Indian restaurant to open downtown

Filling a portion of the space left vacant last year by Mille's Cafe and Coyote’s Adobe Cafe & Bar, an Indian restaurant is slated to open next month downtown.

Dubbed Zayka Indian Cuisine, the restaurant is scheduled to launch during the last week of September at 309 S. Jefferson Ave., said Davinder Gill, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife Gurpreet and father-in-law Mohinder Singh. The latter formerly operated Taste of India on West Kearney Street.

Gill said the trio leased 3,700 square feet for $4,000 per month from David Bauer, the owner of Coyote’s and former owner of Mille’s. They signed a five-year lease at Bauer’s building, which also houses A Hip Joint.

The restaurant, which would serve around 80 buffet and menu items during lunch and dinner, is designed to appeal to nearby Missouri State University students, as well as office workers downtown.

“That’s why we’re here,” Gill said.

Zayka, which translates to taste, is being built to seat 130 and employ 10-12.