Pardes Canada: chai, street food & gupshup in Calgary

Pardes began with a simple dream from Yashu Chadha — to make delicious, comforting Indian food affordable and accessible to everyone. For Yashu, food has always been about more than what is served on a plate. It is about memories, family, late-night conversations over chai, the excitement of street food, and the feeling of being back home. That idea became the foundation of his first successful restaurant concept, Punjabi Dawat, which earned the support and love of the local community.

After seeing the success of Punjabi Dawat, Yashu wanted to take that experience further. His vision was to build a restaurant brand that could grow across Canada while still keeping the warmth, flavour and personality of a neighbourhood Indian eatery. That vision became Pardes.

The name Pardes represents the experience of living away from home while carrying a piece of home with you. For many people in Canada, familiar flavours can instantly bring back memories of India — a hot cup of chai, spicy street food, fresh parathas, comforting curries and conversations that seem to last forever. Pardes was created to bring those moments together under one roof: Chai. Street Food. Gupshup.

Today, the journey continues through Pardes Carrington, Pardes Cityscape and Punjabi Dawat Savana, with each location serving its own community while sharing the same philosophy — great food, generous hospitality and prices that allow families and friends to enjoy it more often.

With Pardes expanding through a franchise model, Yashu's goal is not simply to open more restaurants. The bigger dream is to build a proudly Canadian restaurant brand with Indian roots — one that gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to grow while giving customers a place that always feels familiar.

From Punjabi Dawat to Pardes, the journey started with one belief: good food should taste like home, bring people together, and be something everyone can enjoy.