Nayaks Mangalore Stores

If you walk into Jayanagar Ist Block 63, you’ll find us surrounded by sacks of grains and jars of pickles. Nayaks Mangalore Stores is the kind of place where things are stacked up to the ceiling. We bring in a lot of stuff from the coast, so there is always a faint smell of dried fish and roasted spices in the air. It’s a bit cramped in here, and we often have to move three things just to get to one bag of rice at the bottom. The wooden shelves are old and bend a little under the weight of the heavy oil tins. We spend our time weighing out grams of spices into small plastic packets. Jayanagar is a quiet area with lots of big trees, and we get many older residents who have been shopping with us for decades. They usually want to talk about the weather or their families while we pack their groceries. We use an old metal scale for some things because it’s more reliable than the digital one that keeps flickering. The floor is made of red oxide and has worn smooth over time. We don't do any delivery; people just come and carry their own bags. It’s a simple shop with no bright lights or music. We just open up in the morning, sweep the front step, and wait for the regulars to show up for their daily supplies of sambar powder or papads. It keeps us busy enough.