Downtown Cleveland is about to get a serious late-night biryani fix. Paradise Indian Cuisine is set to open a full-service restaurant at 1116 Chester Ave on April 2, 2026, marking the fourth Paradise-branded outpost from owner-chef Rahul Gonuguntla, who launched the first Paradise in 2017. Renovation of the former IC Fitness gym turned the space into a roughly 50-seat dining room geared for lunch, dinner and late-night carryout, according to Cleveland Scene.
Menu, mocktails and hours
The menu leans into Hyderabad-style biryanis, Indian street-food chaats and familiar comfort plates, backed by chef’s specials like tandoori lobster, lamb chops, Goan prawns and the Chef’s butter chicken. Drinks focus on nonalcoholic cocktails, with mocktails such as sweet lime pop, desi ginger spritz, spicy mango lemonade and a Mumbai mule on the list. Kitchen hours are planned for roughly 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with takeout available until 1 a.m., as reported by Cleveland.com.
From ghost kitchen to downtown dining room
“We want people to be wowed when they come in,” Gonuguntla told Cleveland.com, describing the upgraded downtown buildout. He first brought Paradise to the region in 2017, then grew the brand through locations in Mayfield, Parma and Aurora before testing the downtown market at the Carnegie Food Hub. Renovation work on the 1116 Chester Ave space, which was converted from a 24-hour gym, began late last year, according to Cleveland Scene.
Late-night focus
Gonuguntla says late-night orders helped drive the move into downtown, and the new dining room is designed to capture that after-hours crowd. The operator’s site notes the downtown spot will be open into the 1 to 2 a.m. window, with carryout and delivery options available after dine-in service tapers off. The Carnegie Food Hub location will remain in operation until the downtown restaurant officially opens and shifts evening business over.
Practical details
Paradise is scheduled to open on April 2 at 1116 Chester Ave, serving lunch and dinner seven days a week, plus late-night carryout and delivery. Seating will accommodate roughly 50 diners, and the team says the Carnegie Food Hub outpost will stay active until the new downtown dining room is fully up and running. For reservations and ordering, the restaurant is directing customers to its official website and online ordering channels ahead of opening day.
