An Article by Upohar, a “social impact” catering business specializing in multicultural menus.

For Srirupa Dasgupta, food is about more than just flavor. It’s about the people who make it—the stories, skills, and traditions imbued in every dish. When she founded Upohar, Sri combined her two biggest passions: sharing her love for global cuisine with Lancaster, and creating opportunities for the people who prepare it.

From the start, Upohar wasn’t just a restaurant—it was a mission. Sri hired chefs from Lancaster’s immigrant and refugee communities, many of whom had limited job prospects due to language and other barriers.

But their cooking spoke for them. Hired to cook the dishes they made at home, they introduced customers to the flavors of their homelands.

And it worked. Sri’s team brought in a small but dedicated customer base. Alongside the restaurant, Upohar catered weddings, private events, and community gatherings. In articles and radio appearances, Sri shared her passion for Upohar’s 2-pronged mission.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Restaurants across the country struggled to survive. For Sri, keeping Upohar open as a restaurant wasn’t an option—but neither was letting the mission fail. Instead, she made a bold decision.

“All business is a risk,” she says. “But real leadership is about knowing when to pivot while staying true to your mission.”

Rather than reopening the restaurant, Sri doubled down on catering—but in a whole new way. Lancaster was full of talented independent chefs, many of them women and immigrants running micro-kitchens or food trucks. Instead of competing with them, Sri partnered with them as vendors for Upohar’s catering. While they brought their craft, Sri provided the business infrastructure, logistics, and staff to execute catered events.

This new business model allowed Sri to advance her mission on a far greater scale. Upohar evolved from a traditional catering company into a network, bringing global cuisines to its clients and business opportunities to its vendors.

That transformation proved to be a game-changer. Its success has propelled the business into high demand. Today, Upohar caters large upscale events such as weddings, corporate gatherings, and fundraising galas across the region.

“Clients seek us out now.” Sri says. “Upohar has become known for providing unique and authentic multicultural food.”

By staying true to her vision, Sri has created more than a business—she’s built a movement. Upohar broadens culinary horizons while empowering chefs to turn their talents into sustainable careers.

“I never set out to be just another restaurant,” Sri reflects. “I wanted to build something that made a difference—not just for customers, but for the workers and vendors.”

With Upohar’s success, Sri has proven that business leadership isn’t about succeeding alone—it’s about bringing others, literally, to the table.

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