Chef Shachi Mehra: So You Want to Launch a CPG Brand as a Restaurateur?

What happens when you walk away from a path to becoming a doctor, and end up becoming a Shachi Mehra - a Food Network Chopped champion, restaurant owner, and founder of a sauce brand? In this episode, we sit down with Chef Shachi Mehra to talk about her unconventional journey into the culinary world, the moment that changed everything, and how she’s building a business rooted in making Indian flavors more accessible to everyone. Shachi shares the exact experience that made her realize medicine wasn’t her path, and how one day working in a professional kitchen completely shifted her future. From there, she trained under renowned chefs, built her career in fine dining, and eventually opened Adya, a modern Indian fast-casual restaurant designed to introduce more people to the depth and diversity of Indian cuisine. We go deep into what actually makes Indian food so unique - from layered spices and regional diversity to the sensory experience of dishes like street food staples - and why it’s often misunderstood in the United States. We also unpack her experience winning Chopped, including how she prepared, what most people don’t see on TV, and why trusting your instincts matters more than playing it safe, especially in high-pressure environments. But one of the most valuable parts of this conversation is Shachi’s honest take on building a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand. If you’ve ever thought about turning a recipe into a product, this is a must-listen. She breaks down why running a restaurant and launching a product line are completely different businesses, the challenges of scaling, working with co-packers, navigating distribution, and the biggest mistakes chefs and founders make when entering retail. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – From Pre-Med to the Kitchen 02:30 – The Moment That Changed Everything 08:04 – Why She Opened a Fast-Casual Indian Restaurant 10:30 – What Makes Indian Food So Addictive 12:00 – Breaking Down Indian Street Food & Flavor Layers 14:43 – Winning Chopped (and Trusting Your Instincts) 17:38 – Why Restaurants ≠ CPG (What No One Tells You) 20:30 – Scaling a Food Brand & Working with Co-Packers 22:36 – Getting First-Time Customers to Try Indian Food 24:18 – Building a Sauce Brand from Scratch 26:00 – How Customers Actually Use Her Products 27:43 – The Biggest Mistake Chefs Make in CPG 29:29 – Being a Woman in a Restaurant's Kitchen 32:00 – Leadership, Culture, and Running a Restaurant 35:19 – Rapid Fire Q&A Round Brought to you by Back of House Your most trusted resource for restaurant tech. Stop guessing and start making data-driven decisions for your business. Learn more at: https://backofhouse.io/ Proudly Sponsored by: - RestauRent The no-fee booking platform helping restaurants and venues book private events.Try it risk-free (3 months free): https://bit.ly/soyouwanttorestaurent - Toast Get tech built for the way you actually work at https://pos.toasttab.com Connect with the Podcast Full Episodes: https://linktr.ee/soyouwanttorunarestaurant Follow Claudia: @claudia.saric Follow Spencer: @RestaurantSpenny