Welcome to the only Indian food chain in the United States. The Patel Brothers now have 35 stores across the US, primarily along the eastern seaboard with stores also in Detroit, Houston and Indianapolis. They distribute Raja Foods and Swad ("taste" in Hindi). All total they are doing $140 million in sales annually. The business was started in 1974 by Talashi and Mafat Patel when they bought a small Indian store on Devon Avenue in Chicago. Mafat came to the US on an engineering scholarship and worked for Exxon as an electronic engineer, a position he kept until the late 1980s. I always thought of this type of store as unique to NYC, so it is surprising to learn that the Indian community has grown to such an extent to support all these retail locations. Indians have been very successful in this country - they are the second largest Asian group after the Chinese, the second most prosperous group after the Jewish-American and highly educated - according to the 2000 census, 64% have a bachelors degree or more. The photo is of the Patel Brothers grocery on 74th Street in Jackson Heights Queens. With 90% of the product line from India or Pakistan, a location in an Indian Neighborhood, a staff and customers dominated by Indian-Americans gives one an immediate sense of a seriously AUTHENTIC ethnic atmosphere when entering this store. With an entire aisle of rice - more brands than I knew existed - a section devoted to ghee, and of course enormous sections for spices and beans - these guys have no competition ...
Monday, March 05, 2007
The Patel Brothers
Welcome to the only Indian food chain in the United States. The Patel Brothers now have 35 stores across the US, primarily along the eastern seaboard with stores also in Detroit, Houston and Indianapolis. They distribute Raja Foods and Swad ("taste" in Hindi). All total they are doing $140 million in sales annually. The business was started in 1974 by Talashi and Mafat Patel when they bought a small Indian store on Devon Avenue in Chicago. Mafat came to the US on an engineering scholarship and worked for Exxon as an electronic engineer, a position he kept until the late 1980s. I always thought of this type of store as unique to NYC, so it is surprising to learn that the Indian community has grown to such an extent to support all these retail locations. Indians have been very successful in this country - they are the second largest Asian group after the Chinese, the second most prosperous group after the Jewish-American and highly educated - according to the 2000 census, 64% have a bachelors degree or more. The photo is of the Patel Brothers grocery on 74th Street in Jackson Heights Queens. With 90% of the product line from India or Pakistan, a location in an Indian Neighborhood, a staff and customers dominated by Indian-Americans gives one an immediate sense of a seriously AUTHENTIC ethnic atmosphere when entering this store. With an entire aisle of rice - more brands than I knew existed - a section devoted to ghee, and of course enormous sections for spices and beans - these guys have no competition ...
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18 comments:
Looks like a fun place to shop for diffent things...
Oh, love those kind of places, and your pictures, too!
Thank you for offering this beautiful kaleidoscope of life in your great city. I enjoy it very much.
What an amazing choice, you could stay in that one shop all day!
Merisi, Lynn;
If you like Indian cuisine you can easily browse in these places for a long time. So many things are new and alien. You feel like you have visited another country and in a way you have.
Brian
wonderful. i wish theer would be something similar in brussels - if you love indian food this must be heaven.
Funny, I've shopped at Patel Brothers in Jackson Heights but never realized it was part of a chain.
Blather From Brooklyn
hey its true, we also have patel brothers retail chain of stores in australia. it a different company then US but as per my knowledge, patel brothers australia is the fastast growing indian chain in australia, they have more than 14 retail stores across sydney. their range of products and quality is great and the best part is the prices are too low then other retailers. i heard from others that the brothers name Sanjay Patel and Manish Patel are very young and very aggressive in business. being a gujju, i know that have great reputation in indian community here in australia. i think they have made us proud as a gujju. i think they are the only gujju brothers who are well educated and in this business. The community says they are always up for anything good for the community. What i say "feels great" carry on "Patels & gujjus" make us proud more n more....
mate let me tell you the facts of patel brothers in australia. both sanjay patel & Manish patel are 420. they spoil "patel" name and made all aptel in a shameful situtaion. there are no such retail chains in australia. there is only one store name called patel brotehrs which is partnered by P.M. patel (visanagar fellow) and who recenlty lost the election from UNJHA seat for gujarat election.
all fake about patel brothers australia. listen all gujjus these two brotehrs are making the infrignement s and taking disadantage of Mr. Mafatpatel's hard work in USA.
becareful gujjus with these types of fraud people.
who am i? one of the well wishers of patel & gujju community.
hey budy you sound like one of sanjay patel and manish patel's competitor from australia. its true that they have a partner name p m patel the congressman from unjha. but its also true that they are involved in nearly 12 stores sydney melbourne. and i am saying cos i know these guys and i have been to six of their sydney stores. yes its true that they are not all and fully owned by them and they agree to it. but i can surely say that sanjay patel and manish patel are definitely not 420 as i have seen their community work as a gujarati samaj member and as a patel. i am involved in gujarati samaj of nsw committee and i know what sort of help we get from them from navaratri to diwali, morari bapu katha, swaminarayan temple, uttarayan and any other function which is for community. they always say yes infact we always count them we dont need to ask them for any contribution. another thing is they never talk about anyone then their self, i think mate you are one of that jealous guy or may be their enemy as they may be have too many cos they made a big difference in sydney indian retail market within short time. sorry mate but you should always know the fact before you say anything against anyone. i also know the mafatbhai group in america. they have made us all proud it true. but do you know "patel brothers" are everywhere in uk, singapore, india and each company is different. so try and digest the truth as we are happy with our patel brothers in australia. besides every two brothers who are patel, they all are patel brothers. PATEL name can not be owned by only one person or one company. its fact that when someone rises or progress more then others, there will be fingers pointed to them watch guru movie dear friend and appreciate what others do and follow that.
Mukesh Patel SYDNEY
hello this is Rajesh Maheta (46) from Ahmedabad. i've travelled around almost 20 countries across world and i bliv we should praise the work what Mr Mafatbhai Patel and his sons are doing in USA as well as Sanjay Patel and his group is doing in AUSTRALIA and PATEL BROTHERS doing in UK. It ultimately benifits the community cos they employ community people or any new migrant or students. In a way they provide the platform for the people who are in need that time. I would say indian businesses overseas are sort of training centres for new migrants. We all know that there is always exploitation but still its a big help to the person in need that time. You know in these coutries to get an opportunity is too difficult, but once you get this sort of platform you can move on further. To do the business overseas and make your identity is not that easy. After all they are risk takers and they deserve some respect and credit for it from fellow community. Therefore Cheers to all of gujarati business community and goodluck to them to make it bigger n bigger.
salute to Mr Mafat Patel & his US group as well as Mr Sanjay Patel & his AUSTRALIA group. n f*** the people who are gettin jelouse of them. One sentence for ppl who get jelouse of them n thats "Be like them". I respect these ppl as they carry real value of "PATEL" word.
SWETA, NJ
I have seen patel brothers and many other store they real destroy the small mom and pop type of business in the area. Also once the small store goes out of business due to unfair competition they jack up the price and exploit the customer.
these australia patel brothers guys have lot of connections in dubai underworld and politics but in business they are too good.
Khan
These businesses are like a virus, they spread, and takes alot to tame them.
i know sanjay quite well n i can say best n big hearted guy ever i have met being successful businessman. ppl would say nything but the fact is he is genious. i bliv Gujarat Times of Australia is their business too. who else has got d guts to do somethin which nobody think of. Making us all gujjus proud in aus.
Rakesh
Love this place! They have the freshest produce! There are several Indian shops on this street but no one compares to Patel Brothers. There has been a lot of complaints on these guys with regards to pricing and attitude, but I have been to everyone of these grocery stores and they are relatively cheaper and nicer then the vast majority of their competition. I tell all those who ask about Indian Food to go to Patel Brothers!
BE CAREFUL OF PATEL BROS AUSTRALIA. THEY CHEAT THEIR SUPPLIERS FROM INDIA AND ALLOVER. COOK UP FAKE CLAIMS AND ROB THEM. FIRST CLASS CONS. BE CAREFUL OF SANJAY AND MANISH. TRICKSTERS
YOU ARE TOTALY WRONG. I M ALSO ONE OF THEM SUPPLYER IN INDIA. THEY ARE GOOD BUSINESSMEN.THEY NEVER CHEAT ANY ONE AS I KNOW. MAKE BUSINESS WITH THEM ONCE,YOUR THOUGHTS WILL BE CHANGED.SANJAY AND MANISH, BOTH ARE NOBLE PERSONS.
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