When Navin Ajodhya and his wife, Rebecca, transitioned from corporate jobs as a finance accountant and IT engineer, they always had the goal of bringing new, homemade food to the area.
As the two launched their food truck, Truckin’ Delicious in 2015, they quickly grew in popularity before expanding their Ajodhya Dining Concepts business with now three local businesses—Half Baked Cafe, Cindy’s Pierogies and Georgetown BBQ in Mount Vernon.
“In 2019, as the opportunity came up to possibly purchase the old bakery space on West High Street in Mount Vernon, it was around the right time when Rebecca and I were looking to possibly grow and be more self-sufficient in our food truck business and possibly expand,” Ajodhya told the Mount Vernon News.
They took advantage of the opportunity to further their food truck concept while expanding menus and presence in the downtown area, launching their Half Baked Cafe in 2019.
“Everything we do is done in-house from scratch and we really believe in that to give a higher quality product,” Ajodhya said.
Serving everything from cakes and pies to cheesecakes, Ajodhya said they appreciate the opportunity to partner with local businesses, such as Amato’s and Happy Bean in Mount Vernon, to continue to grow together as a community.
When an opportunity arose in 2020 to occupy the space nextdoor, the two launched Cindy's Pierogis and Georgetown BBQ. The official grand-opening with ribbon-cutting was last month.
“It’s been a heck of a journey, more downs than ups, but the hard part’s done and we’re open now,” Ajodhya said. “It was a challenge in getting the equipment, it was a challenge in some of the infrastructure, but you know, we don’t give up, we appreciate everyone’s patience. We know we’ve had a lot of excitement building up and we’re excited to serve everyone.”
Ajodhya Dining Concepts offers carry out, catering and online order options throughout the week. Visit their website at eatadc.com.
They are open from Wednesday through Sunday, with a Sunday brunch option growing in popularity. On Wednesdays, the business offers an open-kitchen, fast-casual concept, with an emphasis on quality.
“We’re open. We’re here. Stay tuned. We have more to come,” Ajodhya said.
