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Everything came full circle for Chopra last week, when Dr. Oz surprised him with $10,000 for the launch of his new series, "Surprise Restaurant Rescue."
"I may be born in India but here, right here is where you see America," said Chopra, who owns I2I Italian and Indian Fusion and Vinnie's Pizza and Ristorante in Boonton. "I wasn't going to let the pandemic shatter my American Dream."
Chopra moved to the U.S. from India at just 19 years old, and barely spoke English. He worked three jobs to support his nine siblings and parents, starting at the bottom of the ranks in the restaurant industry.
He slowly climbed higher with the goal of one day owning his own restaurant. That day came in 2016, when he purchased his Main Street space in Boonton.
"Hard work and resilience paid off," he said in an interview with the Dr. Oz show. "I'm right here in front of you as a true American Dream coming true."
But like all other restaurants in America, things came crashing down for Chopra's restaurant last March. Chopra says he was barely making $100 a day, and investors were devastated.
That didn't stop him from giving back, though. Throughout the pandemic, Chopra fed more than 1,000 essential workers, hand-delivered meals and cooked in charitable kitchens.
As of early this year, he was barely hanging on, Dr. Oz said.
"The longer the pandemic goes," said Chopra, "the more difficult it will become."
And so, when Dr. Oz walked through the I2I doors, Chopra knew exactly what was happening: His prayers were being answered.
Click here for the emotional surprise.
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