How My Pakistani Chopped Cheese Brings In Up To $140K A Month In NYC

Zean is the founder of Nishan, a Pakistani-American fusion restaurant in New York City that specializes in unique dishes like the Pakistani chopped cheese. Growing up in Chicago's Devon neighborhood with Pakistani parents, he was inspired by his mother's creative cooking approach of combining flavors without restrictions. His menu features fusion items like Pakistani chopped cheese (made with chi kebab spices, ground beef, pepper jack and American cheese, lime cilantro sauce, and tamarind chutney), Bihari Barbacoa tacos, and buffalo tandoori chicken sandwiches. Before opening his restaurant, Zean worked in finance at companies like JP Morgan, but after being laid off, he decided to pursue food entrepreneurship. He started by selling at Smorgesburg food festival, sold out in 2 hours, and was subsequently cast on and won the Great Food Truck Race, which gave him confidence to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant. He invested his entire $70,000 life savings into the restaurant, spending $30,000 on deposit, $10,000 on electrical work, $15,000 on equipment, and $10,000 on remodeling. The restaurant has been highly successful, generating between $75,000-140,000 monthly in revenue over its first seven months, with November being the peak month at $140,000. His monthly expenses include $6,100 in rent, $15,000 in meat costs, and $25,000-30,000 in employee costs. While profitable, he reinvests earnings back into the business and currently lives off his severance money. Social media, particularly TikTok and influencer Moan Appetite who rated his food highly, has been crucial for driving customers to the restaurant. The South Asian community has been particularly supportive, and Zean notes that as 1% of America's population, capturing just 1% of the other 99% would ensure survival. He currently works 14-hour days compared to his previous 4-hour schedule and, while tired, plans to continue expanding with more locations.