“It’s [in] the heart of Missouri City,” Ramesh said. “We’re pretty much in the middle of Riverstone and Colony Lakes [developments].”

In an effort to distinguish the two businesses, most of the store’s merchandise is found in Sreedharan’s native southern Indian cooking, but the restaurant offers more northern Indian dishes, Ramesh said. Differences tend to include coconut oil and mustard seed in southern Indian cuisine, while north Indian dishes favor cumin, said Prasad Varanamkodath, Satya’s head chef.

Nevertheless, Ramesh said kitchen staff will run to the store for last-minute supplies. Varanamkodath updates the specials often and will soon introduce an original dish called a Kaddi Roll—made with a naan outer shell and filled with chicken tikka masala and egg.

The restaurant offers daily dinner and lunch specials as well as a buffet on weekends. Happy hour is 5-7 p.m. weekdays, and weekends remain the busiest time for the restaurant, he said.

Sreedharan followed his own model by opening a Satya Indian Grocery in Pearland in November with a takeout restaurant to follow this year. Ramesh said his father wants to open a location north of Houston, although that would likely happen closer to 2017.

Satya Indian Restaurant and Grocery

6302 Hwy. 6, Ste. Q (restaurant), Ste. S (grocery), Missouri City 281-741-5600 www.satyaindianrestaurant.com www.satyaindiangrocery.com Restaurant hours: Mon., Wed.-Fri. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m., closed Tuesdays Grocery hours: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.