An Indian restaurant has expanded to a town that has not had one for some time.
Tandoori Flames, which has operated at Coolum Beach for seven years, opened a new venue at Cooroy in December, and there are plans for the brand to expand further on the Sunshine Coast.
The new eatery is the only Indian restaurant in the hinterland town, filling a void that was created when the Deepak restaurant closed in April.
Co-owners and brothers Charanjeet (CJ) Singh and Nick Singh were inspired to open an outlet there after listening to locals.
“Many customers were driving down to Coolum or asking us to deliver to places like Cooroy, Pomona and Eumundi,” the former said.
“Opening another restaurant felt like a natural way to bring our food closer to those customers and continue growing locally.”
He said the town and Tandoori Flames were a perfect match.
“Cooroy has a wonderful community feel and a growing food culture.”
“We noticed a gap for fresh, authentic Indian cuisine in the town and felt we could add value.
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“The location (on Diamond Street) is central, easy to access, with good parking and is close to residential and commercial areas – perfect for dine-in and takeaway customers.
“The place was previously an Indian restaurant (Deepak), which helped us get up and running faster with all the existing fit outs and equipment.”
Mr Singh said locals were delighted to have easy access to Indian cuisine.
“We’ve had a very strong response since opening, with a steady flow of locals dining in and a high volume of takeaway orders.
“Customers love the convenience of finally having authentic Indian food in Cooroy.
“Many comment on the freshness, generous portions and the balance between traditional recipes and modern presentation.”
Locals have expressed their delight on social media.
“Food was exceptional,” SereneSloth5542 said. “Had the goat Rogan Josh and it was out of this world amazing.”
“Amazing food. Will definitely be back, so happy to have great Indian food again,” an unnamed commenter said.
The high demand has meant there have been some service delays.
Mr Singh said staff were determined to present meals sooner.
“The only feedback for improvement so far is wait times and we are working on that and they have improved significantly compared to the first couple weeks,” he said.
“Wait times do go around 45-60 minutes at peak, however, we are trying to improve and planning to launch a ‘quick eats’ menu as well, which can be served in under 20 minutes,” he said.
Mr Singh said the offerings include classic North Indian dishes “with an emphasis on freshness, consistency and flavour”.
“Our curries are made from scratch using traditional techniques, and we avoid the ‘one base sauce’ approach that many restaurants use,” he said.
“The brand has also become known for its customer service and the balance between dine-in experience and convenient modern takeaway/delivery.
“Our menu includes curries, biryanis, tandoori snacks, naan breads, and vegan/vegetarian options.
“Popular dishes include butter chicken, dal, lamb khorma, chicken tikka, goat curry and our garlic naan.
“We source fresh produce locally where possible and import specialty spices from India to maintain authentic flavour profiles.”
Main curries cost about $18 to $25, while sides cost about $4 to $8.
Mr Singh also revealed how Tandoori Flames was established.
“My background is in software engineering, not hospitality,” he said.
“When I wasn’t able to secure work in my field, I made the decision to buy an existing restaurant in Coolum to build an income stream and take control of my situation.
“Around that time, my brother and his friend (Azad Singh, who has since moved to Perth), who both had strong culinary experience, came onboard.
“My brother had trained specifically in Tandoori cuisine in India so he brought the authenticity, recipes and technique, while I focused on operations and the business side.
“What began as a family-driven decision became a passion. The local community supported us, the food resonated, and the demand was strong. Within the first year, we realised we had the foundations of a real brand.
“From there we focused on consistency, authenticity and service, and Coolum became a well-loved local spot over the next seven years. The restaurant grew organically into what is now the Tandoori Flames brand.”
Mr Singh revealed there are plans to expand further.
“We are exploring additional Sunshine Coast and hinterland locations as demand grows,” he said.
“Our approach is to expand sustainably while maintaining quality, so we will open new venues where the community genuinely needs us. We are considering areas like Aura and Sippy Downs but there is no fixed timeline – we prefer to grow organically.”
The Singhs are from the Punjab region in north-eastern India.
“It’s a place well known for its hospitality and food culture. That’s where Tandoori cooking was first adopted,” he said.
Tandoori cooking is a traditional Indian method that involves marinating food and cooking in a tandoor, a clay oven heated to high temperatures.
“It (the Punjab region) the only place in India where Tandoors were part of home cooking,” Mr Singh said.
He said he grew up with fresh rotis and parathas being baked in a Tandoor once a week.
“The tradition is somewhat lost in modern day life as it is a difficult one to carry on,” he said.
“But we have kept it alive in Australia by using the traditional clay ovens in our restaurants, as opposed to hot plates.”
The Cooroy venue, which has seven staff members, accommodates around 30 seated diners. It’s open daily from 11am to 2pm and 4pm to 9pm.
