The hospitality group behind some of New York’s most celebrated dining destinations is expanding its reach beyond the city’s five boroughs, with plans to bring its flagship casual concept, Adda, to Philadelphia this winter. Co-founded by Roni Mazumdar and executive chef Chintan Pandya, Unapologetic Foods has grown to encompass nine distinct concepts since launching Adda in Long Island City in 2018. Today, the group averages 5,000 covers per week across its portfolio.
The group’s name was coined following an interaction months after Adda opened, when a diner told Pandya he owed her an apology because the food was too spicy. Pandya declined, establishing a foundational ethos for the enterprise: that regional food should not be toned down or altered to fit Eurocentric expectations. That philosophy guided the creation of concepts like Dhamaka, Rowdy Rooster, and Masalawala & Sons, which embrace bold flavors, meat on the bone, and traditional cooking methods.
Among the group’s properties, Semma in the West Village has garnered significant critical acclaim. Led by chef Vijay Kumar, the restaurant highlights the rural cuisine of Tamil Nadu and holds a Michelin star. Semma ranked No. 1 on ’ 100 Best Restaurants in New York City list in 2025 and placed No. 9 in 2026, while also securing the No. 41 spot on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants. Dhamaka also secured a place on the Times list at No. 66.
Reflecting on the restaurant’s menu, Kumar noted that dishes once associated with rural poverty and personal hesitation, such as nathai pirattal—or snails, which he foraged during childhood vacations in Tamil Nadu—have become guest favorites that regularly sell out. Pandya added that local diners have consistently embraced adventurous menu items, noting that patrons readily ordered goat testicles from Meghalaya when others predicted rejection.
Beyond regional Indian cuisine, Unapologetic Foods has begun branching into other culinary traditions. Partnering with Eric Valdez, the former chef de cuisine at Dhamaka, the founders opened Naks, a Filipino restaurant, followed by Sanwits, a 10-seat Filipino sandwich shop offering items influenced by Manila flavors on a hero roll.
Operationally, the hospitality group recently transitioned its reservations infrastructure from Resy to SevenRooms. Mazumdar explained that the shift was driven by the need for a unified platform capable of managing diverse operations ranging from full-service dining rooms to delivery-focused fast-casual outlets, allowing the group to better understand guest habits across multiple concepts.
As the group prepares for its Philadelphia expansion, Mazumdar emphasized that Adda Philly will reflect the local community rather than serving as a direct replica of the New York original, allowing the founders to maintain a hands-on approach to hospitality while entering a new regional market.
