Every movement starts with something small; an event, a story, or in our case, a single samosa.
What began inside a cozy restaurant in Burnaby, British Columbia, has turned into something far bigger than any of us imagined: a wave of flavor and warmth spreading across communities from Vancouver to Virginia.
At Nana’s Kitchen, our dream was never just to sell food. It was to share comfort, the kind that tastes like home, feels like belonging, and reminds you that no matter where you are, you’re part of something bigger.
Today, that dream is alive in every grocery aisle, café counter, and community kitchen where our handcrafted meals are served. And as we continue to grow across Canada and the U.S., one thing remains unchanged: our promise to make every bite personal, heartfelt, and full of flavor.
So, pull up a chair and get comfortable as we take you through the journey of how one small kitchen grew into a cross-border family of comfort and connection.
It All Started with a Kitchen – and a Dream
The story of Nana’s Kitchen doesn’t begin with business plans or boardrooms, it starts with a feeling; that irreplaceable sense of love and belonging that only a grandmother’s cooking can bring.
When our founder, Shelina Mawani, opened her small Burnaby restaurant, her goal was simple: share the flavors she grew up with, and create a space of opportunity and inclusion for women building new lives in Canada. That small restaurant quickly became more than a place to eat. It became a place to belong. Families gathered, stories were exchanged, and people left with both full hearts and full bellies.
When demand began to outgrow the restaurant kitchen, Shelina faced a choice: keep things small and familiar, or dream bigger. True to her nature, she chose growth, building a HACCP- and BRCGS-certified facility that carried the same handmade spirit as that first kitchen.
That leap of faith became the foundation for something extraordinary.
From Local Favorite to Household Name
Our growth didn’t happen overnight. It came one store, one conversation, one bite at a time.
We began by supplying small grocery stores and food service partners in British Columbia, places where the staff knew their customers by name (cafés, campus canteens, and local markets) and word of mouth meant everything. And soon, people from across the country started asking for “those handmade samosas from Burnaby.”
As demand grew, so did our reach. We expanded distribution through national retailers, supplying everyone from independent grocers to major chains. Our samosas, toasties, and kathi rolls made their way into homes across Canada, from Vancouver to Halifax. Each new shelf meant one more family discovering that comfort can come frozen and still feel homemade.
But what mattered most wasn’t how far we reached. It was how deeply we connected communities. Because every samosa shared, every roll passed around a table, became part of someone’s story.
In every province, people found something familiar in our food, even if the spices were new to them. That’s the beauty of comfort food: it speaks a universal language.
Crossing Borders, Keeping Heart
When Nana’s Kitchen crossed into the United States, we knew the challenge: grow bigger, but stay human. Thankfully, good food travels well, and so does heart.
American families, just like Canadian ones, crave something real. They want food that feels homemade, wholesome, and warm. So when they bit into our Buffalo Chicken Toasty or Vegetable Samosa, they didn’t just taste spice, they tasted story.
Today, you’ll find Nana’s Kitchen meals across North America, from cozy cafés in the Midwest to major retailers in California. Our Buffalo Chicken Toasty has become a fan favorite among U.S. customers, blending comfort food nostalgia with bold, South Asian flair.
And while the geography has changed, the goal hasn’t: to bring people together through food that feels real.
Growing Without Losing the Heart
Scaling up a handmade brand across borders isn’t easy, but it’s possible when you lead with values.
At every stage of growth, we’ve stayed true to what matters most:
- Authenticity: Following traditional recipes, whole spices, and fresh ingredients.
- Quality: Every batch is checked for taste, texture, and safety before it leaves our kitchen.
- Care: Every team member makes food they’d proudly serve their own family.
That’s why a Nana’s samosa always tastes like it came straight from home, whether it’s bought in Toronto or Texas.
Food Service: Bringing Comfort to Every Counter
While grocery shelves invited us into homes, food service invited us into communities.
From cafés to hospitals, universities to corporate cafeterias, our products have become a staple for chefs who want high-quality, ready-to-serve comfort food. Because they know what we know: people can taste when food is made with heart.
It’s why you’ll find our samosas at a student café in Montreal, our kathi rolls at a tech campus in Seattle, or our toasties served alongside soups in small-town diners across Ontario.
Through these partnerships, we’re not just feeding people, we’re becoming part of their daily lives. The smiles across those counters, the shared lunches, the quick chats over warm food. That’s the kind of growth numbers can’t measure.
Rooted in Community, Growing with Purpose
Growth means little without giving back.
Since day one, Shelina built Nana’s Kitchen as a place of empowerment for immigrant women while creating job opportunities for newcomers and families who needed a fresh start in a new country. That mission continues today, woven into everything we do.
We support food drives, cultural festivals, and newcomer programs across Canada and the U.S.
Whether it’s donating meals during the holidays, sponsoring community events, or simply showing up where help is needed, we believe that spreading warmth means more than selling food. It means showing up for people.
Because spreading warmth doesn’t stop at serving a plate – it lives in every act of care.
The People Behind the Warmth
Behind every box, every batch, and every bite is a team of people who care deeply about what they do.
Our staff aren’t just chefs, food technologists, quality assurance specialists, and packaging experts. They’re also parents, dreamers, and neighbors. Some have been here since the early Burnaby days; others joined later, bringing new ideas and fresh energy to help us innovate while staying true to our roots.
Together, we’re more than a company. We’re a family. And every day, we come together with one shared mission: to put a little bit of love and comfort on every plate we touch.
Our Customers, Our Heartbeat
The most rewarding part of our journey isn’t the number of stores we’re in; it’s the stories we hear from you.
A mom in Winnipeg who says our vegetable samosas make weeknight dinners easier.
A university student in Chicago who keeps a box of kathi rolls in her freezer for late-night study sessions.
A café owner in Alberta who says, “When Nana’s Kitchen is on the menu, people smile.”
These stories remind us that every box, every batch, and every bite matters.
Because at the end of the day, success isn’t about numbers, it’s about impact. It’s about the laughter, connection, and comfort that our food helps create.
Building Bridges, One Bite at a Time
Food has always been a bridge between generations, between cultures, between people.
When we first introduced our South Asian-inspired comfort foods to mainstream North American audiences, we didn’t just bring flavors; we brought stories.
The spices, the textures, the warmth, they all speak to shared experiences: the joy of breaking bread, the comfort of familiar aromas, the love that travels from kitchen to kitchen.
And in that sense, every samosa, every toasty, every roll is a piece of cultural connection. It is a way for people to experience something new that still feels like home.
Looking Ahead: Growing with Heart
As we look toward the future, our mission stays the same: spread warmth, one meal at a time.
We’re expanding into new regions, working with more partners, and introducing new products inspired by global comfort foods, always with the same care, consistency, and authenticity that define who we are.
We’re also investing in sustainable packaging, local sourcing, and community programs that help us give back in bigger and more impactful ways. Because growth should never come at the expense of goodness, rather it should amplify it.
From Burnaby to Boston, from small family tables to bustling cafeterias, we’re honored to serve food that means something to people; food that carries heart.
From Our Table to Yours
Every time you open a box of Nana’s Kitchen, you’re not just choosing convenience, you’re choosing connection.
They’re choosing a brand built on heritage, powered by women, and dedicated to crafting real food with real love.
From Burnaby to Boston, from our hands to your table, that’s the promise we’ll always keep: to bring warmth, comfort, and authenticity wherever life takes you.
Because no matter how far we go, we’ll always be, at heart, your Nana’s Kitchen.
