From India to Iowa
New owner of Tom Thumb restaurant sees Fort Dodge as his ‘destiny,’ offers Indian lunch specials
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Originally from India, Bhavin Patel believes it was his "destiny" to settle in Fort Dodge and become the newest owner and manager of Tom Thumb Drive-In restaurant, located at 1412 A St. West next to U.S. Highway 169.
Tom Thumb was owned and operated by the same Fort Dodge family for over 50 years before being sold to Patel in November 2024. Even though Patel didn't know anyone in Fort Dodge prior to moving here, he felt drawn to the community.
"I strongly believe in destiny and karma; there was something in this land calling me here, guiding me to make Fort Dodge my karma bhumi -- the land where one is destined to do their life's work and service," he said.
"When we discovered Tom Thumb -- a historic 50-year staple so deeply cherished by the community--we instantly felt that connection," he said. "We officially took over operations and made Fort Dodge our home."
Patel's journey in life began 35 years ago, when he was born and raised in Gujarat, India. Like most in his community, he learned to speak both his native language of Gujarati and English while in grade school. He completed his Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in India in 2014, and briefly worked as an assistant electrical engineer.
Following in the footsteps of other family members, Patel moved to the United States in 2015 when he was 24-years-old to further his studies. He completed his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in technology management in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2017.
After receiving his MBA, he trained to become a business analyst focusing on software testing and quality assurance. He worked for a year as a senior electronic tester in the Atlanta area. While in Atlanta, Patel met and married his wife, Sonali Patel. They have a 4-year-old daughter.
After leaving Atlanta, Patel joined his extended family's business in West Virginia, where he served as general manager for six years, overseeing the operations of nine gasoline stations. At that time, he was actively planning to pursue a Ph.D. in cyber analysis.
"However, I decided to put that academic path on hold when this unique opportunity arose to step into the restaurant world and truly connect with a local community on a daily basis," he said.
While living in West Virginia, Patel became a "proud U.S. citizen" in 2022. His newfound citizenship status and various contacts in the Asian Indian American community encouraged him to journey to the Midwest in search of new economic opportunities.
Patel explains that Iowa was not originally his planned destination -- he was actively exploring opportunities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. But fate intervened, he said, when he found out about Tom Thumb from a fellow Indian American living in Wisconsin.
Once Patel heard about Tom Thumb, he researched the restaurant and learned it had been founded by Tom Cairney in 1971. Tom's son, Kirk Cairney, worked at the restaurant for decades after graduating from high school, and eventually took over operations.
Following Tom Cairney's death in 2018, however, the family-run landmark was put up for sale as Kirk Cairney sought to retire and spend time with his family, while keeping the classic retro-style of the restaurant operation intact.
"When we learned about Tom Thumb Drive-In, we saw a beloved landmark that has held a special place in the hearts of Fort Dodge residents for over five decades," Patel said.
"Opportunities like this -- where you can build genuine daily relationships with local families, serve the community directly, and carry forward a 50-year legacy -- are incredibly rare and meaningful," he added. "Being able to work closely with and serve the people here felt like a true privilege we couldn't pass up."
In learning the ropes of the restaurant, Patel notes that he has had a great deal of assistance from long-term employees of Tom Thumb. The former owners, including Kirk Cairney, also provided some guidance during the transition period, he said.
Continuing in the Cairney tradition, Patel views his restaurant as a family-focused business.
"My wife, Sonali, works closely by my side every day managing and operating the restaurant. Tom Thumb is truly a family-run effort," he said.
When asked about the culture of Iowa compared to Indian culture, Patel emphasizes that there are more similarities than differences.
"Both the culture I grew up with in India and the Midwestern lifestyle center heavily on family values, hospitality, hard work, and sharing good meals together," he said. "Bringing people together through hearty, satisfying food is universal."
Even though Patel has faced some challenges since buying Tom Thumb in 2024; he remains optimistic about the future of his restaurant.
"Taking over a 50-year community landmark comes with high expectations," he said. "With rising inflation putting pressure on everyday household budgets, our biggest mission is supporting our hardworking, working-class community."
"We want to ensure that hard-working families can always walk in and get an affordable, high-quality meal that comforts both their stomach and their wallet -- without sacrificing freshness or portion size," he said.
For the most part, the restaurant menu remains unchanged -- preserving all of the iconic American favorites that their regular customers have cherished for decades.
Their menu includes Tom Thumb's signature chicken noodles over mashed potatoes, classic hot beef dinners smothered in their own house-made beef gravy, hand-breaded tenderloins, fresh burgers with their own special house seasoning, crispy French fries, cheese balls, and sage dressing.
"Alongside these staples, we introduced weekly specials to keep hearty, home-cooked comfort food accessible to everyone," he adds.
However, Patel recently decided to introduce a new "Saturday Indian Lunch Special," which includes butter chicken curry with rice and warm naan. This means that Tom Thumb is now the only restaurant in the Fort Dodge area that serves Indian cuisine, he said.
"We wanted to bring something unique, authentic, affordable, and delicious right here to Fort Dodge," he said. "People often had to travel out of town to larger metro areas and pay premium prices for authentic Indian food."
Emphasizing that the rest of the traditional restaurant menu remains intact and undisturbed, Patel observes that the community's response to the Indian Lunch Special has been "incredible and welcoming, with many regulars enjoying the chance to try exciting new flavors."
As part of the Indian Diaspora, Patel notes there are only three other Indian American families living in Fort Dodge; though they collectively provide a mutual support network. However, he and his wife view themselves primarily as proud American citizens and Fort Dodge residents.
"We are happy to be part of the Fort Dodge community, living here, and putting our daily hard work into serving our local customers," he said.