Marking a significant milestone, the Patel Brothers grocery store chain is celebrating its 50th anniversary, a testament to its enduring presence in the South Asian immigrant community and beyond, according to a report by ABC7 Chicago. The family-owned business, which has staunchly adhered to a philosophy of improvement and consumer convenience from its inception, opened its first location on Damen and Devon in 1974 and has since expanded to a robust network of 52 stores nationwide. Swetal Patel, a partner at Patel Brothers, shared with ABC7 the entrepreneurial spirit of his father and uncle that propelled the local store into a national grocery chain.
Originally a small 800-square-foot shop, this juggernaut now stands as the largest South Asian grocery institution in the United States, amassing a worth of over $200 million and attracting a diverse clientele. The first store pioneered the transformation of Devon Avenue into a bustling hub of Indian culture and cuisine, an evolution that has welcomed South Asian populations from a variety of nations who contributed to creating a richly diverse community a statement obtained from Block Club Chicago explains.
The store's offerings range from spices, rice, and dals, to in-house bakeries churning out roti and samosas, catering to a myriad of South Asian tastes and preferences, "Each city has their own demographics that the stores cater to – you can't just say you're an Indian store that sells Indian products," Swetal Patel emphasized during an interview with Block Club Chicago. Their business model shrewdly adapts to the unique cultural nuances of each locality's populace.
Despite the specter of cultural and religious differences that have stirred conflicts in their homeland, South Asians in Chicago converge on Devon Avenue, an area that embodies a spirit of unity, Sadruddin Noorani, a Chicago resident since 1981, delineated the street's importance to the blend of South Asian cultures, and he described Devon as a "one-stop shop," where despite turmoil back home people of various heritages live together in harmony "Devon makes us united," Noorani told Block Club Chicago.
Looking forward, Patel Brothers shows no signs of slowing down with plans to open additional locations in Michigan and expand an existing one in Jersey City, New Jersey while their philosophy continues to be informed by family values, with the younger generations carrying the torch with a sense of passion and dedication for the family business bolster these timeless ties and keeping the community at the heart of its operations, "My community is the most important thing to me — without them, I would not have Patel Brothers or a purpose," Tulsi Patel recounted to Block Club Chicago.
