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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline NOVEMBER 13, 2026 | The Indian Eye 24

Restaurant leaders launch

Asian American Restaurant Owners

Association to represent restaurateurs

The new organization, spearheaded by Bipin Patel, aims to address rising food costs, labor regulations,
commercial lease pressures, and other challenges facing independent and franchise restaurant owners

OUR BUREAU Patel recognized that the restaurant charges, along with property taxes, purchasing and vendor relations and
and food-service industry faced spe- continued to increase by 5–6% an- operations and reputation manage-
Edison, NJ
cific challenges requiring collective nually, while New Jersey’s minimum ment.These committees will focus
rominent Restaurant lead- bargaining and legislative action. wage was scheduled to rise to $16.48 on engaging state and federal law-
ers gathered at the Moghul To anchor the initiative, Pa- per hour next January. Insurance makers on tax relief, fair commercial
PBanquet Hall in Edison, New tel partnered with several leading premiums were also increasing by leasing frameworks, and balanced
Jersey, on Wednesday (October 28) Restaurant figures, including Kamal double digits every year. The asso- labor regulations; providing com-
to officially launch the Asian Amer- Arora, entrepreneur, caterer, and ciation would go beyond providing pliance resources to help prevent
ican Restaurant Owners Association fine-dining restaurateur; Anand a platform for restaurant owners frivolous employment litigation and
(AAROA), an organization aimed Patel, multi-unit owner of national to connect, share experiences, and safeguard labor standards; leverag-
at representing and protecting inde- brands including Dunkin’ and Taco build relationships. As a trade orga- ing bulk purchasing power to lower
pendent restaurateurs and franchise Bell; Hemang Champaneria, multi- nization, it would focus on common ingredient, equipment, and operat-
owners. Organized on just two weeks’ unit owner of Dunkin’ and Taco Bell; business challenges, advocacy on is- ing costs; and assisting restaurant op-
notice, the inaugural convention Bhavesh Patel, multi-unit owner of sues affecting the industry, and build- erators in modernizing guest experi-
brought together more than 100 fran- Burger King and Bikanerwala; and ing a stronger restaurant community, ence strategies and navigating online
chise owners, independent restaura- Dinesh Goswami, a multi-unit fran- he added. review platforms.
teurs, and restaurant leaders to build chise operator. Patel also clarified that AAROA AAROA has invited Asian Amer-
a unified advocacy platform for the In his welcome address at the would remain a professional trade ican restaurant owners, multi-unit
restaurant industry. meeting, Patel said the planning for organization focused on business-re- franchisees, and allied Restaurant
AAROA is spearheaded by Bi- the event had started about a year lated matters and would not get professionals to join the association
pin Patel, founding president of the ago, during which he held sever- involved in cultural or religious ac- as it expands its regional footprint
Asian American Retailers Associa- al meetings with fellow restaurant tivities or endorse individual events. and seeks to establish a national
tion (AARA), which recently marked owners before setting a date for the “That is what AAROA stands for: standard for restaurant advocacy.
20 years of nationwide advocacy rep- launch. “Running a restaurant today Stronger together. A brighter future. The Asian American Restaurant
resenting convenience store, fuel is much more difficult than it was a Together, we grow,” he said. Owners Association is a non-profit
station, and beverage retail owners few years ago,” he said, pointing to The leadership also announced trade association dedicated to rep-
on legislative, tax, and supply-chain rising rents, common area mainte- the formation of specialized working resenting, educating, and advocat-
equity issues.Drawing on his own ex- nance (CAM) charges, property tax- committees to address key industry ing for independent restaurant op-
perience as a multi-unit franchisee of es, labor costs, insurance premiums priorities, including: government erators and multi-unit franchisees
brands including Buffalo Wild Wings, and food and beverage expenses. affairs and legislative advocacy, le- across New Jersey, New York and
Dave’s Hot Chicken, and Blaze Pizza, Patel noted that rents and CAM gal and compliance advisory, group other parts of the country.

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