Indian restaurant owner grateful for support after racist graffiti

It was not the kind of welcome Kapil Jaggi was expecting after he opened his restaurant Da India Curry House in Saskatoon’s Hampton Village just a week ago.

On Monday, Jaggi learned that somebody had painted a racial insult on the side of his building.

“It didn’t feel great, because we’re very new to this community (and) very new to the city,” he said.

Jaggi said that initially, he did not know what to do, but was able to check his security cameras right away. He said he said the cameras showed two teenagers walking in the parking lot, and he went outside and confronted them before they ran off.

The restaurant owner explained he did not bring the matter to the police, and removed the spray paint from the side of the building himself.

But Jaggi said he never expected to receive so much support from the community following the vandalism, especially from those on the Hampton Village Facebook page.

According to Jaggi, some community members offered to paint the building’s walls while others  visited the restaurant themselves offering to help remove the graffiti.

“We felt so good, I cannot even tell you,” he said.

Jaggi said one incident like this is not a true representation of the community.

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“We are going to stand tall. We are above all this hatred, to be honest. That’s why we are here,” Jaggi said, adding that the community’s support has left him feeling motivated.

Jaggi moved to Saskatoon six months ago to open Da India Curry House’s second location of his restaurant after opening the first location in Regina. The restaurant offers modern Indian cuisine.

“We put a lot of emphasis on customer service, interior decor (and) presentation,”  he said.

“We want to give the best to the province.”