year, Baweja and his business partner at Lehja, Ashok Arora, made an opportunistic play in the city, purchasing a Grace Street restaurant building near VCU. He and Arora aren’t planning to put a concept of their own there, and Baweja said it’s still available for lease, and that they’re having continuing discussions with prospective tenants.
The post Sunny Baweja, owner of Lehja restaurant in Short Pump, adding new concept in Midlothian appeared first on Richmond BizSense.
