This Indian restaurant is expanding to the Jackson metro area. See where and when it will open

A new Indian restaurant is coming to the area, and it could be open as soon as September.

Indian Delight will be the third restaurant for Hattiesburg's Gautan Nautayal, who also has restaurants by the same name in Hattiesburg and Ocean Springs.

The newest addition to the lineup is in a shopping area on Lakeland Drive in what was formerly the Osaka Japanese Restaurant just off of Airport Road in Flowood, and will be just steps away from the Basil's/Roosters dining hal l that opened in April.

Nautayal said the plan is to open in September and hopes to be open by Sept. 12.

"We are just waiting on the health department and a little bit more remodeling that we are doing," said Nautayal, who bought the Hattiesburg location in 2021 and then opened the Ocean Springs location in 2023. The Hattiesburg location originally opened in 2014 under a previous owner. "We plan for this to a be a high-end Indian restaurant with a modern interior."

He said the Flowood location will be run by executive chef Dinesh Singh, who has more than 20 years of experience working in Indian restaurants, in many countries.

Singh originally stepped in to take over the Hattiesburg location when Nautayal purchased it in 2021 and then moved to Ocean Springs to open that location.

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Nautayal said he has wanted to open a third location for quite some time and looked at many locations around the Jackson metro area before finally settling on Flowood.

"I wanted to be in Central Mississippi, but the lure of being on Lakeland drive with more than 50,000 vehicles passing by every day was too much to pass up," said Nautayal, who moved to the United State from Mumbai, India, in 2017 when he began working for a Hyatt Regency in New Orleans. "Also, my understanding is that there is only one other Indian restaurant in Flowood. It is really a great opportunity at a good time. It is such a beautiful town and being (one of the only Indian restaurants) in town is what made me decide to be here."

He also said this will not be the last stop for Indian Delight. He expects to open another location in Alabama in January, but would not disclose the city. He said he is always on the lookout for opportunities and could open another location in Mississippi in 2025.

"I am looking at some other places, yes," Nautayal said.

Some of the top choices on the menu will be Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Curry and Chicken Vindaloo. Most all of the entrees range for $15 to $18.

Mautayal said Lamb Curry, Goat Korma and Lamb Shanks are also favorites at the other two locations. An assortment of seafood options also will be available with as many as eight desserts on the menu.

Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on Twitter @GreenOkra1.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: This Indian restaurant is expanding to the Jackson metro area. See where and when it will open