'Fresh, Homestyle and Delicious Indian Food' at Calcutta Wrap & Roll

Every local business has a story worth sharing with the community. This series is as much about supporting companies as it is about celebrating the places and faces that make our community special.

Our spotlight today is on Sumita Bhattacharya, Maria Cocucci and Sohini Saha of Calcutta Wrap & Roll.

Business: Calcutta Wrap & Roll
Owners: Sumita Bhattacharya, Maria Cocucci and Sohini Saha. Backstage performers include the doctors -- Shishir Bhattacharya and Hugo Cocucci -- and the engineer, Chitta Saha, all of whom share a passion for and considerable culinary expertise in Indian food.
Website: www.calcuttawrapandroll.net
Address: 465 Ashford Avenue, Ardsley, NY 10502
Contact_Info: Calcutta Wrap & Roll, (914) 591-2222/WRAP, calcuttawrapandroll@gmail.com

How did you come up with the name?
The quintessential Calcutta Kathi Roll was our inspiration for the restaurant. The Kathi Roll is basically a kebab rolled up in a paratha or flatbread. Since it looks like what is called a wrap in the U.S., we decided to put the two together and call ourselves Calcutta Wrap & Roll. We then wanted a typical Calcutta girl to show off our roll/wrap and so we designed Paro, the lady in our logo, with the cascading black tresses and the classic Calcutta red and white sari (complete with a bunch of keys knotted to the loose end), holding a roll and zooming off on her skateboard to done that we DELIVER!

Why choose that location? Why start a business in this town?
We chose our location, which is Addyman Square in Ardsley because it is a cozy cul-de-sac located near the center of town, surrounded by different cuisines and businesses. Though parking can be hard to find, we are happy to offer Curbside delivery. We started a business in Ardsley because each one of us has lived and worked in the Rivertowns and it is a place that is dear to our hearts. We are happy and proud to be business owners in Ardsley and the Village of Ardsley is very welcoming to us. We enjoy participating in the annual Ardsley Day celebration and since we started our business in 2010, both the town and its residents have welcomed us with open arms. We are happy to contribute to causes throughout the Village of Ardsley as well as in surrounding areas of the Rivertowns.

Briefly, what business are you in?
We are in the business of offering fresh, homestyle and delicious Indian food to go.

What’s the most difficult moment or challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?
We probably did not realize when we first opened how much we would be at the mercy of Mother Nature’s vagaries. Our biggest challenge presented itself even before we were a year old in the shape of Hurricane Irene. Addyman Square was completely flooded and we were without power for five days! We threw out food, both cooked and uncooked, canceled orders and had the most difficult task of saying “no” to our customers.

Were there any challenges that made you second guess your decision to be an entrepreneur?
Yes, we have learned that owning a business is a 24/7 commitment. You are really never “done” -- not even at the end of a long day. The business needs you: at all times! Soon after opening our doors we realized we would have to compartmentalize responsibilities if we were to avoid a burnout. Having a partnership allows us to do just that. Now we have identified our individual strengths and we divide our tasks accordingly. This has helped ease both physical strain and mental stress That being said, all entrepreneurs learn very fast that there are no off days when business beckons!

What’s been your favorite moment or proudest achievement since opening?
It’s hard to pinpoint one favorite moment, because there are many! Of course, winning the Best of Westchester Award for 2012 was a proud moment, but some of our best moments are when we can sit down and talk to our customers as they come in to pick up their food or stay back to enjoy a meal. When we get young families that repeatedly come in with their children -- that is a proud moment! We are also happy to hear that our food reminds some of our patrons of the food they eat back home or the food their mothers used to cook! THAT, we consider a HUGE compliment, since providing homestyle cookinghas always been our goal. We are ESPECIALLY proud when we have customers from New Jersey (with its profusion of Indian cuisine) or Connecticut cross state lines to come to eat here or have their event catered by us. One such loyal patron in Yale University’s South Asia Department: we are highly honored to cater for them throughout the year!

What’s the most innovative idea your employees or customers have had that you put into practice?
On our very first day, one of our first customers who walked in was a young entrepreneur who not only enjoyed our food but gave us invaluable tips on the importance of being tech-savvy for our business. Through him, we realized how social media and the Internet can help our business get noticed. And so started our relationship with Kish of ServiceByte, our presence on social media and our abilility to offer iPad sign-ups in our store for customers who like to hear about out Specials. Another small but vital contribution came from one of our employees. He suggested we build a foldaway ramp on the staircase going down to the basement so that supplies can easily be slid down for storage. This labor and timesaving device has been working very well for us.

How do you deal with difficult customers?
Every business owner faces this challenge from time to time. We try to personally handle each situation on a case-by-case basis. The magic word most of the time, is to LISTEN! The customer feels reassurred when he or she feels someone is paying attention to what caused the unhappiness in the first place. After that we work quickly to resolve the problem as soon as possible.

How does your business give back or get involved in the community?

We are annual participants in the Ardsley Day Festivities and we have participated in the ECAD fundraiser, donated to The Greenburgh Hebrew Center, participated and contributed to Ardsley and Tuckahoe Schools fundraisers and supplied lunch for the Edgement Schools We have catered for non-profit organizations like India Center and Lipilekha. We donate to all area school fundraisers and offer a 10% discount to all of the Rivertowns School employees and students, upon presentation of a valid ID (Ardsley, Hastings, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington - including Mercy College). Whenever a patron walks into our restaurant he or she is made to feel welcome with free wifi, a free cup of Masala Chai or hot water for regular tea. To us, the customer is Royalty: at all times!

The plan behind this series at Patch is to shine the spotlight on all our favorite local businesses, and to learn a little about the ones we may not know that well.

This is as much about supporting local businesses as it is about celebrating the places and faces that make our community special.

Click here to get to a simple form where local business owners can answer a few quick questions to be part of this ongoing feature.