St. Johns County is welcoming its first authentic Indian grocery store, and, lucky for us, it’s located at the stunningly new The Forum at Greenbriar Shopping Center. The Forum is centrally located near the intersection of St. Johns Parkway and Old County Road 210, just a short distance from I-95 and an array of residential communities. Desi Pantry is planning a grand opening for late summer/early fall.

Desi Pantry owner Jay Madhavaram moved to Northeast Florida in 2019 from Southern India and was able to find Indian pantry staples in Jacksonville; however, when he relocated to St. Augustine in 2022, he still had to travel to buy the groceries he needed. “I was having to drive over an hour each way to find the products I needed,” shares Madhavaram. “Once I started connecting with other members of the community, I found that they shared the same frustrations. People are busy, and the last thing you want to do is spend two hours in the car when there are friends, kids, work and a thousand other things to do in a day. With Desi Pantry, people have an easily accessible place to grab quality products, produce, and meat while saving time.”