Two Indian restaurants are donating a part of their profits to help rebuild Christchurch.
One of the businesses affected by the Christchurch earthquake is donating a part of their national sales to the earthquake fund.
Little India, a popular Indian chain of restaurants in New Zealand, will donate 6.3 percent of its revenues earned in all its restaurants to the Christchurch Earthquake fund.
“The idea for the donation came to me last night when I was trying to sleep while thinking about Christchurch. Since the earthquake hit just over a week ago we have been trying to think of how we can help. ” Arjun Gill, Little India’s brand manager told The Global Indian magazine.
The restaurant chain will donate 6.3% of out total sales from 7 March to 14 March to the Christchurch Earthquake fund.
But why exactly 6.3 percent? “As the magnitude of the Earthquake was 6.3 we thought that we could donate 6.3% of our turnover. I rang my father (Sukhi Gill, the founder of Little India) this morning to see if we could make this happen.
“I then rang all the restaurant owners to see if they were happy to do this also. Everyone said they would love to help in anyway they can.”
Little India runs 14 restaurants in New Zealand, three of which are in Christchurch. It’s city restaurant in Christchurch has been damaged following the earthquake, although the extent of damage is not yet known.
Gill wants other businesses to come forward and help. “I have also been trying to get any other business that can do what we are doing or something similar to do so.
“If we can all do just a little we will achieve a lot. So our customers can now enjoy a lovely curry and at the same time do a little bit for Christchurch at the same time.
“The more people we can feed between the 7th of March and the 14 March the more money we can make for Christchurch.”
What began as a fish-and-chips shop in New Zealand’s small town of Dunedin is now a leading Indian restaurant chain in New Zealand, with a branch in Melbourne, Australia. The restaurants are not only popular among the Kiwis, it is also patronised by Indians living in Australia and New Zealand.
After training in a family friend’s restaurant in Australia, co-founder Sukhi Gill returned and opened the first Little India restaurant in Dunedin in 1991.
“Our family’s recipes come from North India, the Punjab region, and the kitchen of our grandmother Premjit Kaur Gill,” says Arjun Gill. “She’s individually trained every one of Little India’s head chefs in her own kitchen in Chandigarh.”
Another Indian restaurant, Kohinoor in Auckland, has organised a fund-raiser dinner to support the earthquake fund on 17 March at 7.30pm.
“This Curry Club night is NZ$35, of which NZ$5 will be go towards the Christchurch earthquake fund as a small contribution we can make,” says Gurinder Singh of Kohinoor restaurant.
“The amount of donation we receive will be doubled by us and given for the cause. This is the minimum we can do for the people who have gone through agony.”
The dinner is being promoted on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
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