Courtesy of GN International Grocery
Walking through the aisles of GN International Grocery is a bit like traveling the world, minus the plane ticket.
Customers are immersed in multiple cultures, all without leaving Pickerington.
Govin Ghimiray, the owner of GN International Grocery, has one primary goal.
“I want to connect communities through food,” he says.
Ghimiray has been doing just that from a young age. He owned his first grocery store at 17, a 1,600-square-foot space in Columbus. Today, Ghimiray owns a 25,000-square-foot store that holds the title of the largest Nepali-owned grocery store in the United States.
“It was complicated at the beginning because not a lot of people believed in me when I came up with business plans,” Ghimiray says. “They would just look at me or look at my young age and say, ‘Ah, I don’t think he will do it,’ so that’s why I wanted to change some of the ways businesses were always run, like try out new things and use social media.”
Ghimiray’s previous store, Nepali Bazaar, offered Nepali food, which served a niche clientele. The store was a success, but he knew he could appeal to a larger demographic – and expose the community to more cultures’ cuisine – by expanding his offerings and his store. “Throughout the process of operating Nepali Bazaar I learned more about well because I was dealing with vendors that had other products,” says Ghimiray. “That’s why I started an international grocery, to have a little bit of each country.”
Though Pickerington is growing in diversity – minority ethnicities grew from less than 20 percent of the population in 2010 to more than 27 percent in 2019 – Ghimiray noticed a lack of international food stores. His new storefront, which opened in October 2021, seeks to find a home in the community by filling that gap.
“Even my community, the Nepali community, has been booming in Pickerington,” Ghimiray says. “Before I opened (the grocery) I looked at the demographic of Pickerington and it’s other ethnicities’ and countries’ foods as
pretty nationalized right now. There are people from every country here and it’s growing every month.”
GN International Grocery is already positively impacting the community less than five months since its grand opening. Ghimiray says shoppers are happy to see international and hard-to-find products on the shelves.
“As soon as customers come in they will say one (thing): ‘Thank you,’” he says. For those interested in trying the international fare but not sure where to start,
Ghimiray has some recommendations.
Lay’s, India’s Magic Masala
While potato chips commonly come in a variety of flavors, the Lay’s brand includes international flavors less commonly found in American stores, such as India's Magic Masala. This flavor is popular in India and blends a harmony of spices, cumin, coriander, chili powder, onion and garlic, all in one chip.
Dragon fruit
Also known as a pitaya, this fruit re- sembles the mildly sweet flavors of pear
and kiwi. It is full of health benefits, with exceptionally high vitamin C and iron levels. Native to regions including Mexico and northern South America, dragon fruit is typically enjoyed by cutting the fruit in half lengthwise and scooping out the flesh to eat, like an avocado.
Nanak Foods’ desserts
Skip baking from scratch with Nanak Foods’ desserts. These ready-made Indian sweets are traditional and perfect for sharing. They come in many varieties, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy, from soft dumplings to carrot fudge.
Paratha
Paratha is a soft Indian flatbread that comes in many varieties and can be bought frozen. These layered flatbreads are typically served with foods such as eggs, meat dishes and curries. Often stuffed, these flaky breads are closer to a crepe than a pita.
Soursop
Another tropical fruit, this one found in Central America, India and the Caribbean, Ghimiray says soursop is a popular fruit among his customers. The fruit is a large oval best-served cut in half and rid of seeds. Then, scoop out its flesh and enjoy its pineapple-like tangy, sweet taste.
Juliana Colant is an editorial as- sistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com.
