It all started in the buffet line at Saffron Indian Bistro.
Thatโs where general manager Sam Nalli met David Furmanski in 2023.
Furmanski, a co-owner of Empire Pizza, was in line to eat when they struck up a conversation about how Saffron was working on creating Indian-style pizzas.
With Furmanskiโs expertise on what makes a good slice of pizza and Nalliโs access to authentic Indian food, it was almost like their meeting was fate. Indian-style pizza was coming to Tucson, it was just a matter of working out the details.
With the help of Saffron owner Saurabh Sareen, Furmanski and Nalli ran with their idea that started in the buffet line and created Bollywood Pizza Company, a new food truck thatโs serving up Indian-style flatbreads and rice bowls.
โOne of our biggest inspirations was there's so much pizza out there and there's not a lot of pizza out there with all the great Indian toppings such as chicken tikka masala,โ Nalli said.
Before they decided to open a food truck, Nalli and Furmanski began making pizzas at Saffron, testing out their idea, which proved to be a big hit. Thatโs when they started making pizzas for catering events like this year'sย Gem Show.
After a week at the Gem Show, they sold over 600 pizzas.
โWe realized we had something really good,โ Furmanski said.
Coming off their successful Gem Show run, they decided it was time to take the next step: open a food truck.
Itโs pretty hard to miss it. Swirls of color cover the truck, along with drawings of stars, a moon, the Taj Mahal and their name in big, neon letters.
With the truck ready, it was time to tackle the most important part: the menu. Since they both have brick-and-mortar locations, they were able to test out all their ingredients and flavor combinations in their kitchens.
โWe did most of the research and development at Saffron," Furmanski said. โAll the staff was super helpful, both with making all the food, adjusting the recipes and taste testing. Everyone had a great time.โ
In addition to flatbread, you can also get rice bowls and salads at the truck.ย
Bollywood Pizza Companyย has three flatbread toppings customers can choose from: chicken tikka masala, chana masala and paneer tikka. Along with the flatbreads, they offer salads and rice bowls and areย working on adding poutine and desserts.
Everything on the pizza is made from scratch at Saffron, so you are getting authentic Indian flavors with each bite.
For Furmanski, the paneer tikka flatbread is his favorite. The paneer, which is homemade Indian cheese, is marinated in a yogurt ginger garlicย mix and cooked in a tandoor oven at Saffron.
โIโve had paneer cheese many times in the past, this is nothing like it,โ Furmanski said. โIt tastes amazing.โ
Nalliโs favorite topping also seems to be a customer favorite. The chicken tikka masala is made with Saffronโs signature masala sauce along with the chicken tikka that is cooked in house. Nalli described it as a โreally high-quality Indian flatbread.โ
Chicken tikka masala is just one of the toppings you can get atย Bollywood Pizza Company.
After all theirย preparation, Bollywood Pizza Company made its debut last week at their first Tap and Bottle pop-up. Nalli said the turnout was great and they had lots of support, hearing positive feedback from hungry customers that stopped by.
While they are still in their early days, Furmanski and Nalli want to continue to build relationships with the community and host the truck at different locations.
For now, be on the lookout for the colorful truck serving up pizza like you've never had before. Itโs time to ditch the pepperonis and bite into chunks of chicken masala instead.
โI think people will be surprised at how flavorful and tasty these flatbreads are,โ Nalli said.
Bollywood Pizza Companyโs next pop-up will be 5-9 p.m. Friday, July 19 at Tap and Bottle, 403 N. Sixth Ave.
