Meet Raj & Bina Sharma

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Raj & Bina Sharma. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Raj & Bina , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

We’ve been in business for a very long time, and to accomplish that you have to have an excellent work ethic and also attitude about work and business. We’ve been operating Indian restaurants for over 50 years from Europe to the U.S. and the hospitality industry is hard work and lots of sacrifice, but with that also can come great outcome.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

We have been in the restaurant industry for a very long time, more specifically the Indian restaurant trade. Raj started his culinary studies in India, and later relocated to Amsterdam and then Germany where he operated several restaurants.

After spending a decade in Germany then moving back to London where I grew up, we decided we wanted to start a new chapter, and moved our young family to Portland, Maine in the late 80s where we launched three of the first Indian restaurants which are all still in operation. Our kids grew up in these restaurants as we both worked long hours, from late night dinner shifts, to catering Indian weddings and events.

Bombay Mahal located in historic downtown Brunswick, Maine is the flagship restaurant we have kept for almost four decades, and continues to be a local go-to spot for Indian across the state of Maine. We are proud to say it takes immense strength and sacrifice to run and operate a restaurant this many decades, but it’s now all we know.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Running a business is a lot of hard work so anyone wanting to purse that path needs to have the skills necessary and also be able to make lots of sacrifices to make it possible.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

You have to stay positive no matter what the situation the is presented to you. In life and in the restaurant industry, there will be so many challenges. We have been doing this for so many years, we’ve lived and brought our restaurants through financial recessions, natural disasters and global pandemics, and always just remained positive things will always work out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bombaymahal.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bombaymahal/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BombayMahal
• Twitter: https://x.com/_BombayMahal

Image Credits

Bombay Mahal