The Red Pepper restaurant sits at the top end of Bourke Street in Melbourne's CBD. It's a hugely successful business and after its establishment the owners soon opened a second restaurant (Green Pepper) two doors down in order to cope with the demand.

The main counter where customers order and pay for their meals is placed, oddly, at the back of the dining room. This spacial configuration encourages a steady stream of customers walking up and down the main aisle and encourages a sense of busy activity and the transience of its customers.

The owner decided to open the Red Pepper after friends raved about her authentic Punjabi cooking. The restaurant has always to served traditional home style Indian food. The cuisine is from all over India but the restaurant specialises in north Indian, Punjabi food. This is a reflection of the owner's homeland but also caters to the majority of Indian migrants in Melbourne who are also from this region.

The food is cheap, the decor pleasant and the service friendly and practical. It's cosy enough to offer refuge from the outside night but not atmospheric enough to encourage lingering interactions. This particular combination seems to be perfect for taxi drivers. The owners are very aware of catering to the needs of the taxi drivers and at one stage Red Pepper even offered a separate taxi driver menu.