REGINA - Gagandeep Ghuman came to Canada from India in 2019 as an international student. Now, he owns his wing-style restaurant called Wing-O in Regina, with plans to expand his family business.
Ghuman’s journey to Canada started after his brother moved to the country and got a successful job after studying mechanical engineering. His brother insisted he come to Canada, applying Ghuman to the University of Regina. Ghuman received an admission from the U of R and moved to Canada in 2019 to study accounting.
It was not an easy move for Ghuman, who faced a language barrier because he did not understand English and had to adapt to the different culture of Canada compared to India.
He also spoke about how different the educational system in Canada is. In India, Ghuman handed in papers, and the teacher would mark the assignment. Ghuman said the university here asked for students to write and submit work online, but he credited the professors, who stayed with him after hours to get his work finished.
While studying in school, Ghuman worked at restaurants to earn money. Once he completed his education, he and his brother sat down to discuss his next move. One conversation led to another, and the topic of wings came up. The two brothers felt Regina had no locally owned wing restaurant focused solely on wings with variety. So, the two brothers came up with the idea to start a restaurant and from there, they created the name, logo, etc.
Within a year and a half of finishing his education, Ghuman opened up Wing-O in March 2024.
Before the restaurant reached the one-year mark, Ghuman already has plans to open up two more restaurants in Regina.
It may seem like Ghuman is doing well for himself, but he admitted the restaurant is not making any profit and typically breaks even in costs. With the cost of living continuing to rise, Ghuman said it gets tough to run a small business.
Ghuman also works seven days a week from the opening of the restaurant to the closing. He runs on two to three hours of sleep a night and plans to continue this trend for the next few years.
So why does Ghuman go through all this trouble to run a business? He said he wants to be recognized in the city and bond with his customers. He added when people eat at his restaurant and compliment him, that’s the biggest reward he gets from running the restaurant.
Ghuman pointed to his restaurant receiving positive reviews on Google as a sign of the quality he gives customers, which, according to him, are 96 to 97 per cent positive. The restaurant on Uber is also number one for wing restaurants in the city, said Ghuman.
Looking towards the future, Ghuman already has the locations set for his next two restaurants in Regina. While he did not close the door of expanding Wing-O to other parts of the country, Ghuman said he is focused on his family business in Regina.
Wing-O, located at 1775 Toronto Street, is currently undergoing renovations.
