Northwest Columbus restaurant owner threatened by racist calls
The owner of Curry Up Indian Grill says he has been receiving racist and threatening phone calls for two years. Author: Richard Solomon (WBNS) Updated: 7:45 AM EST January 29, 2021
COLUMBUS, Ohio If there’s one thing Vishal Patel knows, it’s that food brings people together.
“When people eat a different cuisine type, they get a little more curious about that cuisine or that culture. And as they learn more about it, they become a little bit more accepting,” said Patel.
He’s the owner of Curry Up Indian Grill on Sawmill Road near Martin Road, which is in northwest Columbus near Dublin.
The owner of an Indian restaurant on the Northwest Side is speaking out about years of threatening, racist phone calls.
Vishal Patel, 39, who opened Curry Up Indian Grill in 2016 on Sawmill Road near Dublin, said he receives, on average, about five to 10 calls per month from private or blocked numbers. While he doesn’t know the callers, he believes the same three people are calling and hanging up; placing large, fake orders and making disturbing comments.
“They ve said that they re going to come and shoot up the place,” Patel said. “And they re going to come and shoot me in the head. (They’ve said), ‘You better be careful. You never know, your place could burn down in the middle of the night.’”