Indian Desserts so Good, They Made it to the New York Times

Word-of-mouth cemented the reputation of this legendary sweet shop in Kent, recalls Harpreet Dha, '06 MBA and daughter of the founders.

Albers School of Business & Economics
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Albers Brief
Albers Brief Fall 2023
How Punjab Sweets Made it to the New York Times

'The challenge was not to follow others but to be a leader and do what felt right instead of what felt safe.'

What problem/market need were you addressing when the business started?

Indian sweets are a staple in our culture and all over India. Many Indians are also vegetarian and we wanted to offer food that was prepared in a facility with no meat or eggs. There was no place that offered fresh Indian vegetarian food, sweets, and snacks in the Northwest—only one other place in the area besides having to travel to BC (Canada) for a larger selection. We knew we could do it better.

What has been the biggest challenge and the biggest reward?

Challenges included starting a business completely from scratch and having no prior business experience. My parents began a partnership with my mom’s brother and his family and eventually we bought them out a few years later.

A mother and daughter smiling for the camera There were a lot of learning curves such as sourcing items, finding reliable vendors and wholesale products that were consistent in their quality. We had to initially order items from Canada and the shipping costs were very high. We eventually replaced those items with locally sourced products.

The rewards were numerous but the greatest reward was gaining so much respect and recognition from the local community and the entire King County region for being known as a top restaurant and bakery. We had loyal clientele that traveled consistently from other areas of the Pacific Northwest, and gained many word-of-mouth referrals from our customers based on the quality of our food and service.

We’ve been featured in numerous publications including the Seattle Times, Sunset Magazine, Seattle Metropolitan, Kent Reporter, Seattle Weekly, various local museums, and many features in online publications.

22 Years of Excellence

Harpreet Dha

It's been an experience of a lifetime and we will forever cherish the last 22 years and our amazing customers. We wouldn't have achieved all our unparalleled success without them.

'06 MBA

'Follow your heart.'

What, if anything, did you learn at Albers that helped you in running the business?

I learned a lot of valuable aspects of running a business, but I think the greatest advice and skill was to follow my intuition. The challenge was not to follow others but to be a leader and do what felt right instead of what was safe. Doing so is necessary to be successful.

After Punjab Sweets, what is next for you?

I have always been interested in the mind/body connection and was certified as an Ayurvedic practitioner and NLP master practitioner as a mindset coach in 2016. I recently started a private practice to help people live more authentically and achieve greater wellbeing through holistic ways.

I joined Roundglass Foundation, a nonprofit in Bellevue that merges my other passions—helping the state of Punjab attain wellbeing in many of the underserved communities and helping them achieve their full potential and greater economic status.

For now we are no longer running Punjab Sweets. It’s been an experience of a lifetime and we will forever cherish the last 22 years and our amazing customers. We wouldn’t have achieved all of our unparalleled success without them.

Two-sentence advice for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

Follow your heart and never let the judgment of those around you detract or sway you from pursuing your passion. Only you know what gives you purpose and sense of fulfillment.