Penticton has a new grocery store. And it's (gasp!) downtown.
What a concept.
When Maharajah Grocerz -- situated in the same 502 Martin Street address that for so long housed Branch 40 of the Royal Canadian Legion -- opened last week, it set a couple of precedents.
For starters, it's the first true grocery store in the downtown core since the old SuperValu building was condemned and demolished more than a decade ago.
Secondly, it's a hybrid of sorts. Though its primary emphasis is food that'll generally appeal to the South Asian community, it carries stuff familiar to the North American crowd too.
Time will tell if this intriguing recipe catches on. And if it does, locals can thank a brother and sister duo originally from India. Indeed, the brotherly half of that duo arrived in Canada just last year.
"I came to Canada as an immigrant," said Simar Arora Tuesday afternoon in the midst of his new enterprise. "My sister's been in Calgary for the past ten years.
"When I came here, I was looking for something. I was most interested in starting a business and giving opportunities here."
And with the help of his sis, that's what he did.
In August of 2019, the twosome opened a strictly South Asian grocery store in Kelowna. As the months rolled on, they realized they'd grown quite a customer base from further south in the valley.
So they began poking around Penticton. In time, they met up with (Penticton mayor) John Vassilaki, who suggested that one of the overriding needs of his downtown was an all-purpose grocery store.
And he had just the home for it. Vassilaki had purchased the cavernous 502 Martin building in 2014, and it was now sitting empty.
"We met John and he said the city needs a grocery store downtown. There are a lot of elderly people looking for basic groceries. And he said, 'If you open it, I'll help you.'"
Today, the product sitting on the Maharajah Grocerz shelves is undeniably skewed toward a South Asian clientele. Spices, snacks, staples, assorted ingredients, drinks, sweets, and toiletries with names, and often purposes, unfamiliar to many Pentictonites.
Yet it's also in transition.
"I was not into North American food much," said Arora. "I was just into South Asian food. But here now I have new suppliers and a broader outlook."
Already the space carries what Arora calls "the basic necessities that people need every day, like milk, eggs, butter, vegetables and bread."
But a bigger bread section is on the way. As is an increased selection of cheeses. Right now, the store carries just the Indian favourite, paneer. In the next few weeks, Arora said he'll have "four or five varieties, including cheddar."
"And we're expanding," he added, pointing to an array of still-empty shelves and a section of still-empty floor space. "Next week you'll find meat here," he said about the latter. "Meat and chicken. Plain meat and marinated too."
The selection of basmati rice is impressive -- 15 brands and a wide assortment of sizes. Like much of the South Asian food you'll find in the store, Arora imports it directly from India and is confident that "you can't beat the quality, or the price."
Also in the offing is a selection of ready-to-eat meals. "We'll have a big supply of South Asian meals, fresh every day, starting next week," said Arora. "You can take them home and warm them or warm them here in the microwave. And we'll have amazing samosas."
We asked Arora what prompted him to get into the grocery business in the first place, and his answer was refreshingly straightforward.
"I love food," he laughed. "I live so I can eat. But really, it's the basic necessity. It's the basic need of every human being."
In that respect, Arora said he's very much open to customer suggestions.
"I want people to tell me what they'd like me to carry. You tell us, we'll bring it. Just see me at the store or call or text me."
Business thus far has been good, he added, though he hopes it'll grow going forward.
Maharajah Grocerz at 502 Martin is open every day from 8 am to 8 pm. For more information, head to the website or call Simar Arora directly at 778-957-0877.
