This month, new Indian restaurant Rice N Curry held its grand opening after the pandemic forced the business’s debut to be delayed by nearly a year.

Rice N Curry’s owner, Gurminder Kaur signed the lease to the venue on 601 S 3rd Street that would be Rice N Curry in December of 2019, shortly before the onset of the pandemic.

“It was either do or die in the moment,” Kaur said. “And I decided let’s ‘do’.”

Kaur said construction delays caused by the pandemic meant the restaurant was simply not ready. She said it was a stressful period of time before the business opened but support from her family helped her get through it.

On March 8, Rice N Curry held its grand opening with a ribbon cutting event featuring Renton City Mayor Armondo Pavone and the Renton Chamber of Commerce.

Kaur said she is relatively new to the food industry, but her belief in the quality of her recipes and her willingness to take the time to prepare authentic Indian dishes gave her the confidence to commit to opening her restaurant.

“You can only get in the restaurant business if you are passionate about it,” Kaur said. “It is a lifestyle.”

She said many of her recipes were taught to her by her mother at a young age.

Kaur’s dishes are made from scratch, often over long periods of time. She marinates certain meats for days at a time.

She believes her food is both healthy and “unmatched,” in flavor.

“I believe in the product.” Kaur assured.