Born and raised in India, Mona Panjwani moved to the U.S. in 2000 to pursue a Master’s Degree in Finance. After graduating in 2002, she spent over a decade in financial services, climbing the corporate ladder—but her entrepreneurial spirit ultimately led her to leave the corporate world and start her own event management business. That path eventually brought her to hospitality, where she discovered her passion for creating spaces that connect people through food and experiences.
In 2019, Mona opened Lokal Eatery & Bar, a Modern American restaurant on the Jersey City waterfront. Launching just months before the COVID-19 pandemic, she navigated unprecedented challenges to establish Lokal as a community favorite, celebrated for its warm hospitality, bold flavors, and stunning waterfront views.
Building on that vision, Mona expanded to One40 Rooftop, a Modern American restaurant perched atop a hotel in New York City’s Financial District. With sweeping views of the Hudson River, the NYC skyline, and One World Trade Center, One40 is designed for gathering, sharing, and savoring—from breakfast and lunch to dinner and rooftop drinks. The menu emphasizes simplicity, seasonality, and authenticity, reflecting Mona’s philosophy that hospitality is as much about connection as it is about cuisine.
Beyond her restaurants, Mona is an advocate for women entrepreneurs and hospitality professionals, participating in organizations including the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, South Asian Women Entrepreneurs Networking Professionals, LTW (Let’s Talk Womxn), Hudson County Women Rising, LadyDrinks, and Together Hospitality.
On a personal level, Mona has been married for 20 years and is a proud mother of two children, Meher, 15, and Aman, 12. She treasures family vacations and enjoys hosting and cooking at home, blending spices, colors, and textures to create memorable dishes and gatherings. With One40 Rooftop, Mona brings her vision to the heart of New York City—a space where people can connect, celebrate, and feel at home while enjoying Modern American cuisine and panoramic skyline views.
What first interested you in your area of the hospitality industry?
What first drew me to hospitality was actually a journey that began in a very different world. I moved to the U.S. to pursue a Master’s in Finance and spent over a decade in the financial services industry. But deep down, I always had an entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to build something of my own, something more personal and creative. That path eventually led me into the events industry, where I discovered how fulfilling it was to create experiences for people and exceed guest expectations through thoughtful details and genuine hospitality. Seeing the joy that came from going above and beyond for someone stayed with me, and that naturally evolved into the restaurant world. Hospitality, for me, became the perfect blend of business, creativity, human connection, and creating spaces where people can come together and make memories. Hospitality, at its core, is about making people feel seen and cared for, and I found that incredibly meaningful.
Who are a few of the people that have encouraged your career?
My family has been one of the greatest sources of encouragement throughout my journey, especially my husband and children, who have supported me through the many highs and lows of running restaurants. Professionally, I’ve also been fortunate to work alongside incredibly talented chefs, management teams, and creatives who constantly challenged me to think bigger and stay resilient. I’ve also been fortunate to have mentors like Hemant Phul, who was one of the first people I spoke with when exploring this industry and continues to offer perspective and encouragement through the many highs and lows of hospitality.
Honestly, some of the strongest lessons have also come from difficult moments and from people who underestimated me. Those experiences pushed me to develop thicker skin, trust my instincts more deeply, and continue growing professionally.
What challenges do you think people face in your industry?
Hospitality looks glamorous from the outside, but it’s an incredibly demanding business. The hours are long, the margins are tight, and you are constantly balancing people, operations, creativity, and financial pressure all at once. Another challenge is that hospitality never truly “turns off.” You carry the responsibility with you all the time because you’re dealing with real people’s experiences every single day. Post-pandemic, staffing and maintaining consistency have also become much more challenging across the industry.
Can you cite a few accomplishments that have given you great pride and elevated your work?
Opening Lokal Eatery & Bar shortly before COVID and being able to not only survive but continue growing is something I’m deeply proud of. More recently, launching One40 Rooftop in New York’s Financial District has been another meaningful milestone. Beyond the restaurants themselves, I take the most pride in creating experiences within these spaces that feel warm, welcoming, and genuinely memorable to guests. Seeing guests return or tell us they felt taken care of are the accomplishments that matter most to me.
What piece of advice can you lend to others who are considering a career such as yours?
You have to genuinely love people and be passionate about Hospitality because it is not just about food or beautiful spaces – it’s about patience, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and consistency. Be prepared to work hard, stay humble, and keep learning. Also, don’t lose your own point of view. The industry is full of trends, but the places that resonate most are the ones with authenticity behind them.
Everyone who works in hospitality has a story to tell about something incredible that happened on the job. What’s one that you often tell?
One of the moments I often reflect on is not a single glamorous event, but the period during COVID when we had just opened Lokal Eatery & Bar only a few months earlier. Overnight, the entire industry was turned upside down, and, like so many restaurateurs, we faced uncertainty at every level.
What stayed with me during that time was the incredible sense of community and humanity that hospitality can create. Guests continued to support us, our team showed resilience beyond what I could have imagined, and we learned how much restaurants truly become part of people’s lives and routines. It reminded me that hospitality is about far more than food or spaces – it’s about making people feel cared for, connected, and welcomed, especially during difficult times. That experience shaped me deeply, both as a business owner and as a person.
What do you hope people understand about those who work in your area of hospitality?
I hope people understand how much heart and hard work goes into this industry. Every service requires an enormous amount of teamwork, preparation, and care behind the scenes. Hospitality professionals are constantly problem-solving while trying to make everything look effortless for the guest. It’s demanding work, but most people in this industry do it because they truly enjoy making others happy.
Is there anything else you want Woman Around Town readers to know?
I think it’s important to remember that success rarely looks linear, especially for women balancing business, family, and personal growth. There’s a lot of pressure to have everything figured out, but some of the best opportunities come from taking risks and evolving along the way. I also hope more women continue stepping into leadership roles within hospitality as the industry benefits tremendously from diverse perspectives, creativity, and empathy.
For more information:
One40rooftop.com
@One40rooftop
@Goldenhouratone40
LokalJC.com
@Lokaljc
@theviewatlokal
Top photo by Marina Kennedy
