Rhea Agarwal on bringing Haldiram’s to Leicester Square

Haldiram’s continues to expand globally and it will be opening its first UK restaurant in Leicester Square this summer.

Founded in 1937 and now operating hundreds of restaurants across India and abroad, the Indian food giant is expanding into one of London’s most competitive dining districts.

The London restaurant launch signals a broader push into full-service hospitality, where recognition alone will not define success.

Leading the expansion across the UK and Europe is Rhea Agarwal, a third-generation member of the founding family and Director of Business Development, who is shaping how the brand adapts to a new market without losing its identity.

In an interview with DESIblitz, she explains the thinking behind the London debut and what it represents for Haldiram’s next stage of growth.

Why London, Why Now

The opening of the first Haldiram’s UK restaurant comes at a time shaped by readiness and intent.

Rhea Agarwal frames the London launch as a deliberate step built on operational confidence rather than urgency or market pressure.

She explains: “There’s never really a ‘perfect’ moment as such; it’s more about when you feel operationally ready and confident that you can truly do justice to the project.

“For us, it was important to find the right location and build the right experience rather than rush into it.

“Everything has been centred around ensuring we can offer customers the best possible food and overall experience from day one.”

That approach has also influenced the choice of Leicester Square, where visibility and competition sit side by side.

The decision places the brand directly into one of London’s most demanding hospitality environments, where performance is constantly tested.

Agarwal continues: “In many ways, the answer is in the question itself; it’s one of the most competitive and high-profile hospitality locations in London.

“Being present there immediately places you in a very dynamic environment.

“At the same time, there aren’t really Indian restaurant chains within Leicester Square itself, so it felt like an exciting opportunity to bring something fresh to the area.

“Many of the existing brands there have been established for decades, so we’re excited to introduce a new dining experience into that mix.”

Menu Identity and Modern Adaptation

The London menu is anchored in familiarity, with signature dishes carrying the weight of brand identity across every market.

Staples such as chole bhature and raj kachori sit at the centre of that offering, reflecting long-standing customer expectations.

Agarwal says: “Those dishes lead the menu everywhere for us because they’re truly iconic Haldiram’s favourites.

“If you walk into any Haldiram’s restaurant, it’s rare not to see chole bhature or raj kachori on almost every table.

“They’re such an important part of our identity that leaving them out would have disappointed our customers.”

While the core flavours remain unchanged, the presentation and dining format are being adapted for UK diners more accustomed to structured service and elevated plating.

The focus sits on experience design rather than altering recipes, as Agarwal reveals:

“For us, it’s less about changing the food and more about evolving the overall experience.

“We’re elevating aspects like table service, presentation, and plating while keeping the flavours authentic.

“The aim is to serve the same taste people know and love, but in a way that feels more aligned with modern dining expectations.”

London shaping the Experience

For Rhea Agarwal, the London launch carries a personal dimension that informs how the brand approaches both product and audience.

Having lived in the city as a student over a decade ago, her perspective bridges cultural familiarity with market understanding.

“I think the biggest influence is simply that I’ve lived here and experienced the city firsthand.

“Because of that, I understand both the emotional connection Indians have with food from home and the expectations of London’s dining culture.

“In many ways, that personal connection is one of the reasons this project happened in the first place.”

That understanding extends into the decision to integrate a strong retail element alongside the restaurant.

The aim is to create a multi-purpose space that reflects changing consumer habits in central London, where access to ethnic grocery options remains limited.

Agarwal admits: “It’s very important.

“In Central London, there still aren’t many easily accessible ethnic grocery stores, so the retail space increases availability for customers who already know and love our products.

“We wanted to create a one-stop destination; whether someone wants to sit down for a meal, pick up snacks for home, buy sweets for gifting, or simply satisfy a craving for Indian mithai.

“The idea is to cater to different occasions and different kinds of consumers under one roof.”

Scaling Up

As Haldiram’s continues to expand its international footprint, London is positioned as a strategic shift in audience reach.

Unlike markets with a dominant Indian diaspora, the UK launch is designed to test broader consumer appeal across diverse customer groups.

Agarwal says: “This launch is helping us evolve into a different kind of international market.

“Our Dubai restaurant, for example, caters to a much larger Indian demographic and is therefore more similar to our Indian operations.

“London is different because it pushes us to connect with a much broader audience beyond just the Indian diaspora.

“It gives us the confidence to enter more Western markets in the future and build a brand that resonates with local consumers as much as with Indian communities abroad.”

That outlook also informs how the business views its next phase in the UK.

Rhea Agarwal says the expansion strategy will be open-ended, with room for different formats and evolving customer experiences.

She concludes: “This is just the beginning for us.

“We definitely see opportunities to expand further in the UK with more locations and potentially different formats as well.

“We also want to continue experimenting and evolving; whether that’s through new menu innovations, different dining experiences, or adapting formats for different kinds of consumers.

“For now, it’s very much a ‘wait and watch’ space, but we’re excited about the possibilities ahead.”

The Leicester Square restaurant places Haldiram’s into a highly visible and demanding environment, where its reputation will be tested through experience rather than familiarity.

The strategy leans on continuity, keeping core dishes central while refining how they are presented and served for a UK audience.

Alongside the restaurant, the integration of retail adds another layer to how the brand positions itself, combining dining with everyday access to its products.

London, in this sense, acts as a benchmark for how Haldiram’s engages with a wider and more diverse customer base.

What follows will depend on how successfully that balance holds as Haldiram’s begins its next phase of international growth.