11/12/2020
I write this with a heavy heart - Rickshaw Bar is now indefinitely closed.
Firstly, I’d like to apologize to you all for the complete silence on this page in the past year. We, like most restaurants, have had a rough year due to COVID and under these circumstances have decided it is best to wrap up Rickshaw for the time being. As I pack up and leave, I can’t help but reminisce about all the beautiful and some sad memories that will stay with me forever.
I was 9 years old when I knew that I was going to be chef. Since then, owning a restaurant and being a chef is all I thought about.
Rickshaw Bar is just 5 years old for the world. To me, it’s my life’s story. Being born in a Gujarati family, moving around the world, my cultural upbringing, my traditions, my Ismaili heritage, my bond with my family and so much more is represented in Rickshaw Bar. It’s been my identity.
My heart is shattering into a million pieces as I write this. I’m not sure who I am without it more. All those years of hard work, the relationships I have lost because of my hours spent at Rickshaw Bar, the lack of stability I’ve felt in this industry, the loss of sanity, the depression, the loneliness - I wonder if it was worth it to completely disregard my health for my passion?
That being said, I’ve also found greater joy than I could ever imagine here. For the first time in my life, I felt like a belonged somewhere. Growing up I never knew what that was like. Even in my family, I never really fit in. But at Rickshaw I knew my place. Every night, I was lucky enough to meet people from all over the world tell me how much they enjoyed the food and their night.
I know this isn’t goodbye. Though I have bittersweet memories, I have learned a lot and I promise RB will be back, better and stronger and this time hopefully not at the expense of my mental and physical health.
I would like to thank all of you for supporting us these last five years. Thank you for all your love for Rickshaw Bar and the team. Last and most importantly, I would like to thank my team for their love, support and hard work in making Rickshaw the success it was. I know this was their baby just as much as it was mine.
