Burmese vegan restaurant chain Burma Burma Restaurant and Tea Room announced on November 30 that it has raised upwards of $2 million in a seed round led by Negen Capital. The funding round also saw participation by Bbigplas Poly Private Ltd, among others.

Burma Burma was founded in 2014 by Ankit Gupta and Chirag Chhajer, who wanted to make Burmese cuisine accessible to all. Commenting on the fundraising round, Gupta said, “I’ve grown up eating the Burmese dishes we serve at Burma Burma, as my mother learnt these recipes while growing up in Burma before the migration in the 1960s.”

The chain started in Mumbai and has now spread to five other cities: Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Bengaluru and Kolkata. “Nine years into this business, we’ve thoroughly tested all four zones of the Indian market for Burmese cuisine, across six cities,” said Chirag Chhajer, cofounder, Burma Burma. “With this round, we’re committed to entering new cities and expanding our base in existing ones.”

“We are looking at opening eight new outlets within the next 15 months, taking our total count to 14 outlets. With over 450 team members, our next target is to take Burma Burma beyond India,” he added.

On the decision to invest in Burma Burma, Jigar Shah, Director, Negen Capital, said, “Burma Burma is a perfect fit for a fund like Negen Capital. Niche, profitable and a very strong brand name. We believe in India’s food sector and its growth trajectory. We are very confident that Burma Burma will be able to scale further with our growth capital.”