Indian Grocery Offers Authentic Foods Without the Drive

NILES, Ohio — Amit Kumar was weary of traveling to Cleveland or Pittsburgh to buy Indian food and spices, so he opened his own store.

Indian Grocery is located in Pinetree Plaza at 34 Youngstown-Warren Road along U.S. Route 422, in McKinley Heights. The store has been getting a solid response from shoppers since it opened Oct. 31, Kumar says.

“There is a huge [Indian] community here, but we are getting support from all communities,” Kumar says. The location is in the center of the Mahoning Valley and easy to find, he noted.

It’s the first time Kumar has run a grocery store. He previously owned a cell phone store at the same site.

The store offers a complete selection of spices, condiments, fresh vegetables, stuffed breads and other staples of Indian cooking. There are also premade frozen meals that can be heated at home.

“Everyone likes the Indian pickles and the frozen foods,” Kumar says.

Gallery images include interior photos of Indian Grocery and some of the items for sale.

Indian Grocery also offers imported cookies and snacks “that you cannot find in any store,” Kumar says.

Indian food is known for its unique spices, which are found only on the subcontinent. It’s also easy to cook, Kumar says, and the store is happy to share recipes and preparation tips.

“We know what we are selling,” Kumar says. “We can explain [the ingredients] and give recipes, and tell how they can be used in cooking.”

Another reason to cook Indian food is because it is healthy, he adds.

“During the pandemic, people started to like turmeric,” he says. “We use it in every meal. It’s a natural antibiotic. It helps to fight colds. We have authentic Indian spices that keep up your health every day.”

Indian Grocery of Youngstown is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The phone number is 330 349 4235.

Pictured at top: Co-owners Shweta Nair and Amit Kumar cut the ribbon with sons Ridhaan Kumar and Vrisaan Kumar.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.