The Neehee’s Story

If our food intrigues you, here’s our heartfelt story of how it all began! We are a Patel family of two brothers, Rikesh and Vrijesh, and our wives, Dipali and Krishna, respectively.

Hailing from Gujrat, India, and very much Michiganders, we are proud to offer an extensive menu of 100-plus delectable dishes with the goal of satisfying our customers through the culinary best in authentic Indian street food.

Our name is a combination of the names of our beautiful daughters, Niyati and Heeya. “Ni” from Niyati (pronounced Nee), “Hi” from Heeya (pronounced Hee). In Sanskrit, Niyati means “destiny” and Heeya means “of the heart.”

Our humble beginnings were at Suraj Indian Grocery in 2004. We were able to become a community favorite by offering homemade samosas and freshly squeezed sugarcane juice. By 2006, we incorporated a food counter to serve many more food items. In 2009, we outgrew this location and moved to a larger space where we opened Neehee’s at 45656 Ford Road in Canton, Michigan.

Word of our amazing food got out and we had diners traveling from all parts of southeast Michigan and areas as far as Chicago, Toronto, and Ohio to sample our menu. Tapping into that organic growth, in fall 2016, Neehee’s opened its second location, a 7,000-square-foot standalone building in Troy, Michigan at 4924 Rochester Road.

With an awareness of how food can bring a family together, and, as a result, a community, we have incorporated expansive dining rooms. Here, groups of up to 20 can enjoy a meal together, corporate training and meetings can be conducted in an education room, and a large digital screen rotates through local events and international broadcasts of cricket, a popular sport in India.

Neehee’s prides itself on offering a wide array of vegan, gluten-free, orthodox (no onion or garlic), and kid’s menu items as well.

Be a part of your community coming together at Neehee’s. From our family to yours, we hope you enjoy our amazing food.

If interested, please contact us for franchising opportunities.

About Indian Street Food

India has various street foods that are different from the mighty Himalayas in the north to the tropical, palm-fringed beaches in the south. When various climates, religions, languages, and terrain come into play – just imagine the diversity in the local foods!

Street food is characteristic in India since people from all economic groups eat on the roadside almost around the clock. Street food vendors are usually present in crowded areas such as outside colleges, railway stations, shopping complexes, and office areas.

The food is fresh and made right in front of you making you an important part of the process and catering to the taste and flavor you would prefer. Many vendors have long-time customers who return every day and whose orders are even memorized. Just the way we have childhood friends, work friends or train friends – many have vendor friends, too.

For Indians, food can bring up fond memories. The cutting chai (a term used for a small cup of tea) and pakoras (breaded and batter-fried vegetables) are reminders of soft rainy days. Having chole bhature (spicy chickpea curry with warm freshly made bhature) on a cold winter’s day. Or, an ice-cold kulfi (creamier and denser than ice cream, served in clay pots in flavors like mango and rose) as a way to beat the heat. Indians love their small snack in the middle of a long workday or just to take a break between shopping or because it’s hella tasty!