What incubators make possible for chefs

At Besharam in San Francisco, chef and co-owner Heena Patel leads with purpose as much as with flavor. She entered the restaurant business after years of dreaming about it, launching the restaurant via La Cocina’s innovative incubator program.

Now, after years of success, Patel turned the menu vegetarian, reflecting her own eating habits. She has built a critically acclaimed restaurant inspired by childhood dishes that’s equal parts culinary expression and social mission.

 Here, she talks about resilience, mentorship and holding fast to your “why” in a demanding industry. 

— Interview by Kelly Dobkin, edited by Lesley McKenzie

You started your restaurant career later in life. What advantages has that perspective given you as a chef/operator in today’s competitive dining landscape?

I don’t think of it as starting late—I think of it as starting at the right time. By the time I opened Besharam, I had already lived through motherhood, immigration and building a life from scratch in a new country. Those experiences gave me resilience and perspective you can’t learn in a kitchen.

With age, I’ve gained confidence in my cooking, my sass, my resilience and the wisdom to choose opportunities instead of saying yes to everything.

I often ask myself—if I had opened this restaurant earlier, would I have survived? 

Running Besharam is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but also the most satisfying part of my adult career. And because I’ve lived through harder times, I can pause, reflect and keep going without losing my sense of who I am, what Gujarati food means to me and why I want to share it. That clarity is my strength in an industry that can easily push you to compromise your voice.

Besharam grew out of La Cocina’s incubator program. From your vantage point as both alum and board member, how integral would you say incubators are in building sustainable restaurant businesses?

I am very proud that my business was founded at La Cocina. Their mission—to solve problems of equity in food business ownership for women, immigrants and people of color—spoke directly to me.

I was raised in a patriarchal society where little was expected from me, and there was no structure or support for women to dream big. But I had bigger dreams, and when I decided to step into the culinary industry over 10 years ago, La Cocina guided me. They didn’t just give me a kitchen—they gave me a community, and the tools to see myself as a business owner, not just a cook. 

For women, for immigrants, for people without generational wealth, incubators are the difference between a dream staying in your home kitchen and that dream opening its doors to the public. Now, with Besharam in the same city, I feel a responsibility to give back as a mentor. I’m still new in my role as a board member, but I am proud to have a seat at the table—helping raise money, shaping decisions and creating opportunities that will support the next generation of chefs.

Incubators like La Cocina don’t just launch businesses—they create generational impact.

What advice do you have for someone looking to open their first restaurant (at any age)?

My advice comes less as answers and more as questions I’ve asked myself: How badly do you want this to work? Are you willing to put other dreams on hold? Are you emotionally strong enough to make yourself vulnerable, knowing you will be judged?

This industry will test you—physically, emotionally and financially—so you have to be very clear on your why. If your "why" isn’t deeply personal, it’s easy to get lost.

Surround yourself with people who see your vision and will support you, because you can’t do it alone. And remember, a restaurant is more than food—it’s storytelling, leadership and community-building. If you can hold all those pieces together, then age doesn’t matter. What matters is being willing to learn, to listen and to keep showing up every single day—so that, no matter what, you can live without regrets.

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The Prep is written by Kelly Dobkin and edited by Lesley McKenzie.