Restaurateur Navigates Challenges and Community Support in Regent Park

By Tyrone MacLean-Wilson
Tyrone is a community journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE

Regent Park entrepreneur Rashmi Shrestha has transformed her deep-rooted passion for the food industry into a thriving business, despite facing significant economic challenges. With over 15 years of experience in the food sector, including a managerial role at Whole Foods, she took the leap to open her own Asian fusion restaurant, Bowl and Snacks. Her menu is a reflection of both her culinary expertise and her diverse heritage, featuring an eclectic mix of sushi, Nepalese, Indian, and Indonesian cuisine.

Originally from Nepal, Rashmi immigrated to Canada in 2008 and has been a proud resident of Regent Park for more than 16 years. She credits the strong sense of community in the neighbourhood for helping her business survive during tough times, emphasizing that local support has played a crucial role in keeping her restaurant afloat. At the same time, she acknowledges the challenges of operating a small restaurant in an area struggling with economic hardship, homelessness, and a transient customer base that can make it difficult to establish long-term stability.

Running a restaurant in today’s economic climate is no easy feat, with rising costs for ingredients, rent, and labour making it especially challenging for small business owners. Rashmi has had to adapt by carefully managing expenses and finding innovative ways to attract new customers. She recognizes the growing importance of digital marketing and plans to expand her social media outreach, seeing it as an essential tool for increasing visibility and drawing in a broader audience.

Beyond the day-to-day challenges of running a business, Rashmi remains deeply connected to the Regent Park community. Her restaurant is not just a place to eat—it’s a space where locals can gather, share meals, and experience flavours from different cultures. She takes great pride in serving fresh, high-quality food and hopes that her efforts will continue to contribute to the neighbourhood’s evolving food scene.

Despite the difficulties, Rashmi remains optimistic about the future of her restaurant. She firmly believes that with continued local support, smart adaptation, and a commitment to quality, Bowl and Snacks will not only survive but thrive. “Regent Park is the best community in Toronto,” she says with confidence, expressing her gratitude for the people who have embraced her business. With resilience and determination, she is determined to carve out a lasting place for her restaurant in the heart of the community.