08/04/2026
"No matter how badly someone treats you, just be nice. To get angry or be rude does not get you anywhere." That's what Ramu Lakireddy teaches his children. And if you know his restaurant, Ganesh Indian Cuisine, you can taste that philosophy in every dish.
It's the quiet kindness of a man who arrived in America at eighteen with nothing, washed dishes for years, waited tables, and learned to cook by showing up and paying attention. A man who waited seven years for his wife Mani to get her visa while they were newly married and separated by continents. A man who moved from California to Atlanta to Dallas to Memphis to Phoenix to Utah, helping friends open restaurants, always learning, always giving.
In 2021, Ramu built Ganesh Center in Midvale from the ground up—the restaurant he'd dreamed of owning, plus an Indian grocery market filled with spices, fresh vegetables, and everything families need. His children watched him build it. His daughter Nithya, now pursuing a master's degree, helped translate his story.
His son Pranav, who dreams of earning a Michelin star one day, was clear about one thing: "It will stay under my dad's name. He has worked hard." Ramu simply says he couldn't have done any of it without Mani. "She is the boss, actually." The food reflects their family: tikka masala, butter chicken, naan, dosa, and the welcome reflects Ramu's belief that kindness comes first.
Head to our website (link in bio) to read Ramu's full story, then visit Ganesh Indian Cuisine in Midvale to taste what happens when a dishwasher becomes a dreamer, and patience becomes a legacy.
