Interesting story about the Waco restaurant
EXCLUSIVE: Revealed - the 'party-hard' multimillionaire 'breastaurant' owners who ignored police warnings not to host biker gathering which turned into bloodbathFive entrepreneurs own Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, Texas, where nine members of rival biker gangs died in shoot-out last weekend Police are critical of the owners because they ignored warning that biker gangs were planning violence The group is expected to bring in $500 million this year from their bars and restaurants and one boss boasts of being 'work hard play hard'Owners of Twin Peaks brand have cut ties with franchisee of 'breastaurant' in Waco - which offers 24 different beers and scantily-clad waitressesFranchise owners called their company after Hindi word for 'wise' but have had liquor license suspended in Waco are are being sued in other stateBy Daniel Bates For Dailymail.com
Published: 14:37 EST, 19 May 2015 | Updated: 09:57 EST, 20 May 2015
These are the multimillionaires who own the bar that police say ignored warnings not to host the biker meeting that turned into a bloody turf war.
The five men are entrepreneurs who met at college and run dozens of bars and restaurants - including the Twin Peaks branch where the shootings happened - as part of a business that is expected to bring them in $500 million this year.
The shootout at the mountain lodge style Twin Peaks restaurant - which is billed as the 'perfect man cave' - left nine dead and nearly 200 arrested in what police have claimed was a turf war between five biker gangs.
Investigations are now turning to why the meeting was even allowed to happen in the first place.
Waco police Sgt Patrick Swanton has said that police knew before Sunday's carnage that there would be trouble at the Twin Peaks restaurant.
He said that they had attempted to work with management at Twin Peaks before, but they refused.
Scroll down for video
Crime scene: Foreign investigations are still under way at the Twin Peaks 'breastaurant' today. Some of the gangsters' bikes are still in parking lot where they were arrested by police on Sunday after the killings
Criticized: From left Ron Parikh, Nik Bhakta, Chet Bhakta and Al Bhakta - who are cousins - of Chalak Mitra Group have been accused of not heeding police warnings that their restaurant should be closed to avoid violence. Not in the group is Jay Patel.
Millionaire: Al Bhakta, 36, pictured with his wife Vasu. One of the businessmen who owns the Waco Time Peaks, he reportedly likes to 'party hard' and walks around his office with a gun that shoots marshmallows
Appeal: Twin Peaks in Waco offers 'Bike Night' on Thursdays with 'beers, bites, and bikes at the hottest place in town!'. The chain uses this publicity picture to highlight its retail offering
Waco police Sgt Swanton had said: 'What happened could have been avoided if we would have had management at a local establishment listen to their police department and assist us.
'They failed to do that, and this is the event that happened'.
Jay Patel, operating partner at the Waco franchise, said in a statement on the restaurant's Facebook page that 'our management team had had ongoing and positive communications with the police'.
But Front Burner restaurants - which owns the Twin Peaks brand - denied this and claimed that they 'did not uphold the high security standards we have to ensure everyone is safe at our restaurants'.
The spotlight is now on Chalak Mitra, whose founders are Indian-Americans and gave their company
They have in the past employed aggressive alcohol marketing policies including once selling customers a potent drink called 'Naked'.
The beverage reportedly had five different liquors in it and sparked outrage when they put it on flyers and distributed it around the neighborhood.
Police warn bikers to stay off Waco streets after shootout
Arrested: Some of the 170 arrested bikers who are in custody in Waco on $1 million bond.
Toast: Two of the group of four with executives from their Genghis Grill franchise in 2011. From left are Ron Parikh; Al Bhakta; Carlos Politano, of Genghis Grill's Virginia/Maryland market; Keith Sullins, president of Mongolian Dining Ventures; Luis Sotelo, Franchisee Liaison of Genghis Grill.
Party hard: Al Bhakta (front) at Genghis Khanvenvention, 2011, a get-together for employees who work at another restaurant the group of four own, the Ghenghis Grill, which has 100 units spread across the South
Twin Peaks has been dubbed a 'Breastaurant' because the women who work there are scantily clad.
The Waco branch has dozens of flat screen TVs, 24 types of beer and only last week was advertising 'Bike Night' on Thursdays with 'beers, bites, and bikes at the hottest place in town!'
Among the owners of Twin Peaks bar in Waco, Texas is Al Bhakta, 36, who reportedly likes to 'party hard' and is known to walk around his office with a gun that shoots marshmallows in his hand.
The others involved in the Chalak Mitra Group, which owns the bar, are Chet Bhakta, 39; Nik Bhakta, 38; - who are cousins of Al - and Ron Parikh, 36, and Jay Patel, 39.
Front Burner Restaurants, the owners of the Twin Peaks restaurant name, has blamed the managers of the Waco branch for ignoring warnings from them and the police not to allow the bikers to assemble at the restaurant.
They have also severed ties with Chalak Mitra and say that the bar, which is closed after having its alcohol license suspended for a week by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, will not open as a Twin Peaks franchise again.
Daily Mail Online has reached out to Chalak Mitra for comment.
The company has hired crisis management PR firm Burson-Marsteller which said in a statement: 'We are horrified by this violence and express our deepest sympathy to all those.
[iframe name="google_ads_iframe_/5765/dailymail.uk/dm_native_0" width="2" height="2" id="google_ads_iframe_/5765/dailymail.uk/dm_native_0" src="javascript:" <html=""]"" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" style="border: 0px currentColor; vertical-align: bottom; border-image: none;">[/iframe]
[iframe name="google_ads_iframe_/5765/dailymail.uk/dm_native_0__hidden__" width="0" height="0" id="google_ads_iframe_/5765/dailymail.uk/dm_native_0__hidden__" src="javascript:" <html=""]"" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" style="border: 0px currentColor; vertical-align: bottom; display: none; visibility: hidden; border-image: none;">[/iframe]
'We are assisting the operator of the restaurant with communications.'
The company's name 'Chalak' means 'wise' or 'intelligent' in Hindi.
They met while business students at the University of Texas ay Dallas and founded the company in 1998 after selling a pool hall and game room that they ran together.
Chalak Mitra has now grown to include hotels in the US and South Africa, real estate, more than 250 restaurants and a team of more than 5,000 people.
Their wealth has enabled them to buy the Caribbean cricket team the Jamaica Tallawahs and indulge their love of the sport.
Among their brands is the Genghis Grill, a Mongolian-themed restaurant chain, which launched in 2002 and now has more than 100 units across the South.
In an interview with Smart Business magazine Al Bhakta admitted that they had on their first night they 'didn't serve a single customer'.
As the weeks rolled by and they became desperate they launched 'Naked', a cheap drink which the article described as a 'last ditch' effort to get customers in.
Churchgoers in the Dallas neighborhood where it was founded were outraged when they put fliers on cars to promote the offer.
Families describe biker war erupting at Texas restaurant
Danger: A police officer armed with an assault rifle in the immediate aftermath of the gang deaths on Sunday.
[ Note: Ruby Bruce, Galveston, United States, 1 day ago
The picture of the "weapons" seized in Waco has a San Antonio Police table cloth. This is NOT a photo from Waco. So, the remainder of the story is likewise in question. Did the motorcycle riders have scabbards for all those long guns? This is pretty lame news coverage. ]
Deadly: Some of the weapons and gang regalia recovered from the scene of the Waco shootout
[ Baloney. Why would Waco police have a San Antonio Police cloth? It says San Antonio Police and has a picture of the Alamo on it. Sheesh. ]
Al Bhakta said: 'Ultimately, it was a bold marketing move that saved us. You don't want to step over the line, but my advice is to be a brave marketeer, especially when you're starting out.'
A profile in Restaurant News called him a 'work-hard, play-hard guy' and revealed his fondness for the marshmallow gun.
Ahead of the opening of the Waco branch of Twin Peaks, Al Bhakta bragged that 'these areas of Texas...are untapped markets for Twin Peaks'.
Before they opened a separate branch in Dallas, friend Dylan Patel wrote on Facebook: 'My boy AL bhakta with chalak group us gonna kill it with twin peaks in Dallas. Congrats man.'
Among the other controversies facing Chalak Mitra is a lawsuit in Florida that was brought only a few weeks ago.
Earlier this month they were sued by the owner of a shopping center in Greenville, South Carolina, which claimed they lied about their finances in order to get a lease to open one of their outlets.
DDR Homestead alleged that they 'abandoned the premises' and failed to pay the rent in February last year, 13 months after they leased it.
The company is now demanding $167,000 in unpaid rent and interest for breach of contract.
In the complaint it states that Al Bhakta, the Chalak Mitra chief executive officer, is worth $4.2 million.
Ron Parikh along with Chet and Nik Bhakta, who are managing partners, are said to be worth around $4 million each.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3088301/Revealed-party-hard-multimillionaire-breastaurant-owners-ignored-police-warnings-not-host-biker-gathering-turned-bloodbath.html#ixzz3ayMVlb14
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook |
