Our Story

Our Journey

Ko Sundar tōku ingoa, and together with my wife Rohini, we are the founders of Aroha Dosas. We are both professional engineers — Environmental and Civil Engineers — with a shared commitment to caring for our taiao (environment) and promoting sustainable living. Our daughter, Sri Lakshmi Aroha, is at the heart of everything we do and the inspiration behind our journey.

I came to New Zealand in 2017 to pursue my PhD in Environmental Engineering at the University of Auckland, and over the years, Aotearoa has become our home. While our professional lives are rooted in engineering and sustainability, food has always been our way of staying connected to our culture, our memories, and each other.

In 2025, we started with a simple idea — to bring a taste of Andhra Pradesh (South India) to Franklin in South Auckland. Growing up in Andhra Pradesh, some of our fondest memories were shaped around street-side chaat stalls, shared meals, and food that was cooked fresh and eaten together. Those early experiences planted the seed for what would later become Aroha Dosas.

Before settling in Glenbrook in 2023, we spent several years living in the heart of Auckland CBD (2017–2022). During that time, we realised how deeply food connects people — creating whanaungatanga, a sense of connection and belonging. Despite the diversity around us, we struggled to find South Indian food that truly felt like home. That experience stayed with us and strengthened our desire to create that feeling ourselves — wherever we lived.

Where It All Began

Our journey truly began at the Pukekohe and Waiuku Farmers Market. With no hot food vendors offering South Indian cuisine, we saw the perfect opportunity to share the rich, comforting flavours we grew up with. What started as small lunch boxes, prepared with care and curiosity, slowly grew into a vibrant dosa stall.

Week by week, customers returned — some discovering South Indian food for the first time, others reconnecting with flavours they missed. Encouraged by this support, Aroha Dosas grew into a community favourite, shaped by the people we serve and the places we now call home, including Waiuku, Pukekohe, and Paerata Rise.

Our Values & Sustainability

At Aroha Dosas, food is deeply connected to aroha, manaakitanga (care and hospitality), and responsibility toward the taiao. As engineers, we are mindful of how our everyday choices affect the environment, and we try to reflect those values both at home and in our business.

We grow organic vegetables at home without the use of pesticides, and where possible, we use some of this home-grown produce in our cooking to promote healthier food choices. We reuse stormwater for irrigating our garden, compost all vegetable waste through vermicomposting and home composting, and aim to minimise food waste as much as possible.

Our garden supports a level of self-sufficiency, and when we have surplus produce, we share and donate it within our local community — supporting kaitiakitanga, the responsibility of caring for the land and each other. As a vegetarian family, our broader mission is simple but important to us: to live lightly on the whenua (land), reduce our environmental footprint, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Looking Ahead

Aroha Dosas has always been about more than just food.
It is about creating a place where everyone feels welcome, connected, and cared for — guided by the values of manaakitanga (hospitality and care) and whanaungatanga (connection and belonging).

As we grow, we remain mindful of the mana whenua and the whenua we live and work on, and grateful to be part of a wider community that supports and uplifts one another.

We are excited for the next chapter of Aroha Dosas and warmly invite you and your whānau to join us as we continue this journey — sharing food, culture, and aroha, and working towards a future space that feels like home for all.

"Aroha Dosas operates as a registered food business under Auckland Council and follows an approved Template Food Control Plan."