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Coordinates: 35°54′36″N 79°03′46″W / 35.9100322°N 79.0628443°W / 35.9100322; -79.0628443
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{{Infobox restaurant
{{Infobox restaurant
| name = Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe
| name = Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe

Revision as of 21:24, 26 December 2017

Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe
Map
Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe is located in North Carolina
Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe
Location within North Carolina
Restaurant information
Established2010; 14 years ago (2010)
Owner(s)Vimala Rajendran
Rush Greenslade
Head chefVimala Rajendran
Pastry chefAnjali Rajendran
Food typeIndian cuisine
Street address431 W Franklin St Suite 16
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.
Coordinates35°54′36″N 79°03′46″W / 35.9100322°N 79.0628443°W / 35.9100322; -79.0628443
Websitecurryblossom.com

Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe is a Indian restaurant on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The restaurant opened in 2010 and is owned by Vimala Rajendran, an Indian immigrant to the United States.

History

Vimala Rajendran (born 1958 or 1959)[1] was born in Canada and raised in Mumbai,[1] one of four children in a middle-class suburb.[2] She went to college in Sion at age 17.[3] She married at age 19 and moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to join her husband while pregnant with her first child. Rajendran was subjected to domestic violence with her first husband.[4] Rajendran and her children decided to move to Chapel Hill in 1985.[4][5]

She began selling food in Chapel Hill in 1994 with donation-based community dinners;[2] two years prior, she had cooked a large dinner for neighbors and was motivated to continue, reaching out to local farmers for ingredients.[6] Rajendran opened Vimala's in 2010 with $80,000 in community loans.[2][4] She had learned about the practice of microcredit after a trip to Jamkhed.[4] The restaurant received the $100,000 Mission Main Street Grant from JPMorgan Chase in September 2015, one of 20 small businesses. At the time, Vimala's was $300,000 in debt, partially due to the restaurant's policy of not turning away people who could not pay.[2]

Operations

Rajendran runs the restaurant with her second husband, Rush Greenslade.[7][6] Rajendran's daughter Anjali is the restaurant's pastry chef, while son Rajeev and daughter Manju work for Vimala's as needed.[2] Rajendran is the owner of the restaurant, located in The Courtyard at 431 West Franklin Street,[2][8] Suite 16.[9]

Vimala's has hosted events providing free lunch to refugees.[1] Rajendran promotes Global Neighborhood Day on the Sunday after Thanksgiving to celebrate many cultures of the U.S. by hosting a free buffet dinner.[8][10] One such meal was attended by U.S. Representative David Price.[8]

Food

Rajendran cooks many of her mother's recipes of the cuisine of Kerala,[11] like sambar, but also fuses it with local food, like barbecue in North Carolina.[9] It is also inspired by Maharashtrian cuisine, where Rajendran grew up, and Punjabi cuisine, especially samosas.[11] The restaurant's menu also includes tandoori chicken, pulled pork, chana masala, dosas, collard greens, chai tea, and cardamom-chocolate brownies.[11][12][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c Chason, Rachel (February 13, 2017). "Trump's immigration ban hangs over refugee welcome lunch in Chapel Hill". The News & Observer. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Grubb, Tammy (September 27, 2015). "Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe starts next 5 years with $100,000 recipe for success". The News & Observer. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Bouloubasis, Victoria (April 1, 2009). "'Vimala cooks. Everybody eats.'". Indy Week. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d The Story with Dick Gordon: Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe (radio). American Public Media. July 26, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  5. ^ Bryant, Isaac (August 15, 2017). "Humans of Chapelboro: Vimala Rajendran". WCHL. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  6. ^ a b Philpott, Tom (July 15, 2010). "N.C. chef Vimala Rajendran tells how cooking can save a family — and build a food ecosystem". Grist. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  7. ^ Patterson, Hadassah (September 16, 2015). "Vimala's Curryblossom Café receives national grant". WRAL. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c Kane, Dan; Schultz, Mark (November 28, 2016). "Chapel Hill restaurant owners help refugees in Orange, Durham counties". The News & Observer. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  9. ^ a b Meyerhoeffer, Kirstin (January 9, 2015). "Vimala's Curryblossom Café". Our State. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  10. ^ Britt, Savannah (December 1, 2016). "Med Deli, Vimala's help community come together for Syrian refugees this holiday season". The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c NC Weekend – Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe. UNC-TV. March 12, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  12. ^ Wallace, Emily (May 12, 2010). "Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe coming soon". Indy Week. Retrieved December 26, 2017.