First Indian specialty store opening in Kamloops

Photo: Brendan Kergin

Jagdeep Singh Benipal (left) and Jagdeep Chahal (right).

When FraserCart opens its doors on Oct. 22 it'll be the first time many of the things they carry are sold in Kamloops.

The new shop, located across the road from TRU at 103-795 McGill Rd., specializes in foods from India, from bulk items to spice to snack food.

"We have Superstore, we have Walmart, FreshCo, but they only have one shelf to fit everything," says general manager Jagdeep Chahal. "They can’t fulfill all the needs."

The shop, which looks tiny at first until you get around the corner and see how far it goes back, is stuffed with nearly 900 different products. A few are likely familiar to people who grew up in Kamloops, but the vast majority are brands and products not found anywhere in the city, like Ashoka, Bikano and Shana.

"There is lots of stuff we can’t get here, people have to drive all the way to Vancouver," Chahal tells Castanet. "It’s not convenient enough."

He notes that with the university as a neighbour many of the products will be fit for students, with snack food and ready-made meals. A frozen food section is in the back with microwaveable dishes.

It's not just snack food though, spices and bulk items are plentiful, as are tools to make dishes. Popular drinks will also be on offer, like lassi and badam milk (a type of almond milk).

"When you’re making chipati, roti and naan, you need different types of utensils," Chahal says.

Those utensils aren't available here, yet, he adds.

Chahal says they'll also carry items for the variety of festivals and religious parts of Indian life, noting a busy festival season is coming shortly, which includes Diwali and Holi. Dussehra comes just a couple days after the store's grand opening.

FraserCart will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Chahal says, making it sort of a convenience store along with its role as a specialty store. The grand opening is this Thursday, Oct. 22. For more information, click here.