BUSINESS FEATURE
BY SUMAIYA MALIK
DESI DINING
An array of southeast Asian desserts, including jalebi, center.
Desi Brothers 2506 W. Parmer Lane, Ste. 170, Austin 512-761-3743 Hours: Mon.-Sun. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. An orange-colored dessert that looks like a twisted pretzel but is crispier and thinner and dipped in sugar syrup ROTI OR CHAPATI Flatbread traditionally made with wheat our and water, rolled out and cooked on the stove JALEBI
Desi Brothers carries a selection of fresh produce.
Vipul Patel opened Desi Brothers on Parmer Lane in September 2019.
PHOTOS BY SUMAIYA MALIKCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Desi Brothers South Asian grocery store, cafeteria has two locations in Austin F or those who wish to catch a glimpse of the thriving South Asian community
dry goods, the store has a growing clientele of repeat customers. “Our business actually went up by 30% in [the] COVID-19 pan- demic,” Patel said. Patel hails from Gujarat, India, and has been in the U.S. since 2001. He has been in the grocery store business for 16 years, rst in Chicago and then in Kentucky, but Desi Brothers is his rst solo ven- ture. Austin was a well-thought-out plan, he said. Patel decided to open his rst store in Austin when he read that Apple Inc. hired 10,000 employees for its Austin location a few miles from the location he chose for Desi Brothers. “So, I knew, three or four thousand [workers] will be Indian,” he said. In a layout similar to an HEB, the store carries fresh produce; spices; dairy; frozen meats; desserts, including gourmet ice
creams; dals or lentils; and ours as well as packaged Pakistani, Indian and U.S. brands. Its cafeteria sells Indian vegetarian cuisine for lunch and fresh roti—comparable to Mexican tortillas—a staple in South Asian homes. A few scattered cocktail tables ank the cafeteria in the far right corner for customers to stand for a quick bite. Customers can choose an array of colorful mithai, Pakistani and Indian desserts including jalebis and gulab jamuns from behind the glass casing. Fresh-squeezed sugar cane juice at the cafeteria is another cultural favorite. “As long as we have fresh produce, fresh chapati and the cafeteria, our customers are happy,” he said. After the two Austin stores, Patel opened four more outside Austin.
of Austin, a trip to Desi Brothers, a privately owned, local South Asian grocery store and cafeteria at 2506 W. Parmer Lane, Austin, might be all they need. Visited by all ages—from kids who accompany their families, to the elderly who need assistance—Desi Brothers is frequented by a cross-section of people looking for ingredients, food and household supplies. The grocery store opened in September 2019. A month later, owner Vipul Patel opened a second location at 3421 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. 133, Austin, in the Canyon Oaks Shopping center. The twin stores cater to Aus- tin’s fast-growing South Asian population. With competitive prices, an array of fresh produce, frozen foods and
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3421 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. 133, Austin 512-899-1000 Hours: Mon.-Sun. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
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Make a difference on June 3 and join United Way for Greater Austin for Summer Day of Caring! Family-friendly, in-person volunteer activities are available in both Travis and Williamson counties. Before or after you volunteer, connect with CEO David C. Smith and fellow volunteers at breakfast in Austin or lunch in Leander!
Thank you to our Summer Day of Caring sponsors!
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NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • MAY 2022
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