Dabba is inspired by a beloved restaurant known as Avatar's, an institution in Marin County, California. Brother and sister owners Ashok and Kala have been delighting loyal fans with their bold, fresh "Marin-dian" cooking and "trust me, you'll love it" adventurous spirit since opening their doors in 1989. It was one of those loyal fans, a social entrepreneur named Andy Mercy, who came up with the idea of sharing their crave-worthy and good-for-you cooking with people outside of Marin. With the Avatar team on board, Andy enlisted the talents of Michelin-rated Chef Walter Abrams, branded a food truck with a surfing elephant, and set about nourishing and enriching the world with ridiculously good and healthy food. The name Dabba (Hindi for "lunchbox") was inspired by a complex food delivery system in Mumbai that is run by a network of delivery men called "dabbawalas." For over a century they have been ferrying dabbas filled with hot, home-cooked lunches from kitchens to customers at their office doorsteps (and back), with near clockwork precision. We've been inspired by the best. Now it's our turn to deliver Dabba to people with the same warmth, wholesome ingredients, bold flavor, consistency, and efficiency as Ashok, Kala and the dedicated dabbawalas.
