Shahezad Contractor, 44, is the founder and CEO of Cousin's Burger, a halal restaurant chain with eight locations across the Northeast. The Cousin's brand is known for its smash burgers, but also includes a pizza and barbecue restaurant. The business brought in over $4 million in total revenue and was profitable in 2025.
Learn more about the world of CNBC Make It
Shahezad Contractor left his "cushy" IT career and launched a halal restaurant chain.
Zeeshan Bakhrani, 34, is the owner of Nishaan in New York City’s East Village. He opened the restaurant in August 2025 with…
Lydia Holmes and John Clarke started a food shed in a Home Depot parking lot called LJ's Lil' Café. Business was slow at first,…
Through two layoffs, Zeeshan Bakhrani won a Food Network show and opened Pakistani-American street food joint Nishaan in New York.
Money Singh, 38, immigrated to San Francisco from Punjab, India, in 2006. After working 80 to 90 hours per week as a taxi driver…
Pooja Bavishi, 42, is the founder and CEO of Brooklyn, New York-based ice cream company Malai. The company, which Bavishi founded…
