A new grocery store inside Yellowknife’s Centre Square Mall opened on Thursday.
Joseph Sebastian and business partners Sanju Shaju and Reby Augustine launched Auroville Cultural Mart to offer a range of food items from around the world.
The store, now open daily between 11am and 7pm, is expected to be fully stocked by the end of this month.
Sebastian moved to Yellowknife in 2021 and worked as a manager at the uptown Independent store.
At the time, he felt options were limited in the international aisle and was inspired to create a one-stop shop that would better serve Yellowknife’s diverse population.
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“We thought of having a store just for that section, where our products can be highlighted more. So they don’t get buried in all other products,” he told Cabin Radio.
“I wanted to just exhibit our culture, our community’s products and cultures from different communities. Especially [for the] tourists that are coming, they can also come across different country products along with NWT products.”
Sebastian is already running a home-based catering business, Spoonful Meals, featuring South Indian cuisine. Some dishes on the menu may soon be available for purchase at the store in a ready-to-heat format.
Sebastian said the store will stock harder-to-find products based on customer requests and even plans to provide free delivery after 6pm.
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“Our main focus is like a community grocery store, where you can find little bits of everything, that you are missing over here in an affordable rate,” he said.
Auroville Mart is named after a city in Tamil Nadu, India. Sebastian said Auroville is known for its experimental, community-driven approach, where people from different backgrounds “have a unique way of living.”
“There is no money involved over there, so it’s like a barter system. They help each other,” he said.
“Instead of money, their service is different. If one person helps [another], the other does the same. So it’s special.”
