An eatery serving Indian cuisine will soon make its debut in Johnson County.
Global chain Bikanervala will soon open its first local franchise in Overland Park, in the former home of a barbecue restaurant. This particular franchise of the Bikanervala brand will feature an exclusively vegetarian or vegan-friendly menu.
Franchise owner Kapil Jain said he aims to open the restaurant in June.
Bikanervala will operate at 8669 W. 135th St.
- The restaurant will move into a space at the Village of Overland Pointe shopping center, just off West 135th Street and Antioch Road.
- Smokey’s On The Boulevard BBQ had previously occupied that space for roughly five of its nine years in operation before shuttering in 2021.
- Once it opens, Bikanervala will operate from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Bikanervala serves authentic Indian eats and sweets
Bikanervala’s menu features lunch and dinner options like tandoori platters, veggie fried rice and curry dishes.
The eatery will also sell to-go desserts and snacks like samosas, as well as beverages like masala tea and lassi smoothies.
The eatery is also known for its vegetarian and vegan options, which Jain said was a draw for him. As a vegetarian himself, he said he wanted to fill a hole in the local market for vegetarian-friendly Indian cuisine.
Even though many local restaurants have meat and seafood-free options on their menu, he said, those items often still occupy part of the kitchen. But that won’t be the case at Bikanervala.
“I’ve always had that back of my mind,” he said. “So this is something which will give peace of mind to a lot of people.”
This marks the first Bikanervala in Johnson County
The company got its start in India 50 years ago and, since then, it has expanded to New Zealand and Nepal. Besides Kansas, Bikanervala only has three United States restaurants — all in New Jersey.
Jain said that in the next few years, he intends to expand Bikanervala’s local presence with at least two more locations in Johnson County.
“I think there’s a lot of scope here and people are gonna like it — people who are looking for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options,” he said. “I think there’s a huge market here.”
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