Himalayan Rockies is a new food truck on the scene in Missoula serving authentic Indian food using as many local and organic ingredients as possible. Founded in 2025 by Nandini Kumar and Bryan Nickerson, they have quickly found a receptive and growing customer base, first in the Flathead Valley, and more recently in the Missoula and Bitterroot Valleys.
How did you two meet?
Nandidi Kumar: We first met in Missoula at a music show at Free Cycles. Bryan was working there as a food and beverage coordinator and was pouring beer that day and I had just arrived in the US as a Grad Student at the University of Montana. We chatted over the night and Bryan told me that he was leaving the country to pursue music in Colombia. We went on a few hikes after that and bid goodbye promising to stay in touch. Bryan invited me to his parent's cabin before he left the country. It was both sad and beautiful to be with someone whom I could see being with for a long time and yet know that he was leaving.
How did you come to the decision to start Himalayan Rockies?
NK: Our long-distance relationship didn't last very long as I visited Bryan in Colombia over the winter break and decided to move with him. Soon, we were married and living in a small cabaña in the north of the country. One of our friends, who was sick of the plain food available in the region, suggested we sell our Indian food to him and maybe other travelers in town. We started a little food delivery service and that is when we decided this is what we wanted to do. A year later, we had an opportunity to run a friend's restaurant for a short duration. The restaurant gained popularity quickly which gave us confidence to go forward with the food truck upon our return to Montana.
Was there ever a discussion about possibly having a store front? Might that be something you consider in the future?
NK: The short answer is we are not sure. We love the freedom our food truck life gives us. Since I'm from India and visiting family is important to me, the idea of having a storefront always makes me nervous. As a young family, we are not ready for the upfront costs of having a brick and mortar. However, we are working on a wholesale license that would bring our food to people's homes.
What’s special about your truck? What might you do differently that sets you apart from other, similar food trucks in the area?
NK: We focus on the quality of food over quantity. Most of our food (over 80%) is organic. A lot of it is sourced locally. We work with farms and small businesses. We believe in something we read once: "put your money where your heart is.” If we can be truly a part of the local movement by supporting our friends instead of big corporations and bringing food that doesn't hurt the body but actually nourishes it, we will have succeeded.
For someone who might not be familiar with what you offer, what would you like them to know?
NK: A lot of people come back to us and say "your food doesn't hurt my body.” We have experienced that those looking to eat well find us. And we do tell people that all our food is made from scratch and we use local and organic ingredients. Everything in the food could be found in an Indian kitchen 100 years ago.