J. Ess & Sons

J. Ess & Sons is a small family business located at 137 Tardeo, on Awabai Kashi Nath Road. We have been in this spot for a couple of generations now. The shop is tucked away in a busy part of Mumbai where there's always something going on. We mostly handle general trading and supply of various goods. When my grandfather started the place, the street looked very different. Now, there are tall buildings all around, but our shop still has the same old wooden door and the small counter where we meet everyone. It’s a bit cramped inside because we try to keep a lot of items on hand. We have shelves reaching all the way to the ceiling, and we have to use a ladder to get most things down. The air usually smells like old paper and whatever we happen to be stocking that week. We don't use any fancy marketing tricks. People know us in Tardeo because we've been here so long. We treat everyone who walks in the same way, whether they are buying one small item or a whole crate. Sometimes we stand out on the pavement to catch a bit of a breeze and talk to the other shop owners. It’s a tight-knit community on this road. We aren't looking to expand or become a big corporation. We just want to keep the family name going and serve the people who come to our door every day.