The third time is both a charm and a fiesta for one Plainsboro business owner. Last month the town’s first Mexican food establishment opened at the former Quiznos location in the Plainsboro Plaza. The owner of the new restaurant, Mexican Post Express, is Shashi Mittal, a 13-year resident of the town who has managed the Indian Hut restaurant also at Plainsboro Plaza as well as Big Bazaar Indian groceries in the Princeton Meadows Shopping Center on Plainsboro Road.
How does an electrical engineer, born and raised in India, end up running a Mexican restaurant in Plainsboro? Mittal earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at the University of Pune in India. After coming to the United States for his graduate studies in electrical engineering at Wright State in Ohio, Mittal worked as a consultant with several Fortune 500 companies, including PriceWaterhouse Coopers. At one point in the mid-1990s he lived in Cincinnati, where several of his aunts and uncles live, and Mittal would fly to Philadelphia for work with Bristol Myers-Squibb on weekdays.
Working in a consulting role with BM-S led Mittal to visit Plainsboro on many occasions. After he looked at potentially settling down in South Brunswick or Lawrenceville, Mittal found Plainsboro through a real estate agent. “She told me Plainsboro is the only place where property value never goes down; it always goes up,” he says.
Mittal’s first business investment in Plainsboro was set in 2003 as his father opened Big Bazaar. For five years Mittal worked in dual roles as both a business manager and IT consultant. Up until 2008 Mittal worked with Philips Electronics. But the company then moved its operation to Texas, and Mittal had to consider a change of pace. He would focus only on owning his own businesses.
Indian Hut became Mittal’s second footprint in the town three years ago, and he says he saw a natural progression from selling grocery items to Indian cuisine and ultimately Mexican on-the-go.
After Quiznos’ closed a year ago, Mittal noticed the property as a prime location for fast food. “This place’s visibility cannot be any better — it is in sight for all Plainsboro residents and corporate customers,” he says.
In contrast, Indian Hut — which is now run by one of Mittal’s colleagues — has a disadvantage because SuperFresh’s building blocks it from view in Plainsboro Plaza. “People would come in the shopping center and still call us to ask where it is,” he said.
But to match his prime location, Mittal conjured up an idea that fits the modern Plainsboro area family or professional: healthy, fresh food and beverages served quick and at a low cost.
“From the beginning I am more of a person who wants to have healthy food. I’ve always loved Mexican food, and I had gone all over to find good Mexican food,” he says.
Mittal drew inspiration from the Don Pablo’s Mexican Kitchen chain, which he tried in Ohio and found near the Deptford Mall in Gloucester County. But he ultimately found Philadelphia businessman Nilesh Patel, who has Mexican Post franchises in Philadelphia as well as in Edison, Delaware, and even Nashville.
Living in Plainsboro, Mittal recognized the trend that two customer segments — corporate employees as well as Indian-Americans — enjoy going out for Mexican food. The bustling crowds at On the Border’s locations on Route 1 in MarketFair and in New Brunswick prove that point, as Mittal said it is “always 50 percent Indians” eating there.
“I already knew that there are a lot of corporate customers at lunch time and there is no Mexican place. They would go to Taco Bell, Chipotle, or other places too far to get Mexican,” he said.
Mittal adds that the appeal of Mexican cuisine for most Indian-Americans are its ingredients. For example, tortillas have commonality with roti.
“Some flavors, and at least some form of curries, plus the vegetarian items, beans, rice, and all the salad works well for us,” Mittal says.
Above all Mittal prides himself on offering food to match the healthy lifestyle movement. Wheat tortillas are the first healthy option offered for many dishes, followed by a variety of fish or meat, vegetables, and sauces.
Mittal is especially excited that Mexican Post grills or sautees most of its dishes instead of deep frying, and that people who want to grab a nutritious fruit or vegetable drink can do so with his variety of fresh juices. Mittal sees the business attracting customers for lunch, dinner, or just a snack.
At his grand opening on August 26, Plainsboro Mayor Peter Cantu, Deputy Mayor Neil Lewis, and WW-P School Board President Hemante Marathe all stopped in to have a bite. Mittal credits Plainsboro’s township staff for working expeditiously to get him started in business. From generating the plans for Mexican Post to setting up shop, Mittal says his total turnaround time was one year. But the regulatory procedures with the township took less than three months. Also in that span Mittal has lost 10 pounds, and he attributed his weight loss to being very active and dining on fresh food.
Mittal bought a home in Walker Gordon Farms — during its initial phase of construction — when he was a bachelor. He and his wife, Meenu, were married in 1999. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, Meenu also worked in IT.
They have three children: daughter Nehal, 11, who attends Community Middle School; her sister, Esha, 8; and the baby, one and a half year-old Nav Mittal.
Mittal’s father and mother now live in Plainsboro and help their son in some of his business operations. Growing up in Gurgaon, Mittal’s father was a sales tax officer for the government. His mother was a housewife. Mittal’s younger brother has much in common with him, as a former IT consultant for large companies who now owns restaurants in Pennsylvania.
In addition to his duties at his three business establishments, Mittal recently became a trustee of the town’s new library. He said he is enthused by the learning opportunities residents have.
Mexican Post Express, 10 Schalks Crossing Road, Plainsboro, 609-936-1000. 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
