615Chutney, a food truck that has been operating for the past four months serving up South Indian specialties, is poised to become a bricks-and-mortar restaurant in East Nashville. Owner-operator Niroop Prabhakar tells the Scene he is taking over the former Rumours East space on Woodland Street in the Five Points area, and he expects to open soon.
He also stresses that the food truck will keep rolling even after the new sit-down restaurant opens. He notes that while operating the truck, "People kept telling us that East Nashville needs an Indian restaurant — that was the feedback we got." So he and co-owner Manan Jobalia figure they have spotted a need in the dining scene.
Prabhakar is a native of South India who has lived in Nashville since 2010, previously working in customer service. His 615Chutney truck focuses exclusively on vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free items from the repertoire of South Indian street food, but the East Nashville restaurant will also serve some meat dishes.
The menu is still being written, but Prabhakar says he expects the offerings to be 70 percent gluten-free, with many vegan and vegetarian offerings. He adds that South Indian cuisine is almost entirely gluten-free, relying on rice and lentils instead of wheat.
Prabhakar is calling the new 615Chutney at 1112 Woodland St. a "truckstaurant," to stress that he plans to keep the truck side going, but adds that it will be a full-service restaurant. He is in the process of overhauling the Woodland Street building — which was for a time home to Italian-Indian fusion spot eDESla — including an exterior paint job. The space features an extensive backyard that 615Chutney will be able to offer customers as private event space.
As for timing, Prabhakar says he tentatively plans to open in the next five or 10 days. The restaurant will initially serve dinner only, but he says the team will eventually add lunch hours.
