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Shah Groceries now open for business
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Shah Groceries managing director Sukhraaj Singh poses with some Indian pastries at the bakery located at the back of the new Turlock store (CHRISTOPHER CORREA/The Journal).

Name of business: Shah Groceries 

Type of business: Grocery store 

Location: 2353 W. Main St., Turlock 

Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily

Contact: (209) 226-1023 or management@shahgroceries.com 

Specialty: Indian and international products

History of business: It’s been more than eight months since Sukhraaj Singh shared his vision of opening an international grocery store in Turlock, and now the doors at Shah Groceries on 2353 W. Main St. have officially opened.

The new, locally owned and operated grocer will offer products from all parts of India, the Middle East and of select Asian countries. It was a point of emphasis from Singh, the store’s managing director, as he realized that Turlock and its surrounding cities are incredibly diverse, and that flavors vary wildly from region to region.

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Shah Groceries in Turlock has a full stock of traditional Indian, Middle Eastern and Asian cooking utensils (CHRISTOPHER CORREA/The Journal).

“There’s a big Indian and Middle Eastern community here. And it’s not just Indian community, but Southern Indians, North Indians as well. And in India, everybody in different regions use different kinds of spices, so it’s important that we bring different groceries from different parts of India all in one place. The same goes for the Middle Eastern community, Asian communities,” he said back in February.

Shah Groceries has had a soft opening this week with no advertisement, and they have already seen dozens of curious community members walk through the door. And the team is already receiving positive feedback and words of encouragement.

“People have noticed the ‘open’ sign when they walk or drive by, and they’ve loved it,” Singh said. “Some customers instantly were excited when they were looking at some of the international products, and we’re open to adding more.”

Singh explained that the front counter will be taking requests from the community from products they’d like to see. They have already received suggestions from natives of Fiji.

“Like I’ve said, people travel far to different cities just to get the basics for their traditional meals from their native regions, and our goal is to have everything in this spot,” he said.

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Singh is expecting the meat market at the back of the store to be a hit with local community members, as he says they are one of the only locations to offer meats with traditional Indian marinades (CHRISTOPHER CORREA/The Journal).

Shah Groceries will have an official grand opening on  Sept. 23, where they will have sales and freebies for visitors.

“It’s very exciting and we can’t thank the community enough for the support thus far,” Singh said. “We’re happy to serve the people of Turlock and the surrounding areas.”