Regional Indian restaurant chain based in the northwestern U.S. is expanding into Wichita
Wichita is about to get a new Indian restaurant that will be an almost exact replica of a couple of restaurants the owners already operate in the northwestern United States.
The Mango Tree Indian Kitchen + Tap House is set to open soon — likely in about two weeks — in the former Angry Elephant south location at 111 E. 47th St. South that’s been vacant since January.
Its owners — Rakesh Kaushal and Jabar and Raj Dhaliwal — all are from Idaho and will be in Wichita long enough to open the restaurant and get it on its feet with a local manager. They decided to expand their restaurant concept, based in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, into Kansas after buying a hotel in Pratt and deciding the area could use more Indian cuisine as well.
The restaurant will have the same menu as The Mango Tree in Coeur d’Alene, said Char Smith, who is Kaushal’s girlfriend and who is helping get the restaurant running. The owners also have a Mango Tree restaurant in Spokane, Washington.
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The Mango Tree, she said, is known for its curry bowls, and diners can choose from a long list of options, including a Daal Turka bowl made with yellow lentils with garlic and a spicy sauce, and a mango curry made with choice of protein in a yellow curry sauce that features a splash of mango.
The restaurant, Smith said, is also known for its stuffed naan bread. The restaurant’s curry bowls all come with a serving of basmati rice plus naan bread served plain or stuffed with things like vegetables, garlic, cheese — even pepperoni or coconut.
The restaurant also offers a lunch special popular with crowds in its home state. It will be offered from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and will feature two eight-ounce servings of curry plus rice and naan.
Mango Tree will be a full-service restaurant that also will offer a full bar, a specialty cocktail menu and around 14 beers on tap.
Its hours will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Smith said the partners got “a really good deal” on the hotel in Pratt and decided they liked the area.
“They were like, ‘Let’s branch out here with our restaurants,’” Smith said. “There’s not a lot around here for Indian food, so it’s kind of the perfect market for us.”
Stay tuned for an opening date for The Mango Tree, and in the meantime, peruse the menu on the chain’s website — www.themangotreerestaurants.com — which will be the same menu offered in Wichita, Smith said.
This story was originally published September 26, 2023 at 2:45 PM.
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