India Plaza, which sells only vegetarian products, occupies a 17,000-square-foot colonial building at the northeastern corner of Apache Boulevard and McClintock Drive.
check these other indian food stores out:
There are 13 Indian grocery stores throughout the Valley, according to AZIndia.com, an Arizona Indian community services Web site. However, Arora likes to think of his store as a "one-stop cultural center" that goes beyond the typical Indian market, offering Indian beauty products, cooking demonstrations and cultural events.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0906indiaplaza06.html
India Plaza has a stellar first year
Think of Tempe market as '1-stop cultural center'
Janna Braun
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 6, 2004 12:00 AM
Times may not be good for the grocery industry in general, but one market in Tempe is bucking the trend.
India Plaza, the Valley's largest Indian grocery store, celebrated its first anniversary in August. And although the grocery industry has seen small profits in the past few years, owner Raveen Arora says his market is an exception.
"In just our first year, we've turned a profit of nearly 7 to 8 percent," Arora said. "It's going to take a bit longer to figure out our exact numbers . . . but we've managed to be profitable in just our first year."
Arora and his family moved to the Valley just over a year ago after 20 years as an importer and distributor of Indian foods in Cerritos, Calif. He invested $300,000 in the store because he believed the Indian population in the Phoenix area had grown enough that a large-scale Indian market could succeed. The 2000 U.S. census estimated that there are a little more than 11,000 people of Indian descent living in Maricopa County.
"There are lots of Indian people here, and the influence of their culture was starting to be felt," he said. "Lots of big stores like Trader Joe's and Wild Oats are starting to sell Indian products. I thought an Indian store with everything Indian, not just food, would be an ideal addition to the Phoenix culinary and cultural scene. Tempe, with its international blend of students at Arizona State, is a very central location, so it made sense to come here."
India Plaza, which sells only vegetarian products, occupies a 17,000-square-foot colonial building at the northeastern corner of Apache Boulevard and McClintock Drive. In addition to food, the store sells Indian cookware, music, movies and sporting goods. It also boasts a henna tattoo parlor and a deli that specializes in chaat, traditional treats sold by street vendors in India. Arora says the store carries more than 5,000 items, with entire aisles devoted to Indian spices, vegetables and incense.
There are 13 Indian grocery stores throughout the Valley, according to AZIndia.com, an Arizona Indian community services Web site. However, Arora likes to think of his store as a "one-stop cultural center" that goes beyond the typical Indian market, offering Indian beauty products, cooking demonstrations and cultural events.
"It's a whole different experience here," he said. "We have a really good concept and vision for the store and have it set up in a way that's very open and inviting."
But Arora is not stopping there. He is slowly starting to expand his store's services, introducing a home delivery service called India on Wheels a few weeks ago.
"We got some customer feedback saying they'd like a home delivery service because some folks live 10 to 15 miles away (from the store)," he said. "Right now we're getting mostly South Asian clientele, but we're starting to see customers of other ethnicities, too."
Getting the word out about the store has been challenging, Arora said, because of the public's perceptions of Indian markets.
"When people think of an Indian grocery, they think of lentils, rice and curry, but there's a lot more to offer," he said. "We've tried to educate people that the store is an ideal melting pot for Indian things, not just a few items here and there."
Arora said he does most of his advertising through the cultural events his store sponsors, including music and dancing events and student nights at ASU.
In coming years, Arora hopes to open additional Valley locations.
"People keep telling me now to open more stores, but I'm trying to go slow," he said. "I hope in maybe a few years we'll have two more stores because Phoenix is growing, and I think so is the need for Indian food."