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Indian Born, California Raised. Founded on a food truck. September 26, 2009.

Our mission: Delight each guest, every time, all the time.

Congratulations on joining Curry Up Now. You were hired because we believe you can carry our standards forward: the food, the energy, the hospitality, and the speed. Read this manual cover to cover. Bring it to every training shift. Fill in the blanks. Ask questions. Work hard. Have fun. The rest will follow.

HOW IT STARTED

On March 4, 2009, AK got an email from a family friend, Barbara Kim. The subject line was Article. The body said: AK, check out this article on a family friend of mine. He makes Korean-style tacos on his own roach coach and is getting hella popular. I think it is time for you to open an Indian-style taco truck.

AK and Rana tested the idea in June. On July 11, 2009, they rented a truck called Kung Fu Tacos and served Indian street food at their daughter Aanvi's birthday party. They served 200 people. A few weeks later they bought their own truck. They launched Curry Up Now in Burlingame on September 26, 2009, AK's father's birthday. That is the story. A friend's email, a daughter's birthday, a father's birthday, a truck. The first Indian street food truck in the country.

WHO WE ARE

Curry Up Now is fast casual Indian street food with the speed of a quick service spot and the hospitality of a full service one. We serve the food we grew up eating, from the streets of Old Delhi and Chowpatty Mumbai, to the markets of Kolkata, to the boarding schools of Nainital. We took those flavors and built them for California, where the produce is great, the dietary asks are real, and the pace is fast.

• The Curry Up Now Burrito (every flavor, every protein).
• The Tacos.
• Naughty Naan.
• Sexy Fries.
• El Jefe.
• Tandoori Fried Chicken Sandwich.

• Thalis. The Indian platter, the way restaurants in India serve a complete meal. We do not eat thalis at home in India; the thali is a restaurant and special-occasion preparation, a sampler tray of dishes you would never plate that way at the family table.
• Bowls. Rice, sauce, chana or daal, pico, sago papad. The Indian plate, deconstructed.
• Chaats. Bombay street food, served the same way as on the street.
• Kathi rolls. Kolkata street food, named for the kathi skewers used to grill the meat.
• Vada pav and pav bhaji. Bombay street classics.
• Sizzlin' kabab. Grilled, sizzled at the table on a hot platter.
• 1947 chole bhature. Punjab home cooking.
• The naans. Fresh made in house, every shift.
• The drinks. Chai, mango lassi, Indian sodas (Thums Up, Limca), Mexican Coke for cane sugar.

HOW SERVICE WORKS AT OUR COUNTER

Guests order at the counter, grab their own water, sit down, we bring the food, we bus and pre-bus the table, we check back, we clear and goodbye them. That hybrid is the whole game. If we lose either side of it (the speed of fast casual, or the hospitality of full service) we are no longer Curry Up Now.

WHAT WE ARE NOT

• We are not a buffet.
• We are not a mom and pop curry house with the Taj Mahal on the walls, camels, pink curtains, and a 20-page menu.
• We are not just another taqueria with Indian flavors. The food has roots, and we respect them.
• We are not a place where guests bus their own tables. Water is self-serve, the bussing is on us.
• Authentic Indian (as a brand label). Do not call ourselves an authentic Indian restaurant. The food is 100 percent authentic. The format goes California on six signature dishes (burrito, tacos, naughty naan, sexy fries, El Jefe, tandoori fried chicken sandwich). The rest is true to India. Lead with Indian Born, California Raised.

OUR PROMISE TO EVERY GUEST

• Acknowledge within 4 seconds, verbal greet within 6.
• Order taken correctly.
• Food in their hands within 10 minutes.
• A real check back, not a flyby.
• Bus the table the moment a plate is clear.
• A goodbye that makes them want to come back.

S.E.E. SMILE. EYE CONTACT. ENTHUSIASM.

Our promise says acknowledge within 4 seconds and greet within 6. S.E.E. is what that acknowledgement is made of. These are the three things every guest reads before you say a word.

10-4-4 is not a different time standard. It is our four-second rule with distances attached: acknowledge within 4 seconds of the door, verbal greet within 6 seconds.

S.T.A.R., HOW TO READ A SHIFT

Four questions running in the background every moment you are on the floor. S.E.E. is what your face does. S.T.A.R. is what your head does.

• See the table. Walk every table every 5 minutes with purpose, not to check in, to observe. Water level, empty plate, a guest looking around. This is the floor walk cadence you already run, with a reason attached.
• See the guest. Someone scanning the board is still deciding. Someone looking up from their phone is ready. Someone hesitating at the door is uncertain, walk toward them.
• See the floor. A dirty table is a failure before anyone sits down. Napkin on the floor, missing condiment, crooked chair. You see it, you fix it, nobody has to tell you.
• See the rush. Watch the door, count the line, tell the kitchen before the wave hits. Three deep, two burritos incoming saves four minutes on every rush.

HALAL AND INGREDIENT STANDARDS

• All our chicken, lamb, and goat are halal certified across all locations.
• Paneer is a fresh farmer cheese, vegetarian and not vegan.
• Most of our menu can be made vegetarian or vegan. See section 06 for the full guide.
• We do not serve pork.
• Naan is fresh made, in house, every shift.

THE CUN SERVICE PYRAMID

Every shift at every station, four things stack in this order. Skip the bottom of the pyramid and the top collapses. Get the bottom right and the top takes care of itself.

1. Accuracy. Right food, right modifiers, right allergens. A wrong order kills everything else.
2. Speed. Urgency at every step. Greet, ring, fire, drop, bus, all with pace. Speed without accuracy is just fast wrong.
3. Hospitality. Warmth, eye contact, my pleasure, a goodbye that lands. Speed without warmth feels like a vending machine.
4. Experience. The guest leaves saying that was different. That is the only output that matters.

THE LINE WE WALK

• FAST FOOD SPEED.
• FINE DINING HOSPITALITY.
• CHEF-DRIVEN FOOD.
• STREET ENERGY.

That is the line you walk at every shift.

WE DO NOT SELL FOOD. WE SELL EXPERIENCE.

Anybody can sell food. There are 50 places within five minutes of any of our stores that sell food. We sell what guests cannot get at those 50 places: confidence, warmth, energy, recognition, the feeling of being taken care of. The food is the price of admission. The experience is what makes them come back. Hospitality is emotional transfer. The energy you bring to the counter becomes the energy the guest takes home.

EMPLOYEE POLICIES AND CONDUCT, AT A GLANCE

Read this first. The rules below apply at every CUN, every shift, no exceptions. The detailed expansion of each rule lives in the relevant section; this is the master list.

HARD RULES, ZERO TOLERANCE

• No phones on the floor, ever. The moment you clock in, your phone goes in the storage box, off. Not in your apron, not in your pocket, not in your sock. The storage box, off, end of conversation. No earbuds during service. A phone visible on your person during a shift is grounds for termination, no second warning.
• No eating, no chewing gum, no smoking, no vaping in front of guests or in uniform.
• No alcohol on shift, ever. No drugs, ever. Coming in impaired is dismissal-grade.
• No profanity in front of guests. Inside jokes with the team, in BOH only, never on the floor.
• No discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. Tell a manager or HR if you see or experience it. Both are confidential.
• Halal integrity preserved. We do not serve pork. Cross-contact protocols followed at every station.
• Allergen protocol followed (5-step, Section 06). No shortcuts, no I-think-it-is-okay.
• Cash and till protocol followed (Section 31). No freelancing comps, no sharing drawers, no off-the-books anything.
• Time clocking honest. Never punch in or out for someone else. Never punch in before you are in uniform on the floor.
• Stealing in any amount, including comping for friends, is dismissal-grade.

ENERGY AND LANGUAGE STANDARDS

• Acknowledge every guest within 4 seconds of door open. Verbal greet within 6 seconds.
• Always guest, never customer.
• My pleasure on every thank-you. Not no problem, not no worries, not you got it.
• Repeat the order back, point to the screen, get the guest to confirm. 100 percent of orders.
• Welcome, Guide, Build, Add-on, Close. The five-step cashier flow on every interaction.
• Make a specific add-on attempt on every order. Not anything else.
• LEAST recovery method (Section 14): Listen, Empathize, Apologize, Solve, Thank.
• Never argue with a guest. Recover, escalate, document.
• Never use is everything okay. Use specific check-back questions: how is the heat, need extra chutney, how is the first bite.
• Never say I think it should be okay on an allergen. Stop, run the protocol.

TIME AND ATTENDANCE

• Shift starts means on the floor, in uniform, at your position, on the clock, ready to go. On time is not walking through the door at clock-in time.
• Your schedule is posted by Thursday for the following week in the scheduling system your GM uses. Schedules are never passed by word of mouth. Check it yourself.
• Time-off requests: 14 days advance through the manager. Last-minute requests get covered when possible, never assumed.
• Sick or emergency: call or text your GM directly at least 2 hours before shift, more if possible. Not another crew member. No-call no-show is dismissal-grade after the third occurrence.
• Running late: text your GM while you are on the way, before your shift starts, not after.
• Two consecutive late shifts triggers a manager conversation. Three triggers a written warning.
• Trade or shift swap: you find your own cover, you propose it, the GM approves it in writing. Never stop showing up for a shift until you have that written confirmation.
• Crew meal: one meal per shift, rung in at the register, eaten on your break. Not before your shift, not standing at the counter.

CLEANLINESS, EVERY SHIFT

• Continuous: wipe surfaces touched in the last 60 seconds, restock paper goods, top up water and ice, square chairs after every guest leaves.
• Hourly tasks signed off (restrooms, trash, drink station, floor, front door, music check).
• End-of-shift sidework signed off by the manager before clock-out. No clock-out without sign-off.
• Cleanliness is not a closing duty. It is an all-shift responsibility. The team that cleans only at close is the team that closes at 2am.

WHAT CUN OWES YOU

You are now family is not just a line. It comes with obligations on our side. This is what we commit to you.

YOUR STORE

Smyrna is discovering Indian street food for the first time. Guests here are curious and open, and when they find something they love they come back every week. Your job is to be the reason they do.

• Nissan plant shift workers and engineers
• Schneider Electric and Asurion professionals
• Families putting down roots in one of the fastest growing suburbs in the Nashville metro
• First timers who become regulars before they finish their first meal

THE DETAILED EXPANSIONS

This page is the at-a-glance reference. The detailed expansion of each topic lives in the section noted: Hospitality Standards (Section 10), Food Safety (Section 18), Restaurant Standards (Section 19), Loyalty (Section 22), Cash, Comps, Refunds, Voids (Section 31), Trainer Calibration (Section 28). When in doubt, this page wins; when you need the depth, go to the section.

Words matter. The way you describe the food and the brand is how a guest decides if they trust us. Use the language below.

• Indian Born, California Raised.
• Born in India, Raised in California.
• Indo-Californian originals.
• Indian street food.
• Fast casual.
• Halal.

• Customer. We do not have customers. We have guests. Always guest, always.
• Cali-Indian. We do not say this. Use Indian Born, California Raised, or Indo-Californian.
• Tikki Masala. Marsala. Both are wrong. The dish is TIKKA MASALA (tee-kah, muh-sah-lah). Two words. One k. No r.
• Curry. Use the actual dish name (tikka masala, makhni butter, saag, kadhai, rogan josh, chana). Curry is a Western catch-all. We are specific.
• Ethnic. Our food is not ethnic. It is Indian street food.
• Authentic Indian (as a brand label). The food itself is 100 percent authentic. The format goes California on six signature dishes (burrito, tacos, naughty naan, sexy fries, El Jefe, tandoori fried chicken sandwich). The rest is true to India. Do not lead with authentic Indian as our brand line, the line is Indian Born, California Raised.

Tone is half the brand. The script can be perfect on paper and still feel wrong if the cadence is off. CUN should sound energetic, confident, casual, slightly playful, fast, warm. Never robotic. Never fine-dining stiff. Never corporate. Below are the patterns that land vs the patterns that kill the vibe.

Every weak line below is followed by the right way to say it. Read the BAD, then read the RIGHT out loud, back to back. The rewrite is not a suggestion, it is the CUN version.

Curry is not a single dish, a single sauce, or even an Indian word in the way people use it. The British colonial era flattened hundreds of regional Indian sauces into one word, and that is what stuck in the West. We use the actual dish names: tikka masala, makhni butter, saag, kadhai, rogan josh, chana. When a guest says, what is your best curry, we say, are you in the mood for something mild and rich (butter chicken), tangy and bright (tikka masala), spicy and deep (rogan josh), or earthy and green (saag)? Get specific. The dish names are the brand.

This is the part most cashiers miss. We can spice food up. We cannot spice it down. If a guest is heat-sensitive, do not promise the kitchen will make it milder. Use these levers instead:

• Add starch on the plate: rice, naan, or a tortilla all tone heat down on the bite.
• Add a side of yogurt. The dairy cuts the heat fast and is the move for guests who took one bite too far.
• Pick the milder dishes: Butter Makhni (butter chicken / butter paneer) is the mildest. Saag Paneer is mild-medium and earthy. Daal is mild-medium.
• Steer them away from the hotter ones: Tikka Masala, Chana, Lamb Rogan Josh all run hotter.

If a guest asks how a dish actually tastes, this is the cheat sheet. All FOH must taste every dish, with every modification, before selling it.

Every FOH team member must taste every dish, with every modification, before working a solo shift. You cannot describe what you have not tasted. Trainers, work this in during week one. Trainees, ask for a taste before you sell. This is non-negotiable.

If you cannot pronounce it, you cannot sell it. Practice these out loud with your trainer. Read them in front of a mirror. Say them to coworkers until it is automatic. Guests notice and trust us more when we say it like we mean it.

Quick definitions you will need on day one.

This is the heart of your training. You must be able to describe every dish on the menu, identify every protein, name the allergens, and recommend an upsell. Practice every shift. The expediter must be able to identify each dish at the table by sight, with the protein.

Indian Street Food, where it all started

Crunch. Tang. Heat. Sweet. The dishes from the streets of India.

Street Food Classics, eat with your hands

Burritos

The Tikka Masala Burrito put Curry Up Now on the map in 2009.

Burrito add-ons: Riced Cauliflower, Double Protein, Guac, GF tortilla. Confirm the upcharge at the register.

Bowls

Same iconic sauces as the burritos, no tortilla, naturally gluten free.

Bowls come with rice, chana or daal (W), pico, and sago papad (a crispy tapioca cracker, like a chip on top). Same sauce and protein options as burritos, plus the same lamb rogan josh option for an upcharge. Bowls are gluten free by default. The naan add-on is the easiest upsell here, you can dip naan into a bowl.

Bowl add-ons: Riced Cauliflower, Double Protein, Naan, GF tortilla. Confirm the upcharge at the register.

Performance Bowls

Flavor first. Always. The macros just happen to work.

Kinda Sorta Desi

Indo-Californian originals. Born in India, raised in CA. Not traditional, not trying to be.

Thali

The Indian platter. The way restaurants in India serve a complete meal. Not how India eats at home.

Thali (TAH-lee) means platter. The premise is variety in one meal: a starch, a protein or two, a daal or chana for body, pickles or chutney for brightness. Every state, every household has its own version. Ours is the most complete way to taste Curry Up Now in one order, and it is one of the best entry points for first-timers, since they can sample two entrees at once.

• First-timer who wants the full experience: Chicken Tikka Masala plus Saag Paneer. Two best sellers, full flavor, medium spice.
• Vegetarian: Saag Paneer plus Butter Paneer or Paneer Tikka Masala.
• Vegan: Aloo Gobi plus chana on the side, no naan, swap to GF tortilla. Tell kitchen for any preparation question.
• Meat lover: Lamb Rogan Josh plus Butter Chicken. Two slow-cooked dishes.
• Mild eater: Butter Chicken plus Butter Paneer. The two mildest. Both contain tree nuts.
• Spice fan: Lamb Rogan Josh plus Kadhai Chicken. Heat all the way through.
• Dairy free: Lamb Rogan Josh plus Kadhai Chicken (both have no dairy in the sauce). Choose chana on the side, skip the naan.

The Legends

Founder favorites. The dishes that built our reputation.

Naan

Every naan is oven-baked, fresh, made to order, every shift. Naan contains wheat and dairy by default. Naan upgrades pair with bowls, thalis, kababs, and butter chicken. You cannot dip naan into a burrito.

Sharing and Sides

Desserts

Drinks

Guests with dietary needs do not want to feel like a problem. Make it easy. Know the answer or get the answer fast. We do not say no, we find a yes. Always ask first-timers, are you allergic to anything?

Most of our menu can be made vegetarian. Default to paneer or aloo gobi. If a vegetarian orders a kathi roll, ask if eggs are okay (the paratha is egg-washed).

• Hella Vegan burrito or bowl.
• Vegan kathi roll: ask the kitchen for paratha without egg wash.
• Vegan deconstructed samosa, vegan tacos (aloo gobi).
• Mini samosas, punjabi samosay, mini samosa (chutneys are vegan).
• Bhel puri, pani puri.
• Sexy fries without cheese (vegan).
• Vada pav and pav bhaji available vegan, ask the kitchen for no butter on the pav.
• 1947 Chole Bhature, peri peri fries, sweet potato fries, guac and chips.
• Thali with aloo gobi, chana on the side, no naan (swap to GF tortilla if needed). Confirm with kitchen.

• All bowls are gluten free by default, no tortilla.
• All performance bowls (Keto, Protein, The 550) are gluten free.
• Sexy fries, peri peri fries, sweet potato fries, guac and chips: GF.
• Sizzlin' kabab without naan: GF.
• GF tortilla available in place of regular tortilla. Works on burritos and on the thali (swap the butter naan). Add-on price applies.
• Kathi Roll has a GF roti option, very good.

• Lamb rogan josh sauce: no dairy.
• Kadhai chicken: no dairy. (Kadhai paneer has dairy from the paneer.)
• Chana masala: no dairy.
• Hella Vegan: no dairy.
• Vegan kathi roll, vegan deconstructed samosa, vegan bowls and burritos: no dairy.
• Sexy fries without cheese: no dairy.
• Aloo gobi: no dairy in the prep we do.
• Avoid (contain dairy): tikka masala, makhni butter (butter chicken / butter paneer), saag paneer, all paneer dishes, naan (all naan contains dairy), naughty naan, mango lassi, daal (we use a daal makhni preparation that contains dairy).
• Naan is dairy by default. We do not currently have a dairy free naan option.

• Naughty Naan: contains egg. The naan base we use for naughty naan contains egg. Always flag this for any guest with an egg allergy.
• Kathi Roll: contains egg in the mughlai paratha by default. Order without egg wash.
• Tandoori Fried Chicken Sandwich, Holy Moly Fried Ravioli, and bun-samosa style preparations: confirm with the kitchen, the breading or dough may contain eggs.

• Sesame Onion Naan contains sesame seeds (marked S on the menu).
• All other naans are sesame free.

• Keto Performance Bowl is built for this: cauliflower rice, 20g carbs.
• Protein Performance Bowl: cauliflower rice base, 57g protein.
• The 550 is light, calorie-counted (550 cal).
• Any burrito with no rice, no tortilla.
• Thali with no rice, no naan, swap one entree for an extra side salad. Confirm with kitchen.

All our chicken, lamb, and goat are halal certified across all locations. Tell guests this confidently. We do not serve pork. They appreciate hearing it without having to ask.

• PEANUTS: zero. We do not use any peanuts on premises.
• TREE NUTS: only the makhni butter sauce contains cashew. That is it. No other dish on the menu contains tree nuts.

The makhni butter sauce is the base of butter chicken and butter paneer (and any naughty naan or thali variant that uses it). The cashew base gives the sauce its richness and cannot be removed.

For a tree nut allergy: steer the guest away from butter chicken, butter paneer, naughty naan with makhni, and thali variants with makhni. Everything else is tree-nut-free.

Tree-nut-free dishes: tikka masala (chicken and paneer), Punjabi by Nature, lamb rogan josh, kadhai dishes, saag, chana, Hella Vegan, kathi rolls, deconstructed samosa, all chaats, all street food classics, all sides except the holy moly ravioli (confirm), peri peri fries, sweet potato fries, guac and chips.

When a guest mentions an allergy, the order does not move forward until you have completed every step below. No shortcuts. No I-think-it-should-be-okay. No silent assumptions. The protocol exists because the wrong answer puts a guest in the hospital.

1. STOP. Pause the order. Do not keep ringing while the guest is talking. Eyes on them, full attention.
2. REPEAT. Repeat the allergy back out loud. So you have a tree nut allergy, you cannot have any cashew or any cross contact, is that right?
3. MARK. Mark the allergy in the POS on the ticket. Every modifier visible to the kitchen on the KDS.
4. NOTIFY. Walk to the kitchen and verbally confirm with the cook on that station. Tell the expediter. Tell the manager if it is severe (anaphylaxis, EpiPen, hospitalization risk).
5. VERIFY. Before the food leaves expo, confirm the dish is right. Tell the guest at handoff: I confirmed with the kitchen. I want you to know we cannot 100 percent guarantee no cross contact, but we did everything we can.

• I think that should be fine.
• It probably does not have any.
• I am pretty sure.
• Let me just check the menu.
• We are usually okay.

This is the master grid. D = dairy. E = egg. W = wheat. N = tree nuts. S = sesame. V = vegan. VG = vegetarian. A dash means no. Yes means contains. The grid reflects standard preparation; ask the kitchen to confirm any allergy concern, every time.

We are fast casual with full service hospitality. Both halves matter.

Most guests order at the counter, sit, and we bring the food. The eight steps below happen on every visit, every time. Hit them all. Then make every interaction feel personal, not robotic.

1. Acknowledge every guest within 4 seconds of them entering: eye contact, smile, nod. Verbal greet within 6 seconds when they reach the counter. The clock starts the moment the door opens. (See Section 10A for the full Four-Second Rule.)
2. Ask the second question: First time with us? Sitting together? Dine in or to go? What are you in the mood for? Pick the one that fits the guest in front of you. (See Section 10A.)
3. If first time, give the first-timer walk-through (see Cashier Playbook).
4. Take the order. Confirm protein. Confirm spice level. Slow down on first-timers, speed up on regulars.
5. Suggest one specific add-on that fits what they ordered. Make it match the dish.
6. Repeat the order back. Then ask the guest to confirm on the screen.
7. Process payment fast. Address them by name on the card when handing it back.
8. Direct them: hand them the table number, point to water (self-serve), point to drinks (fountain self-serve, lassi and bottled drinks in the fridge). Tell them: just sit, we bring the food, we bus the table. No need to come back up to add to your order, we will send someone with a handheld to check on you.
9. Goodbye. Thank them by name when possible. Invite them back. Make them smile on the way out.

Steps of service is the floor, not the ceiling. Hit them all, then add the part that makes the guest remember you.

Hospitality is felt. Speed is measured. Both matter. The targets below are what we hit on a clean shift. Trainers will time you against these during certification.

• Acknowledge a guest within 4 seconds of door open.
• Verbal greeting within 6 seconds at the counter.
• Standard order rung in under 75 seconds, end to end.
• Repeat-back and screen confirm on 100 percent of orders.
• Modifier accuracy above 98 percent. One mistake per 50 tickets is the bar.
• Food in hand within 10 minutes (12 minutes max, then quote honestly).
• Two-bite check-back on every dine-in guest within 90 seconds of food drop.
• Bus a table within 60 seconds of guest leaving.
• Walk every table every 5 to 7 minutes during service.
• Recovery acknowledgment (saying I got you, on it, let me fix that) within 15 seconds of a complaint.

Targets are floors, not ceilings. Beat them where you can. Never sacrifice accuracy for speed; a wrong order takes longer to fix than a slow order takes to ring.

Cashier-specific conduct rules (POS login, PIN handling, no manager-PIN sharing, drawer protocol) are above. The full list of behaviors that get you sent home (phone, gum, dress code, eating in front of guests, etc.) lives in Section 10 along with all employee dos and donts. Read both.

Acknowledge every guest within 4 seconds of them walking through the door, eye contact, smile, nod. Verbal greet within 6 seconds when they reach the counter. Smile with your teeth, not just your mouth. Voice up so the line behind hears the energy.

If a group walks up together, ask before you start ringing: are you all sitting together? If yes, put the entire group on one table number. One table, one number. It keeps the runs clean, the food drops accurate, and the kitchen sane.

First-timers get a real walk-through. Make them feel taken care of.

• Hand them a to-go menu, point to the pictures.
• Ask: are you allergic to anything? Get this out before recommendations.
• Recommend the easy entry: a bowl or a burrito. Say, bowls and burritos are why we are famous.
• Or recommend the street food experience: pick a small Indian street food and a snack to share. Tell them, this is how we eat.
• Use a real personal pick. Say, my favorite is [your actual favorite]. AK orders the deconstructed samosa, desi hot. Rana orders aloo gobi kathi roll, no egg, desi hot.
• Confirm spice level. Mild, medium, spicy, desi hot. Be honest about desi hot, this is not your granny's food.

Every cashier interaction follows the same five-beat sequence. Run it for every guest, every order. The order matters: skipping the Guide step turns the cashier into an order taker. Skipping the Add-on step kills APC. Skipping the Close step ends the visit cold.

• WELCOME. 4-second acknowledge, 6-second verbal. Hi, welcome to Curry Up Now, is this your first time with us?
• GUIDE. Take a position, do not interrogate. If it is your first time, the butter chicken burrito and tikka masala bowl are our two most-ordered starting points.
• BUILD. Confirm protein, confirm spice, confirm modifiers. Repeat back, point to the screen, get the guest to confirm.
• ADD-ON. Specific add-on attempt that fits the dish. Garlic naan with the bowl or kabab is our most-ordered combo. Mango lassi to cool the heat.
• CLOSE. Repeat back the total. Direct the guest: grab any open table, water and drinks are self-serve, we bring the food to you. Goodbye, my pleasure, see you next time.

A cashier is not just an order-taker. The cashier controls the emotional pace of the line. A confident cashier can move 30 guests through in 25 minutes and have every one of them leave warm. A weak cashier turns a 6-deep line into a 12-deep line in five minutes by losing pace, drifting on indecisive guests, and skipping acknowledgments behind the front guest.

• Acknowledge every guest in line within 4 seconds of arrival, even when you are mid-order with the front guest. Look up, half-second smile, hi guys, I will be right with you. The acknowledgment is the eye contact and the word, the verbal greet can wait.
• Move indecisive guests fast. After 30 seconds of staring, ask one question that cuts the menu by half: bowl, burrito, or thali? Then a second question: chicken, paneer, or vegan? Then a third: mild, medium, or spicy? Three questions, decision made.
• Read overwhelmed first-timers in 10 seconds. The deer-in-headlights look means it is your job to take control. Use the hook (when was the last time you did something for the first time?), then the comfort line (Indian comfort food, the heat is in your hands), then the easy entry recommendation. Done in 30 seconds.
• Avoid bottlenecks at the register. If a guest is fishing for a card, taking a phone call mid-order, or arguing with their group about the order, do not freeze. Say, take your time, I will help the next guest while you decide. Move the line. Come back to them.
• Keep emotional pace high. Smile while ringing. Voice up so the line behind hears the energy. A dragging cashier kills the room.
• Read the line behind the front guest. If you see a wave forming, signal a coworker (raise your hand, nod) so a Greeter activates. Do not wait for the manager to notice.

Bad cashiers interrogate. They ask, what protein, what spice, what toppings, what side, what drink. The guest answers six questions in a row, leaves feeling processed.

Great cashiers guide. They take a position. If it is your first time, the butter chicken burrito and tikka masala bowl are our two most-ordered starting points. Then they ask one question, not six.

The interrogation feels like a form. The guide feels like a recommendation from a friend who eats here every day. We are the friend, not the form.

• Confirm protein every single time. Chicken? Paneer? Lamb? Vegan? Never assume.
• Confirm spice level. Only repeat back if it is spicy or desi hot. Medium is par, do not call it out.
• No spice level on Bowls, Thalis, Naughty Naan, Kababs, or Family Style Entrees to Go. They come at their set heat, offer hot sauce or chutney on the side.
• Watch the line. Move with urgency. Do not rush, but do not drift.
• Never turn your back on a guest at the counter. If you must step away, say, please excuse me one moment, I will be right back. Thank them for waiting when you return.

Every order. Every time. Even the simple ones. This is where 90 percent of mistakes get caught and avoided. After you read it back, point to the screen facing the guest and ask them to confirm everything is right. They are the last check.

• Login: the register is always assigned to CUN Cashier, PIN 1111. Never assign yourself, never use a manager login for sales.
• Open: count the drawer down before service. Confirm the opening balance with the manager on shift. If the drawer is ever over or short, tell a manager immediately.
• Always ask: dine in or to go? Default to dine in if you do not ask, and you will mis-route orders.
• To-go orders: format the order with the guest's first name, OS (On Site) for last name, and a phone number.
• Process payment fast. Process the payment immediately.
• If credit card, address them by their last name when handing it back. Thank you, Mr. Patel. Enjoy your meal. (See the receipt-name move in Section 10A.)
• Cash drawer should never be left open longer than the transaction needs.
• Open and close every shift with the same cash. Open and close with the same cashier.
• Training mode: when training, ask a manager to put the register into training mode (manager PIN). This keeps test orders out of sales and reporting.

• Modifiers: every protein, every spice level, every sub goes in as a modifier. Practice these.
• Deletes: when a guest changes their mind before payment, delete the line item, do not just leave it.
• Voids and returns: only managers can void or refund a closed transaction. Get a manager.
• Discounts: only managers can apply discounts. Get a manager. Never enter a manager PIN you have memorized.
• Split payments: the guest tells you how to split (by item, by share). Read the split back before processing.
• Change a table number: after the order is rung in, you can update the table number, do not re-ring.
• Recall a previous order: every shift, learn the recall path on your store's POS so you can pull a closed ticket if a guest asks.

• Acknowledges within 4 seconds, every time, no exceptions.
• Reads the guest in 10 seconds: first-timer, regular, in a rush, indecisive, family, hesitant about price, dietary need.
• Guides indecisive guests in two sentences instead of letting them stare at the menu.
• Repeats the order back, points to the screen, asks the guest to confirm.
• Suggests one specific add-on that fits the dish, says my favorite is, or, this is the most-ordered combo.
• Smiles while multitasking, voice up, energy on, never robotic.
• Catches modifier confusion before it leaves the counter.
• Says my pleasure when thanked. Every time.
• Owns the goodbye, eye contact, real one-liner, holds the door if they can.

• Stares at the POS screen while the guest waits.
• Says umm, uhh, I think so when asked anything.
• Reads the menu out loud instead of guiding.
• Skips the repeat-back, lets the kitchen catch the mistake later.
• Asks anything else? as the only upsell, then waits silently.
• Talks to coworkers while a guest is at the counter.
• Lets the line back up without acknowledging the next guest.
• Says no problem, no worries, you got it instead of my pleasure.
• Hands the card back, says nothing, does not look up.

Every guest leaves with a goodbye. Make them smile. Try a one-liner. Welcome to the family. Come back hungrier next time. We will be here. The door is your last chance to make a regular. (See the full Goodbye That Brings Them Back script in Section 10A.)

Once the order is placed, the expediter owns the guest experience until they leave.

Volume and tone in front of guests is part of the brand. The dining room hears everything that happens at the expo window. Never yell. Never sound stressed. Never bark a demand. The kitchen is already working at top speed, telling them they are slow only makes it worse.

Pulling food from the expo window is a craft. Do it wrong, food sits, plates lose temperature, the line backs up. Do it right and the kitchen and the floor stay in rhythm.

• Read the ticket on the rail before you grab the plate. Match the table number. Match the protein. Match the modifications.
• Confirm with the kitchen: Chef, this is the chicken tikka masala for table 18, correct? Wait for the nod.
• Plate it cleanly, garnish per spec, wipe the rim of the bowl if needed.
• Move fast and quiet. Do not slam plates. Do not crowd the pass.
• If a plate is not to spec (wrong protein, wrong garnish, wrong temperature), do not run it. Hand it back politely: Chef, sorry, can we re-fire this one, the protein looks off?

These are the standard kitchen phrases. Use them, your kitchen will love you for it.

Food must be in the guest's hands within 10 minutes. 12 minutes max. Always look at the ticket times on the KDS, add a few minutes for the kitchen and your run, and quote a real wait time at the counter. Set expectations up front: today we are running about 12 minutes, food will be at your table by then. Honest expectations buy patience. Silence loses the guest.

If the kitchen is backed up and you know it will be longer, walk to the table BEFORE the quoted time hits, tell them honestly, your order is up next, just a couple more minutes, and offer water or a fountain drink.

Auctioning food is when a runner walks out with a plate and asks the room: who had the burrito? Who got the bowl?

We do not do that. The auction signals the runner did not pay attention at expo. It makes the guest do the work. It feels cheap, every time, in every restaurant.

Read the ticket at expo. Locate the table. Walk out knowing who gets what. Drop the dish, name the dish, move.

If you genuinely do not know which guest at the table ordered which dish, hold the plate, walk back to the ticket, look at the seat number or the order. Then come back and drop with confidence.

Every plate gets named when it lands. Never just put food down and walk away. Say what it is. Be efficient: do not over-explain something the guest just ordered (saying chicken tikka masala burrito with chicken is obvious, just say chicken tikka masala). The guest needs to know they got the right plate.

Look at the guest, not the table. Lock eyes for half a second when you say enjoy. This is the one moment in the meal where the guest feels seen. Do not stare at the plate while you are placing it. Place the plate, look up, smile, name the dish, then move. (See the Five Handoffs in Section 10A.)

Hit every dine-in table within 90 seconds of the food drop. No exceptions, even during a rush. The two-minute check-back is when we catch the guest who is too polite to flag the problem.

If something is wrong, fix it on the spot. Never argue. Get a manager involved if it is going to take longer than a minute or if a comp is needed. Use the LEAST method, see section fourteen.

If a guest is not eating or looks unhappy with the food, we replace it. No questions, no debate, no embarrassment. Be the one to bring it up before they have to. Watch for: a barely touched plate after five minutes, a sour expression after the first bite, a guest pushing food around without eating it.

Once a guest sits, they should never have to come back to the counter to add to their order. Walk every table around the four to six minute mark with a handheld POS in hand. Ask, anything else I can add for you, a naan, another lassi, a samosa? If yes, ring it in on the handheld and the kitchen has it instantly. This is the move that turns one transaction into two.

Bussing is the heart of the expediter shift. Water is self-serve, so the time you would have spent on water service goes straight into bussing the room. The dining room must look clean at every glance. The cadence:

• Every five to seven minutes, walk every table. Pre-bus empty plates, used napkins, empty cups. Do not wait to be asked.
• The moment a guest stands or signals they are leaving, bus that table. Do not let it sit for even thirty seconds with dirty plates.
• Every ten minutes, walk every table consuming alcohol. Offer a refill on the beer, wine, or cocktail.
• Combine the bussing pass with the food check whenever possible. One trip, two jobs.
• Make sure the water station is always stocked: cups, ice, lemons, clean. If you walk past it and it is short on anything, fix it before your next step. A guest hitting an empty water station is on us.

The moment a plate is empty or a guest stops eating, ask, may I take this for you? Pre-busing keeps tables clean, keeps the room looking sharp, and signals you are paying attention.

• Buss cart is set up and ready before every shift. Required items: 5 black buss tubs, 1 instant sanitizer spray, 2 rags.
• Bus in a pattern: start inside, work your way out. Never bus one table at a time when multiple are open.
• Sweep the floor and wipe the chairs after every guest leaves. The next guest sees a fresh table.
• Be careful: do not break dishes. Bus quickly but efficiently.
• Bar glasses always go back to the bar, never to the dish pit.
• Chairs never go on the table during service. Ever.

Once a guest sits, the only thing they get up for is water. If they want more food, another beer, another lassi, they flag us down, we ring it in on the handheld, we deliver it. They do not get back in line. This is one of the things that separates us from quick service. Communicate this to every guest at the handoff.

Every order is either first party (1PD) or third party (3PD). The food is identical. The ticket flow, the packing and the handoff are completely different. Mixing them up is the number one source of errors, refunds and one-star reviews.

1. A guest places the order through DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub on their phone.
2. The order prints on the 3PD tablet or KDS, not the main Toast register. Watch both screens every shift, check the tablet every 5 minutes.
3. The kitchen prepares the food exactly as they would for a dine-in order.
4. You or the designated to-go person pack the order.
5. Before sealing: open every container, read the ticket, check protein, sauces, sides and chutneys. No exceptions.
6. When you take the order from the kitchen, mark it fulfilled in the KDS. Keep cold condiments inside the box, close each box, write the item name clearly on the lid, and only tick the ticket ready after double-checking every item.
7. Seal the bag. Write the guest's first name clearly on the outside. Staple the receipt to the bag. Sealed drinks go inside the bag. For drinks handed over separately, chai or fountain soda, write the drink name on the cup or bag.
8. Place the sealed bag on the designated handoff shelf or pickup window.
9. When the driver arrives, confirm the order name out loud before handing anything over.

To-go is its own job. A designated to-go person works the station at SJ, SM, and PA. At other locations, the expediter doubles. Either way, the bagging spec is the same.

• Read the KDS screen. Know how to bump (close), recall, and identify priority orders.
• Open every box before sealing. Check protein, check sauces, check chutneys, check sides. No exceptions.
• Confirm any sauces that ride along: maggi hot and sweet ketchup, chutneys, tikka dip for ravioli.

• Staple the receipt to the outside of the bag.
• Write the guest's first name clearly on the bag. Use the location indicated by your trainer.
• Use bag sealers when packing hot or saucy items, or when the order goes out for delivery.
• Know how many items per bag at your store: do not overload, do not underuse. Heavy items on the bottom, naan and dry items on top.
• Standard count: include 2 napkins per item, sporks per dish that needs one, knives only when ordered.
• Use the right paper goods: kathi wraps for kathi rolls, straws and lids for cold drinks, leak-proof containers for any sauce-heavy dish.
• Place the finished bag where designated (handoff shelf, pickup window). Match it to the order ticket.

• Hot items: insulated bag or sealed paper bag. Heavy items at the bottom.
• Cold items: separate bag or compartment. Lassi and bottles wrapped if needed to prevent leaks.
• Burritos and bowls: foil-wrap burritos, lid-secure bowls. Tape if going long distance.
• If a 75 percent leak rate is happening, that is on us. Test seals before they leave the building.

Before a single dish or bag leaves the expo window, the expediter walks the seven-point check. No skipping. No I-am-sure-it-is-right. The check is what stops a wrong order from becoming a complaint.

• Right entree on the right ticket.
• Right protein. Chicken, paneer, lamb, vegan, confirmed.
• Right modifiers. Spice level, no onions, extra rice, all reflected on the plate.
• All sauces and chutneys present. Tikka dip for ravioli, maggi for fries, raita with biryani, sago papad on the bowl.
• All sides and add-ons present. Naan, samosa, drink, dessert, all accounted for.
• Allergy flag handled. If the ticket is flagged, the kitchen confirmed verbally, the dish was prepped on a clean station.
• Guest name and table number visible on the bag or platter. The runner should not have to guess.

• Locates the table confidently before walking out, never wanders.
• Names the dish and the protein at the drop: chicken tikka masala here, paneer kadhai for you.
• Eye contact, half-second smile, careful, hot plate.
• Pre-buses the table on the way back: empty plate, empty glass, untouched bread basket gone.
• Notices the table is low on water before the guest does.
• Uses guest names when visible on the receipt: enjoy, Mr. Patel.

• Walks out with a plate, asks the room: who had the burrito?
• Sets the food down without saying the dish name.
• Does not make eye contact, does not smile, drops and runs.
• Walks past empty plates and glasses without picking them up.
• Hands the wrong dish to the wrong table because they did not check the ticket at expo.

Walk every table one last time. Say something. Thank them. Invite them back. If they had the deconstructed samosa, mention AK eats his desi hot. If they had a kathi roll, mention Rana orders aloo gobi no egg. People remember stories. Make them part of one.

• Greet with eye contact, every time.
• Take the order with eye contact, not eyes on the screen.
• Drop the food with eye contact, not eyes on the plate.
• Say goodbye with eye contact, not over the shoulder.
• If a guest catches your eye from a table, walk over, do not nod and keep going.

These are the five non-negotiable eye contact moments. We call them the Five Handoffs. See Section 10A for the full standard.

Smile with your teeth. The mouth-only smile reads as fake on camera and in person. Practice in a mirror. The greeting and the goodbye are the two non-negotiable smiles. Both are how the guest decides if they are coming back.

• Stand up straight. No leaning on the counter.
• Hands out of pockets, off the counter, no fidgeting.
• Never sit at a guest's table, even if you know them.
• Excuse yourself when you cross in front of a guest or reach over them.
• Walk with purpose. We are a volume business. Speed reads as competence.

• We walk fast, never run.
• We communicate loud enough for the team to hear, calm enough not to spook guests.
• We stay aware. Eyes up, scanning the room, the line, the door, the expo window.
• We do not lean. We do not disappear. We do not watch others work.
• If you have time to stand, you have time to clean. If you have time to clean, you have time to greet.
• Urgency creates energy. Energy creates sales. Sales create the team's tip pool.

On the clock, no phone on your person. The moment you clock in, your phone goes in the storage box, off. Not in your apron, not in your back pocket, not on a shelf you can sneak to. The box, off.

Absolutely no phones on shift. A phone visible on your person during a shift, even once, is grounds for termination. No second warning. No I-was-just-checking-the-time. We have clocks for that.

Emergencies happen. If you are expecting a real emergency call, tell the manager at clock-in, the manager will hold your phone and check it for you. The exception is rare; the rule is the rule.

We want individuality to shine. Wear 1 to 2 CUN-branded marks (a hat, a pin) and let the rest reflect who you are. The rules on what goes on your hat or pins:

• Local pride is good: your city, your team, your neighborhood, your country.
• Personality is good: your hobby, your favorite band, your dog, your kid's name.
• Nothing controversial. Nothing political. Nothing offensive. If you have to ask whether it is OK, it is not.

These behaviors do not get you sent home. They kill the shift. The dismissal-grade list is below this one (those get you sent home). The list here is the death-of-momentum list, the things that make a shift drag, kill the line speed, and turn a great team into a slow one. Trainers and shift leads coach these in the moment, every time.

• Leaning on the counter, the wall, the POS, anything.
• Slow walking when you should be moving with purpose.
• Huddling at the POS or the expo window with two or more coworkers chatting.
• Whispering or having a side conversation in front of guests.
• Dead eyes. Staring at the screen, the floor, or the middle distance instead of scanning the room.
• Hiding in the back of house when the floor is moving.
• Silent line. Cashiers ringing without warmth, runners dropping without naming, no team-to-team callouts.
• Walking back from a table empty-handed when there was a plate to bus, a glass to clear, or a chair to square.
• Ignoring a guest who walked in because you are mid-order. The acknowledgment is half a second.
• Letting a stocked station run dry when you walked past it three times.
• Standing at the POS when there is no guest there. The POS is for ringing, not for hanging out.

Energy is contagious in both directions. The team member who drags pulls the room down. The team member who moves with purpose pulls the room up. Be the second one.

This is the master list. It applies to every role on shift, FOH and BOH. If a manager sees any of these, the shift ends and a write-up follows. There is no warning for repeat occurrences after the first.

• Phone visible or in hand on the floor.
• Chewing gum, ever.
• Eating, drinking, or sipping a drink in front of a guest.
• Out of dress code: torn or stained shirt, dirty apron, no hat in BOH, open-toe or non-slip-failed shoes, no hair containment when handling food.
• Smoking on shift, including vapes and chew. Smoke on your own time.
• Texting or talking with coworkers while a guest is at the counter.
• Making a guest wait more than 30 seconds without acknowledgment.
• Telling a guest no, we cannot do that, instead of finding a yes or asking a manager.
• Using your own POS login or a manager's PIN. Always CUN Cashier, PIN 1111.
• Walking into the kitchen and making your own food. The shift meal must be rung in.
• Pouring or grabbing a comp drink that is not rung into Toast.
• Saying any banned phrase to a guest: customer, no problem, no worries, that is just how it is, I just work here, that is not my section.
• Anything controversial, political, or offensive on a hat or pin. If you have to ask, no.

Section 18 covers food safety dismissals (handwashing failures, cross contamination, dropping food and serving it, working in the danger zone). Read both.

Recommend, do not sell. Suggest, do not push. Every cashier earns themselves a raise on every shift through the right add-on at the right moment.

WHY THIS MATTERS, THE MATH

Average ticket size (we call it APC, average price per check) is the single biggest lever a cashier controls. Every dollar added to the average ticket compounds. If you add one $4 item to half your orders during a 4-hour rush, you just added several hundred dollars to the day, and the guest left with a more complete meal. Tips run roughly 5 to 10 percent of total sales at most CUN locations. Bigger check, bigger tip. You give yourself a raise.

THE ART, IN ONE LINE

People do not buy because we sell. People buy because they trust us. Trust is built by knowing what you are talking about, asking the right question, and recommending what fits. Read the order. Read the guest. Match the suggestion to both. The suggestion that fits never feels like a sell.

THE APC STANDARD AT EVERY REGISTER

WHAT GREAT ADD-ON LANGUAGE LOOKS LIKE

THE FOUR ATTACHMENT CATEGORIES

Every cashier knows these four, cold. Each has its own scripted opener, its own attach rate target, and its own logic for when it fits.

• Trigger: any bowl, any thali, any kabab order. Naan is what India uses to scoop the sauce.
• The pitch: garlic naan is the most-ordered combo with bowls because it is the perfect scoop.
• The variants: butter naan with butter chicken, sesame onion with kadhai, garlic cheese for groups, peri peri for heat seekers, burnt chili garlic for the desi hot crowd.
• Do not: pitch naan on a burrito. The burrito IS the wrap, you cannot dip naan into a burrito. Steer to a samosa or fries instead.

• Trigger: every guest, every time. The line is, mango lassi or a chai with that?
• Spicy main goes with mango lassi to cool the heat. Tell them: lassi is the original spice cooler, three thousand years before milk.
• Spicy main, dairy-averse, goes with the spicy guava lemonade. Tell them: it leans into the heat instead of fighting it.
• Mexican Coke for the cane sugar story. Indian sodas (Thums Up, Limca) for the how-Indian-kids-grow-up story.
• End-of-meal: chai and Parle-G. Tell them, this is how Indians close a meal.

• Trigger: any guest who ordered a full bowl, burrito, or thali. Skip on a single-samosa order.
• Gulab jamun: warm, syrup-soaked donuts, two per order, the most-ordered Indian dessert in America.
• Kheer (where offered): Indian rice pudding, cardamom, slivered almonds, like rice pudding's cooler cousin.
• Mango lassi as a dessert pivot if they declined a sweet.

• Mini samosa side: biggest filling per dollar, perfect bite alongside any burrito, bowl, or thali. Pitch it on every order that does not already have one.
• Sub sweet potato fries on the sexy fries: no upcharge, big upgrade. Tell them: same price, sweeter cut, holds the sauce better.
• Guac on a burrito or bowl: next-level goodness. Tell them: a scoop of guac on top changes the whole bite, it adds creaminess that pairs with literally every sauce we make.
• Double protein on a kathi roll or burrito: easy yes, big check lift.
• Cauliflower rice on a burrito or bowl, sub or add: shows you listened to the keto, the gluten-free, or the just-watching-carbs guest.
• GF tortilla on a burrito for a gluten-sensitive guest: small upcharge, communicates we noticed.

SPECIFIC UPSELL LOGIC BY ORDER SHAPE

THE DESSERT AND CHAI CLOSE

End every meal with a chai close. Even when guests are full, they appreciate being asked. The Indian way to end a meal is with chai and Parle-G. Tell them this. Tell them how the biscuit dunks. They almost always say yes once they hear the story.

CATERING SEED PLANTING

Catering is one of our biggest growth levers and most cashiers never plant a single seed. Listen for the cues. Office shirts, lanyards, school logos, sports team gear, event chatter. Plant a seed, hand them the card, log the lead with the manager.

WHAT WEAK APC LOOKS LIKE, BEHAVIORS TO KILL

Three rings or less. The voice on the other end is a guest, treat them like one.

THE OPENING

HOLDS

• Always ask before placing on hold: do you mind if I put you on hold for a moment? Wait for the answer.
• Do not leave anyone on hold longer than 60 seconds. If it is going to be longer, take their number, call them back.
• Come back to the line: thank you for holding, what can I do for you?

PITCH THE APP AND THE WEBSITE

Many phone callers are placing a pickup or delivery order. We make a higher margin when they order through our website (curryupnow.com) or our app (Curry Up Now on iOS and Android), because we do not pay a third-party platform a 30 percent fee. Pitch the website or app on every phone order.

CATERING INQUIRIES

When a caller mentions catering, do not try to close it yourself. Pricing, minimums and logistics run through the manager. Your job is to capture the lead warmly and hand it off before your next task.

COMMON PHONE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

PHONE DOS AND DON'TS

Same script, different delivery. Read the room.

THE FIRST-TIMER

First-timers are nervous. They cannot pronounce most of the menu, they have heard Indian food is spicy, and they are scared of looking dumb at the counter. Your job is to take that fear off the table in 4 seconds.

• Hand them a paper menu. Walk them through it. Do not dump the whole menu on them, simplify to the easy entry: a bowl or a burrito with butter chicken or tikka masala, plus a side of garlic naan.
• Ask, are you allergic to anything? Get this answered before recommendations.
• Recommend a personal pick. Lead with a story (founder pick, AK eats this, this dish is on the SF 7x7 list).
• Confirm spice level honestly. Be cautious with desi hot for first-timers.
• Tell them the steps: order at counter, sit, water and drinks self-serve, food comes to you.
• Goal of every first-timer interaction: they leave saying that was way easier and way cooler than I expected.

THE REGULAR

• Use their name. Ask, the usual? They love being seen.
• Ask about something specific (their dog, their kids, the trip they mentioned). Most managers should know the top 5 to 10 regulars by name and order. The longer-tenured the manager, the longer the list.
• Do not over-talk. Regulars know us already, they want speed and recognition, not a sales pitch.

THE QUIET GUEST

• Give them space. Do not over-narrate.
• Speak softly. Match their energy.
• Recommend simply. One line, not three.

THE GUEST IN A HURRY

• Acknowledge it: I will get you out fast.
• Skip the upsell. Recommend the fastest-out item (a bowl or burrito over a thali).
• Process payment quickly. Tell them the food will be at their table in under 8 minutes.
• Walk the food yourself if you can.

THE ANGRY OR UPSET GUEST

• Walk through LEAST. Listen, Empathize, Apologize, Solve, Thank. See section fourteen.
• Do not argue. Do not interrupt. Get a manager involved if needed.

THE BIG GROUP

• We do not add automatic gratuity on parties of any size. Tip stays at the guest's discretion. If they ask, that is the answer.
• Ask how they want to split the check before ordering. Save the headache later.
• Recommend shareable items: thalis, sexy fries, samosas, naan, sizzlin' kabab.
• If they are taking longer to decide, offer to bring water to the table while they decide.

THE TO-GO GUEST

• Pitch the app and website (see Section 12).
• Ring it in correctly: first name, OS for last, phone number.
• Quote a real wait time. If you say 10 minutes, mean 10. Do not under-quote.
• Walk the bag to the door if you have time.

Listen, all the way through

Do not start solving while they are still talking. People want to be heard before they want to be fixed. Lock eyes. Stop moving. Nod. Let them finish even if you already know the answer.

Empathize, then apologize

These are different. Empathy is showing you understand the feeling. Apology is taking ownership of the result. Use both.

Solve, fast and visibly

• Replace the dish, no debate. Walk the new plate yourself.
• Comp the dish if a replacement does not fix it. Manager approves. Toast logs the comp.
• Offer something on the house: a chai, a lassi, a samosa, a free piece of naan.
• If the issue is bigger than a dish (long wait, missed item, allergic concern), get a manager. Do not let it linger.

Thank, sincerely

End every recovery with a real thank you. The guest who complained and got handled well becomes a more loyal regular than the guest who never had an issue. Treat them like a gift. Most people who have a bad experience never tell us, they just leave and never come back. The one who told you gave you a chance. Thank them.

• Anything related to allergies, illness, or food safety: get a manager immediately. No exceptions.
• Anything that involves a comp or a refund of more than one item: get a manager.
• Any guest asking for the manager: get them, do not try to handle it yourself.
• Aggressive or threatening behavior: tell a manager immediately. Do not engage.

• That is just how we make it.
• Sorry, that is not my section / I just work here.
• Are you sure? You ordered it that way.
• It happens / shrug it off.
• Calm down.
• My manager said we can't.

Kids decide where families eat. Treat them like guests.

• Eye contact with the kid first, before the parent. Three seconds of attention works wonders.
• Talk to the kid. Ask their name. Use it later.
• Hand them a kid menu, a coloring page, or a sticker if your store has them.
• Bring water in a kid-safe cup.
• If you have time, walk the family to their table.

This is our kid plate. Mini portions, kid-friendly. Recommend a paneer or chicken option, plain rice, a small naan, mango lassi. No spice.

Always offer a mango lassi to a kid at the table. Almost every kid says yes, parents almost always approve. It is sweet, cold, and makes the kid happy. Happy kid, happy table, happy meal.

Beverages live on the menu in section five. Refer there for descriptions, allergens, and sell lines for our mango lassi, chai and Parle-G, mandarin cardamom fresca, strawberry dragonfruit cooler, farmer’s punch, spicy guava lemonade, sweet iced tea, and organic fountain soda. This section is here as a placeholder so the section list stays complete.

Beverages live on the menu in section five. Refer there for descriptions, allergens, and sell lines for our mango lassi, chai and Parle-G, mandarin cardamom fresca, strawberry dragonfruit cooler, farmer’s punch, spicy guava lemonade, sweet iced tea, and organic fountain soda.

Beverages live on the menu in section five. Refer there for descriptions, allergens, and sell lines for our mango lassi, chai and Parle-G, mandarin cardamom fresca, strawberry dragonfruit cooler, farmer’s punch, spicy guava lemonade, sweet iced tea, and organic fountain soda.

• LEAST. Listen, empathize, apologize, solve, thank.
• Replace the dish, no debate. Walk the new plate yourself.
• Get a manager involved if it is going to take longer than a minute, or if a comp is needed.

• Look up the order on Toast. Confirm the order was rung in and bagged.
• Check the handoff shelf. Check the to-go station.
• If the order is missing, remake it on the fly. Comp any wait time. Apologize sincerely.
• If the driver claims an item is missing on a delivery, log it, refund through the platform per protocol, do not argue with the driver.

If the drawer is short or over at any point, tell a manager immediately. Do not try to balance it yourself. Do not move money between drawers without manager sign-off.

• Stay calm. Do not match the energy.
• Get a manager. Do not engage alone.
• If anyone feels physically threatened, the manager calls 911. Document time, what was said, who was involved.
• Document immediately after the incident. Memory fades.

• Wash hands when you enter the floor, after every break, after handling cash, after using the restroom, after touching your face, after sneezing or coughing, every 30 to 60 minutes during a busy shift.
• Soap, hot water, 20 seconds. Sing happy birthday twice, or sing the alphabet. Either gets you to 20 seconds. Dry with a clean paper towel.
• Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the bathroom door.

• Never touch ready-to-eat food with the same gloves that handled raw meat. Change gloves.
• Use the right cutting board: meat board for meat, veg board for veg. Color coded.
• If a glove rips, throw it out, wash hands, put on a new pair.
• If you drop anything (food, utensil, container), throw it out and grab a new one. Never serve dropped food.

• Fresh bucket every 2 hours. No exceptions, even on a slow shift.
• 200 PPM chlorine. Test it with the PPM strips kept at the station.
• One rag lives in the bucket. Wipe all food-contact surfaces between uses.
• Refill all sanitizer buckets, front and back stations, as part of opening.
• Dump all sanitizer water at close. Never leave it overnight.

• Food does not touch the floor. Ever. Use shelving, racks, mats.
• Walk-in storage: pallets or shelves only. No food on the floor of the walk-in.
• If a container falls and the seal breaks, toss it.

• If you see a coworker eat off a guest plate, tell a manager.
• If you see ungloved hands touching ready-to-eat food, tell a manager.
• If you see a thermometer reading in the danger zone, tell the kitchen and a manager.
• Health inspectors can show up unannounced. Every shift is an inspection-ready shift.

What every guest should see, what they should never see.

• A clean, well-lit dining room with no debris on the floor.
• Stocked water station: cups, ice, lemons, clean tray. If you walk past it short, fix it.
• Stocked drink station: lids, straws, napkins, condiments.
• A clean counter, not stacked with mail, papers, or boxes.
• A staffed front counter: someone visible and ready to greet within 4 seconds.
• Full menu boards lit, current pricing, no missing or curled letters.
• Restrooms checked every hour, paper goods stocked, mirrors clean.

• A team member on a phone, eating, or chewing gum at the counter.
• Trash overflowing in the dining room or at the drink station.
• Dirty tables sitting more than 60 seconds after a guest left.
• A back of house argument or raised voices.
• An unlocked back door, a delivery cart in the dining room, supplies stacked in the public area.
• A POS screen turned toward them with another guest's order on it.

Dining room non-negotiables

A guest judges cleanliness in the first three seconds, before they have tasted anything we make. The dining room is the brand's silent ambassador. The list below is the floor, not the goal.

• Arrive 10 minutes before clock-in. Wash hands, change into clean uniform.
• Read the shift board: 86 list, special VIPs, large group reservations, anything new.
• Eat your shift meal before service or save it for break, never on the floor.
• Check stock at your station: napkins, sporks, sauces, water cups, paper goods. Top up before guests arrive.
• Walk the dining room. Tables level, chairs in, floor clean, menus stacked. Wipe down anything that needs it.
• Walk the bathrooms. Stocked, clean, lights on.
• Walk the entrance. Door clean, mats straight, signage up to date.

• Communicate with the kitchen. If something gets 86'd, all FOH knows in 60 seconds.
• Bus and pre-bus continuously. The dining room never looks like a recent event happened.
• Refill supplies before they run out (water, sauces, napkins, sporks).
• Keep your station clean. Wipe down between every order pulse.
• Stay sharp on the loyalty pitch and the chai close. Do not get lazy in the rush.

• Bus every table. Wipe every surface. Sweep, mop where assigned.
• Reset every table for the next service: chairs in, table number visible, clean.
• Restock for the next shift: napkins, sporks, sauces, paper goods, drinkware.
• Take out trash. Break down boxes. Walk the back area for any spillage or debris.
• Cash out: cashier counts the drawer down, manager confirms. Tips closed out per shift policy.
• End-of-day Toast report: pull the sales summary, the void log, the comp log. Manager reviews.
• Lock up: doors, gates, alarm. Walk the perimeter.
• Clock out, time-stamped, no off-the-clock work.

Our loyalty program is called Thanx. Pitch it to every guest, every time. The point of Thanx is simple: when you become a member, every visit earns you something, and we keep getting better at recognizing you. Free to join, instant value on the first order.

Members earn 10 points for every dollar spent. They earn no matter how they order: in-store at the counter, on our app (Curry Up Now in the App Store and Google Play), or on our website (curryupnow.com). The points work the same across all three channels. There is no penalty for ordering at the counter, and no extra reward for ordering on the app, except for the direct-channel offers we run.

• Ask at the counter: are you a Thanx member yet?
• If yes, look up by phone number on the POS. Apply available rewards before processing payment, not after.
• If no, pitch the four things they get (above), then point at the QR code on the counter. Sign-up takes 30 seconds. The $10 off applies to their order today.
• If they decline, do not push twice. Move on, finish the order with full hospitality.

• Birthday reward: 1,500 bonus points during the guest's birthday month. Roughly the value of a free burrito. Mention it when relevant: hey, your birthday month is coming up, you will get 1,500 bonus points the moment it hits.
• Exclusive offers: members get early access to new items, seasonal drops, and members-only deals throughout the year. The cadence is set by marketing, you do not need to memorize the calendar, just know it exists and is real value.
• First-order $10 off: applies the moment they sign up and link a card. Instant. Push it as the closer when a guest is on the fence about joining.

Our website (curryupnow.com) and our app are direct channels. DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub are third-party marketplaces. Both work, but direct is better for the guest and for us.

If a guest asks why they should switch from DoorDash to our app: it is cheaper for them, they earn points, and it supports the team that just served them. That is the whole pitch.

Some locations send a text or email survey after a meal, asking the guest to rate their experience. This is Ovation. If a guest mentions a survey response, route them to a manager and respond fast. The Ovation feedback loop is how we catch issues before they become public reviews.

• Tell the manager. Do not respond yourself, and do not respond on your personal account.
• If the guest is still in the building, the LEAST method applies. Listen, empathize, apologize, solve, thank.
• Document the situation in writing, time-stamped, while it is fresh. The manager files it for the response.

Our website (curryupnow.com) and our app are direct channels. DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub are third-party marketplaces. Both work, but direct is better for the guest and for us. If a guest asks why they should switch from DoorDash to our app: it is cheaper for them, they earn points, and it supports the team that just served them. That is the whole pitch.

Some locations send a text or email survey after a meal, asking the guest to rate their experience. This is Ovation. If a guest mentions a survey response, route them to a manager and respond fast. The Ovation feedback loop is how we catch issues before they become public reviews.

• Tell the manager. Do not respond yourself, and do not respond on your personal account.
• If the guest is still in the building, the LEAST method applies. Listen, empathize, apologize, solve, thank.
• Document the situation in writing, time-stamped, while it is fresh. The manager files it for the response.

Hospitality is the only thing competitors cannot copy. They can copy a recipe. They can copy a price point. They can copy a logo. They cannot copy how it feels to walk in our door, be seen in 4 seconds, get a real welcome, hear a real my pleasure, and walk out with a goodbye that uses your name. That is the moat.

The lineage we draw on is the Ritz-Carlton standard: ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen. Truett Cathy's Chick-fil-A took the Ritz phrase "my pleasure" and proved it works at fast service speed. We are taking it one step further: real hospitality at fast casual prices, in 90 seconds at the counter, on a $12 burrito.

The mindset to bring to every shift: you are the host of your own dinner party. The guest walking in is not a customer, not a transaction, not a check average. They are someone you invited over. You are happy they came. You will make sure they leave happy. That is the only frame.

What the four-second rule is not: it is not yelling welcome from across the room. It is not waving at someone with both hands full. It is not a fake corporate-trained singsong. It is a real, calm, sincere acknowledgment that you saw them. Even if you are mid-order with another guest, you can lift your head, make eye contact, smile, and say one word.

If you are mid-transaction and a new guest walks in: lift your head, lock eyes for half a second, nod, say hi or one moment. The guest in front of you understands. The guest who walked in feels seen. Both are happy.

My pleasure is the two words that change everything. Truett Cathy heard it at the Ritz-Carlton in the 1980s and made it the official Chick-fil-A response to thank you. He recognized that no problem and no worries put a hidden negative into the exchange: a problem the guest might have caused. My pleasure flips it: serving you was not a chore, it was a pleasure. We are using the same phrase, for the same reason.

The sincerity check: my pleasure does not work if you say it like a robot. Say it the same way you would say it to a friend who just thanked you for grabbing them a coffee. Warm, eye contact, half a beat of pause. If it sounds scripted, it failed. If it sounds like you mean it, you are doing fine dining hospitality at a fast casual counter.

Five moments per guest visit demand eye contact. Miss any one and the visit feels transactional. Hit all five and the visit feels personal. These are the Five Handoffs.

What kills eye contact: phones, screens, coworker chatter, walking with eyes down, being mid-bite. The first three are choices you make. Make better ones.

The greeting opens the door. The second question is the unlock. After hi welcome to Curry Up Now, you have to route the conversation. The second question tells the guest you are paying attention and tells you what they need. There are four standard routes. Pick the one that fits the guest in front of you.

Peak is when a wave of guests arrives at once and the line backs up past seven people. At that point, the cashier alone is not enough. One FOH team member moves from the counter to the door and becomes the Greeter.

• Walks the line, hands out paper menus to anyone who does not have one.
• Asks each guest the right second question (first time, sitting together, what are you in the mood for) so they are decided by the time they reach the counter.
• Takes orders on a handheld POS for guests near the front of the line, so the cashier only handles payment when they reach the counter.
• Flags first-timers, allergens, and big groups to the cashier so the cashier can speed up.
• Acknowledges every new guest who walks in within 4 seconds, even if the cashier is heads down.

The Greeter move is borrowed from Sweetgreen's line captain and Chick-fil-A's drive-thru runner. Both built billion-dollar brands on the same insight: the wait feels half as long when someone in uniform is talking to you. The Greeter is what turns a 12-minute line into a 6-minute experience.

Same script, different delivery. The words can be identical, the energy adjusts to the guest. Read who is at the table, then deliver.

• Phone face down: ready to engage. Phone face up: do not over-talk.
• Leaning forward: tell them more, they want the story.
• Leaning back: keep it short, drop the food, move on.
• Looking around: they are deciding, slow down, recommend.
• Looking at the door: they are leaving soon, get the check ready.
• Smiling unprompted: they like you, this is when you ask for the Yelp review.

The last 5 seconds matter as much as the first 4. The goodbye is what the guest remembers walking out the door, on the drive home, when they decide what to eat next week. A flat goodbye gets a flat memory. A real goodbye gets a regular.

• Eye contact when they stand up or move toward the door.
• Move toward them, do not yell across the room.
• Use their name if you have it (from the order, the receipt, or memory).
• Hold the door open if you can. Yes, even at fast casual.
• Last words: a sincere come back, with eye contact, with a smile.

The Yelp/Google ask, when the goodbye is the right time

If the interaction was strong (they smiled unprompted, complimented the food, asked questions, joked with you), the goodbye is the right moment to ask for a review. Not before, not pushy. Hand them the business card with the ask.

Ten signature moves that signal fine dining. None of them cost money. All of them cost about three seconds. Stack them across a shift and the guest experience compounds. Most fast casuals do zero of these. We do all ten.