Sri Hari Uttara Karnataka Food Store

In JP Nagar, right along the Pune Mumbai Road, we run this little food store focusing on things from North Karnataka. People call it Sri Hari Uttara Karnataka Food Store, but mostly people just come in for the Jolada Rotti and the authentic powders we get. It’s a small place, and the shelves are packed tight with bags of lentils, spices, and different types of grains. The smell when you walk in is very specific—earthy and spicy all at once. We don't have a big staff, just a couple of us who know where everything is. We spend a lot of time weighing out items and chatting with regular customers who miss the food from back home. It gets really busy in the mornings and right after office hours when everyone is trying to pick up something for dinner. The road outside is always loud with cars going towards the highway, but inside we try to keep things simple. We don't use any fancy packaging or have big advertisements. The food speaks for itself, and word of mouth is how most people find us. Sometimes the shipments from up north get delayed, and we have to tell people to come back in a few days. It’s just a small, honest business trying to provide the flavors we all grew up with. We enjoy seeing people enjoy the traditional food.