HUNGRY HOPPER Targets Expansion with New Coastal Dining Concept in Delhi

Delhi’s organised dining market is set to see a new entrant in the regional coastal cuisine segment with the launch of HUNGRY HOPPER in Vasant Vihar. Founded by hospitality entrepreneurs Jai Batra and Malika Chawla Batra, the restaurant focuses on the food traditions of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, with a menu centred on appams, hoppers, regional curries and seafood.

The brand is targeting expansion through four to five additional outlets over the next three years, indicating its plans to establish the concept beyond its first Delhi location.

HUNGRY HOPPER's menu combines dishes and cooking styles from the three coastal regions. Its offerings include plain, butter and egg hoppers, flat appams, neer dosa and string hoppers, alongside curries such as Jackfruit Kari, Coastal Chicken Kari, Prawn Kari and Crab Moilee.

The seafood selection includes Fort Cochin Pepper Jumbo Prawns, Kanyakumari Pepper Crab and Kerala Fish Fry. Other dishes include Kothu Roti, Malabar Jackfruit Cutlets and Chettinad Mushroom Parotta Tacos. The menu also features Thalassery and Vaniyambadi biryanis.

The restaurant's operating concept focuses on combinations of hoppers, appams and regional curries, with seafood forming a key part of its menu positioning. The founders are looking to build a specialised regional cuisine format that can be replicated across multiple outlets.

“I have always felt that the real measure of a restaurant is not the attention it receives when it first opens, but the place it earns in people's lives over time. That comes down to the decisions made every day, how a team works, how standards are maintained and how thoughtfully the business evolves. We are approaching HUNGRY HOPPER with that long-term perspective. The ambition is to build a brand with its own identity and the discipline to grow without losing sight of what it stands for,” says Jai Batra, Founder, HUNGRY HOPPER.

“With the launch of HUNGRY HOPPER, we wanted to introduce Delhi to the diversity of coastal food cultures in a way that feels approachable yet distinctive. My background in design and culinary arts has shaped how I look at food, not just as a collection of flavours, but as an expression of culture, craft and identity. I hope this becomes a place that encourages people to discover something new and see these cuisines from a fresh perspective,” says Malika Chawla Batra, Co-Founder, HUNGRY HOPPER.

With its planned expansion, HUNGRY HOPPER is entering the competitive Indian restaurant market with a focused regional cuisine proposition. Its next phase will depend on how effectively the founders can replicate the menu, maintain consistency and establish the format across new locations.