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WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.830 align:middle line:90% 00:00:10.830 --> 00:00:11.890 align:middle line:90% Welcome, everyone. 00:00:11.890 --> 00:00:12.790 align:middle line:90% My name's Athena. 00:00:12.790 --> 00:00:16.200 align:middle line:84% I'm with Outreach and Continuing Education and Western C.A.R.E.S. 00:00:16.200 --> 00:00:18.252 align:middle line:84% here at Western Washington University. 00:00:18.252 --> 00:00:19.710 align:middle line:84% I'm going to be acting as your host 00:00:19.710 --> 00:00:22.350 align:middle line:84% today for this session of Stories to Tell. 00:00:22.350 --> 00:00:25.890 align:middle line:84% Just a quick note, this interview is being recorded 00:00:25.890 --> 00:00:27.600 align:middle line:84% and will be archived by the Center 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:30.780 align:middle line:84% for Pacific Northwest Studies and the South Asian-American 00:00:30.780 --> 00:00:33.870 align:middle line:84% Digital Archives, and they will be made available to the public 00:00:33.870 --> 00:00:36.690 align:middle line:84% for research, teaching, and education. 00:00:36.690 --> 00:00:39.070 align:middle line:84% A bit about Western C.A.R.E.S. before we start. 00:00:39.070 --> 00:00:40.740 align:middle line:84% We started this as a resource for us 00:00:40.740 --> 00:00:42.390 align:middle line:84% to connect and share and maintain 00:00:42.390 --> 00:00:45.240 align:middle line:84% our sense of community and engagement during these days 00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:47.790 align:middle line:84% where we're trying to stay home and stay healthy and take 00:00:47.790 --> 00:00:49.060 align:middle line:90% care of each other. 00:00:49.060 --> 00:00:50.940 align:middle line:84% These are online interactive sessions 00:00:50.940 --> 00:00:52.710 align:middle line:84% put on by your colleagues and peers who 00:00:52.710 --> 00:00:54.710 align:middle line:84% are volunteering their time and experience 00:00:54.710 --> 00:00:56.190 align:middle line:90% and interests with you. 00:00:56.190 --> 00:00:58.320 align:middle line:84% As your host, I'm going to introduce your session, 00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:01.315 align:middle line:84% and then I'm here to provide any tech support that you may need. 00:01:01.315 --> 00:01:02.940 align:middle line:84% Do know that you entered the call today 00:01:02.940 --> 00:01:05.099 align:middle line:84% with your sound muted and your video off, 00:01:05.099 --> 00:01:06.600 align:middle line:84% because we are recording and that 00:01:06.600 --> 00:01:09.432 align:middle line:84% helps us to keep the video focused on our speakers. 00:01:09.432 --> 00:01:10.890 align:middle line:84% There will be time at the end where 00:01:10.890 --> 00:01:12.570 align:middle line:84% we'll turn your sound back on, if you'd 00:01:12.570 --> 00:01:13.830 align:middle line:90% like, to ask questions. 00:01:13.830 --> 00:01:15.330 align:middle line:84% If you're not comfortable with that, 00:01:15.330 --> 00:01:18.300 align:middle line:84% there is a chat option on the side in Zoom as well. 00:01:18.300 --> 00:01:21.220 align:middle line:84% And you can type them in there, and we'll monitor that as well. 00:01:21.220 --> 00:01:22.780 align:middle line:84% So thank you so much for joining us, 00:01:22.780 --> 00:01:24.947 align:middle line:84% and now I'm going to hand it over for the interview. 00:01:24.947 --> 00:01:26.310 align:middle line:90% Dharitri, thanks. 00:01:26.310 --> 00:01:27.310 align:middle line:10% Welcome everyone. 00:01:27.310 --> 00:01:29.990 align:middle line:10% This is Stories to Tell, and I'm Dharitri Bhattacharjee. 00:01:29.990 --> 00:01:32.240 align:middle line:10% I teach in the history department 00:01:32.240 --> 00:01:34.260 align:middle line:10% at Western Washington University. 00:01:34.260 --> 00:01:36.490 align:middle line:10% In this oral history series our goal 00:01:36.490 --> 00:01:39.690 align:middle line:10% is to explore a diversity of South Asian perspectives 00:01:39.690 --> 00:01:41.590 align:middle line:10% on COVID-19. 00:01:41.590 --> 00:01:44.730 align:middle line:10% The region of South Asia comprises India, Bangladesh, 00:01:44.730 --> 00:01:47.600 align:middle line:10% Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives 00:01:47.600 --> 00:01:49.410 align:middle line:10% and Afghanistan. 00:01:49.410 --> 00:01:52.440 align:middle line:10% This week and next week will be our last week 00:01:52.440 --> 00:01:54.210 align:middle line:10% on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 00:01:54.210 --> 00:01:58.280 align:middle line:10% We are bringing in new South Asian voices for you. 00:01:58.280 --> 00:02:00.150 align:middle line:10% I will ask questions for thirty minutes, 00:02:00.150 --> 00:02:03.210 align:middle line:10% and after that you are encourages to ask questions 00:02:03.210 --> 00:02:04.020 align:middle line:10% to our guest. 00:02:04.020 --> 00:02:07.110 align:middle line:10% And today our guest Amarnath Deva. 00:02:07.110 --> 00:02:09.104 align:middle line:10% Minorities and immigrants are routinely 00:02:09.104 --> 00:02:13.020 align:middle line:10% absent and underrepresented in archival collection. 00:02:13.020 --> 00:02:17.400 align:middle line:10% I could not be more proud to be convening this series. 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:18.870 align:middle line:10% I will be conducting the interview, 00:02:18.870 --> 00:02:22.570 align:middle line:10% but there are several people who have made this possible. 00:02:22.570 --> 00:02:25.860 align:middle line:10% I want to especially acknowledge the contribution of Western 00:02:25.860 --> 00:02:28.620 align:middle line:10% C.A.R.E.S' Program Specialist Athena Roth, 00:02:28.620 --> 00:02:31.830 align:middle line:10% and the Center for Pacific and Northwest Studies Archivist 00:02:31.830 --> 00:02:33.390 align:middle line:10% Ruth Steele. 00:02:33.390 --> 00:02:35.460 align:middle line:10% So thank you for joining us, Amarnath. 00:02:35.460 --> 00:02:39.420 align:middle line:10% And Amarnath is the owner of Seattle's largest South Asian 00:02:39.420 --> 00:02:41.700 align:middle line:10% grocery store, Mayuri. 00:02:41.700 --> 00:02:43.670 align:middle line:10% Among other topics of conversation 00:02:43.670 --> 00:02:46.470 align:middle line:10% Amarnath will talk to us about small business economy 00:02:46.470 --> 00:02:48.680 align:middle line:10% and immigrant consumer culture. 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:51.990 align:middle line:10% So Amarnath, lets start with you telling us 00:02:51.990 --> 00:02:54.090 align:middle line:10% a little bit about your background, 00:02:54.090 --> 00:03:00.200 align:middle line:10% and why did you come, or why did you want to come to the US. 00:03:00.200 --> 00:03:02.160 align:middle line:90% OK. 00:03:02.160 --> 00:03:04.642 align:middle line:84% As you mentioned, my name is Amarnath Deva. 00:03:04.642 --> 00:03:09.000 align:middle line:90% I'm from Visakhapatnam, India. 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:16.740 align:middle line:84% Grew up there and came in 1980, July 31st, almost 40 years. 00:03:16.740 --> 00:03:25.110 align:middle line:84% I did my undergraduate in India, majoring in commerce. 00:03:25.110 --> 00:03:32.710 align:middle line:84% And I started doing my articles in chartered accounting, which 00:03:32.710 --> 00:03:34.600 align:middle line:90% they call the CPA here. 00:03:34.600 --> 00:03:42.400 align:middle line:84% And then I got the opportunity, via my uncle 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:47.930 align:middle line:84% [? slash ?] my mom who migrated to United States as an immigrant. 00:03:47.930 --> 00:03:54.660 align:middle line:84% And my mom applied for us, and so we took the opportunity, 00:03:54.660 --> 00:03:58.650 align:middle line:84% because back then also the United States 00:03:58.650 --> 00:04:09.270 align:middle line:84% was the first choice for opportunities and better 00:04:09.270 --> 00:04:14.520 align:middle line:84% lifestyle, and better opportunities 00:04:14.520 --> 00:04:21.480 align:middle line:84% to work and educate yourself and make a living. 00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:25.770 align:middle line:84% So, with that opportunity we came over here, 00:04:25.770 --> 00:04:28.140 align:middle line:90% migrated to the United States. 00:04:28.140 --> 00:04:31.210 align:middle line:10% So what was it like [AUDIO CUTS OUT] in India? 00:04:31.210 --> 00:04:34.470 align:middle line:10% Did everyone you know-- was the aspiration 00:04:34.470 --> 00:04:36.660 align:middle line:10% to get out of the country? 00:04:36.660 --> 00:04:38.800 align:middle line:10% Move to a country like the US? 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.060 align:middle line:10% Or there were only some-- you know, 00:04:42.060 --> 00:04:45.650 align:middle line:10% some among the youth who wanted to. 00:04:45.650 --> 00:04:49.100 align:middle line:10% I mean, back then also-- 00:04:49.100 --> 00:04:52.100 align:middle line:10% I mean, it start as-- 00:04:52.100 --> 00:04:55.410 align:middle line:10% I mean, people are not as motivated as today to come 00:04:55.410 --> 00:04:59.540 align:middle line:10% to United States as back then. 00:04:59.540 --> 00:05:03.320 align:middle line:84% Simply because there is a lot of unknown factors. 00:05:03.320 --> 00:05:07.670 align:middle line:90% Because we didn't have-- 00:05:07.670 --> 00:05:13.940 align:middle line:84% now with TVs and all this media and everything, 00:05:13.940 --> 00:05:19.550 align:middle line:84% the culture and everything is quite visible to people living 00:05:19.550 --> 00:05:26.650 align:middle line:84% abroad, what lifestyle and what standard 00:05:26.650 --> 00:05:28.280 align:middle line:90% of living in the United States. 00:05:28.280 --> 00:05:31.260 align:middle line:84% As opposed to back then, we'd still-- 00:05:31.260 --> 00:05:34.520 align:middle line:90% 00:05:34.520 --> 00:05:38.210 align:middle line:84% we know we are having relatives and people-- 00:05:38.210 --> 00:05:41.970 align:middle line:84% some magazines that would come that we would get it 00:05:41.970 --> 00:05:45.740 align:middle line:84% in the library, places like that, 00:05:45.740 --> 00:05:49.490 align:middle line:84% to educate ourselves about the United States. 00:05:49.490 --> 00:05:54.330 align:middle line:84% And back then, Russia is also relatively prominent place. 00:05:54.330 --> 00:05:56.510 align:middle line:10% So it's all the 1980s, which means 00:05:56.510 --> 00:05:58.420 align:middle line:10% this is pre-liberalization. 00:05:58.420 --> 00:06:03.190 align:middle line:10% So aspirations for a better lifestyle [AUDIO CUTS OUT] 00:06:03.190 --> 00:06:03.820 align:middle line:10% to the US. 00:06:03.820 --> 00:06:06.760 align:middle line:10% So if it's 1980, that means you have been 00:06:06.760 --> 00:06:09.260 align:middle line:10% in the US for 40 years now. 00:06:09.260 --> 00:06:12.220 align:middle line:10% So if you can tell us briefly-- 00:06:12.220 --> 00:06:14.860 align:middle line:10% to summarize 40 years of your life. 00:06:14.860 --> 00:06:18.790 align:middle line:10% Like how has the journey been? 00:06:18.790 --> 00:06:21.820 align:middle line:10% What was it that brought you [AUDIO CUTS OUT] 00:06:21.820 --> 00:06:26.200 align:middle line:10% as opposed to ... in India [? you had a dream ?] as a chartered accountant? 00:06:26.200 --> 00:06:28.690 align:middle line:10% That's not your [AUDIO DISTORTION HERE]? 00:06:28.690 --> 00:06:29.880 align:middle line:90% Yes. 00:06:29.880 --> 00:06:39.700 align:middle line:84% Well, I went through several ups and downs in the last 40 years. 00:06:39.700 --> 00:06:42.750 align:middle line:84% Like when I came in, in the '80s, 00:06:42.750 --> 00:06:46.040 align:middle line:84% the Iranian crisis was number one back then. 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:48.750 align:middle line:10% And because all the hostages began 00:06:48.750 --> 00:06:56.740 align:middle line:10% in Iran and so a lot of people, general public, 00:06:56.740 --> 00:06:59.680 align:middle line:10% they couldn't distinguish between the Iranians 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:05.200 align:middle line:10% and other nation members, so a lot of people 00:07:05.200 --> 00:07:07.120 align:middle line:10% used to think that I'm from Iran. 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:11.990 align:middle line:84% And especially when I was in fast food, 00:07:11.990 --> 00:07:16.150 align:middle line:84% shich is a customer service oriented line, 00:07:16.150 --> 00:07:20.650 align:middle line:84% I interacted with a lot of the public. 00:07:20.650 --> 00:07:23.920 align:middle line:84% And they would get upset or whatever, 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:27.910 align:middle line:84% they'll start cursing me thinking that I'm 00:07:27.910 --> 00:07:30.750 align:middle line:90% from Iran and so on, so forth. 00:07:30.750 --> 00:07:33.580 align:middle line:84% So I went through that period for some time. 00:07:33.580 --> 00:07:39.030 align:middle line:10% I mean that, I have to say that it's not, I mean 00:07:39.030 --> 00:07:44.030 align:middle line:10% the majority of the people are very, very well behaved. 00:07:44.030 --> 00:07:49.110 align:middle line:10% Very few people, I would say, is in that kind of phase, 00:07:49.110 --> 00:07:52.740 align:middle line:90% 00:07:52.740 --> 00:07:54.640 align:middle line:90% abusive phase. 00:07:54.640 --> 00:07:56.730 align:middle line:84% But otherwise, most of the people, 00:07:56.730 --> 00:08:00.815 align:middle line:84% they're very helpful and sympathetic 00:08:00.815 --> 00:08:04.240 align:middle line:84% to foreigners who are coming in and trying 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:07.546 align:middle line:84% to establish themselves in the country and so on and so forth. 00:08:07.546 --> 00:08:08.980 align:middle line:90% That's normal. 00:08:08.980 --> 00:08:12.580 align:middle line:10% So after the Iranian crisis, then we 00:08:12.580 --> 00:08:15.490 align:middle line:10% went through this economic crisis in the sense 00:08:15.490 --> 00:08:24.090 align:middle line:10% that the gas prices and so on and so forth, 00:08:24.090 --> 00:08:27.040 align:middle line:10% the economy was in really bad shape. 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:30.010 align:middle line:10% That's when Reagan took over from Carter. 00:08:30.010 --> 00:08:33.580 align:middle line:10% And it worked-- 00:08:33.580 --> 00:08:36.549 align:middle line:10% 00:08:36.549 --> 00:08:49.850 align:middle line:10% I mean, I would say, to briefly summarize the thing, 00:08:49.850 --> 00:08:54.520 align:middle line:10% I mean, there is a lot of ups and downs in the last 40 years. 00:08:54.520 --> 00:08:58.496 align:middle line:84% And yeah, so overall, it was pretty good. 00:08:58.496 --> 00:09:00.510 align:middle line:10% So you came over here. 00:09:00.510 --> 00:09:03.140 align:middle line:10% First, you were in California, right? 00:09:03.140 --> 00:09:05.520 align:middle line:10% And what business did you have there? 00:09:05.520 --> 00:09:09.560 align:middle line:10% And then when did you move to Washington? 00:09:09.560 --> 00:09:12.190 align:middle line:90% I came in 1980. 00:09:12.190 --> 00:09:14.630 align:middle line:84% So after 2000, which is 20 years, 00:09:14.630 --> 00:09:20.420 align:middle line:84% I was in California doing quick service restaurants of my own. 00:09:20.420 --> 00:09:24.470 align:middle line:84% Then from there, we moved to Washington-- 00:09:24.470 --> 00:09:25.910 align:middle line:90% Seattle, Washington. 00:09:25.910 --> 00:09:31.630 align:middle line:84% And probably I did that because we purchased the Days Inn 00:09:31.630 --> 00:09:32.390 align:middle line:90% hotel. 00:09:32.390 --> 00:09:36.790 align:middle line:84% And right after we bought it, 9/11 hit, 00:09:36.790 --> 00:09:39.980 align:middle line:84% and the hotel business took a big dive. 00:09:39.980 --> 00:09:44.040 align:middle line:84% And again, once again, almost bankrupt. 00:09:44.040 --> 00:09:49.300 align:middle line:84% Then when I was looking for another business opportunity, 00:09:49.300 --> 00:09:52.520 align:middle line:84% then that's how I stumbled across there's so many 00:09:52.520 --> 00:09:57.140 align:middle line:84% Indians, especially the East Side, Bellevue, Redmond. 00:09:57.140 --> 00:10:00.310 align:middle line:84% Redmond being the Microsoft headquarters and Amazon. 00:10:00.310 --> 00:10:05.390 align:middle line:84% A lot of Indians are coming in to work. 00:10:05.390 --> 00:10:08.480 align:middle line:84% And they needed grocery items, and everybody's 00:10:08.480 --> 00:10:10.520 align:middle line:90% catering towards-- 00:10:10.520 --> 00:10:14.400 align:middle line:84% back then, Punjabis are the dominating people. 00:10:14.400 --> 00:10:18.230 align:middle line:84% And so they would cater to them, Punjabis and Punjabis. 00:10:18.230 --> 00:10:21.540 align:middle line:84% And nobody know what the food habits for the South Indians 00:10:21.540 --> 00:10:22.680 align:middle line:90% is like. 00:10:22.680 --> 00:10:26.460 align:middle line:84% So that also gave me a good niche market. 00:10:26.460 --> 00:10:29.660 align:middle line:84% So I jumped in and we started bringing in South Indian 00:10:29.660 --> 00:10:30.470 align:middle line:90% speciality items. 00:10:30.470 --> 00:10:33.140 align:middle line:90% And that's how I started. 00:10:33.140 --> 00:10:36.480 align:middle line:10% Well, you have-- therefore, after you came to the US, 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:38.870 align:middle line:10% you have been a serial entrepreneur. 00:10:38.870 --> 00:10:41.373 align:middle line:10% You started with the food court business. 00:10:41.373 --> 00:10:43.290 align:middle line:10% Then you said you moved to the hotel business. 00:10:43.290 --> 00:10:45.360 align:middle line:10% You went almost bankrupt. 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:47.830 align:middle line:10% And then you started your grocery store. 00:10:47.830 --> 00:10:50.160 align:middle line:10% And that's Mayuri, Is that right? 00:10:50.160 --> 00:10:50.810 align:middle line:10% That's correct. 00:10:50.810 --> 00:10:51.590 align:middle line:10% Yes. 00:10:51.590 --> 00:10:55.270 align:middle line:10% So Mayuri has been running since what time, 00:10:55.270 --> 00:10:57.860 align:middle line:10% and how has your store changed? 00:10:57.860 --> 00:10:59.690 align:middle line:10% If you can talk about that. 00:10:59.690 --> 00:11:01.110 align:middle line:10% How did the idea-- 00:11:01.110 --> 00:11:02.690 align:middle line:10% like you mentioned that-- 00:11:02.690 --> 00:11:04.950 align:middle line:10% you talked about why the idea came to you 00:11:04.950 --> 00:11:07.310 align:middle line:10% of starting the grocery store. 00:11:07.310 --> 00:11:09.980 align:middle line:10% Because it was in Redmond, and there's 00:11:09.980 --> 00:11:12.795 align:middle line:10% a huge South Asian population there. 00:11:12.795 --> 00:11:18.230 align:middle line:10% But since then, how has the grocery store transformed? 00:11:18.230 --> 00:11:19.380 align:middle line:90% Yes, yeah. 00:11:19.380 --> 00:11:25.370 align:middle line:84% We started with a 4,000 square feet footprint and then, 00:11:25.370 --> 00:11:30.140 align:middle line:84% slowly, we started looking at various ways 00:11:30.140 --> 00:11:31.265 align:middle line:90% to expand our business. 00:11:31.265 --> 00:11:35.210 align:middle line:90% In terms of we wanted to like-- 00:11:35.210 --> 00:11:39.680 align:middle line:84% I mean, I studied the mainstream stores more or less. 00:11:39.680 --> 00:11:43.090 align:middle line:84% Like one stop shopping is the key 00:11:43.090 --> 00:11:46.640 align:middle line:84% for most of the Safeway and those places. 00:11:46.640 --> 00:11:51.120 align:middle line:84% So we added a few things, like ready-to-eat food, bakery 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:57.320 align:middle line:84% items, snacks, sweets and specialty meats 00:11:57.320 --> 00:12:01.745 align:middle line:84% that are primarily purchased by Indians, which 00:12:01.745 --> 00:12:08.122 align:middle line:84% is like our diet is chicken and mutton, which is goat and lamb 00:12:08.122 --> 00:12:09.080 align:middle line:90% and so on and so forth. 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:12.530 align:middle line:84% Very little pork and beef is consumed in India. 00:12:12.530 --> 00:12:14.320 align:middle line:90% So we tried to-- 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:16.180 align:middle line:84% at our place, we just specialized only 00:12:16.180 --> 00:12:21.410 align:middle line:84% with chicken and mutton, which is goat and lamb. 00:12:21.410 --> 00:12:23.840 align:middle line:90% And vegetables. 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:26.570 align:middle line:90% That's the big thing. 00:12:26.570 --> 00:12:30.200 align:middle line:84% Indian vegetables are different from mainstream vegetables. 00:12:30.200 --> 00:12:35.760 align:middle line:84% And nowadays, California also has a lot of immigrants, 00:12:35.760 --> 00:12:39.590 align:middle line:84% so they started growing our Indian vegetables in California 00:12:39.590 --> 00:12:42.660 align:middle line:90% and Texas and Florida. 00:12:42.660 --> 00:12:46.850 align:middle line:84% And so they bring in by air, by truck. 00:12:46.850 --> 00:12:48.830 align:middle line:84% And even from Hawaii, we get curry 00:12:48.830 --> 00:12:50.660 align:middle line:90% leaves and so on and so forth. 00:12:50.660 --> 00:12:55.960 align:middle line:84% So all these things, we could only operate fully 00:12:55.960 --> 00:12:57.980 align:middle line:90% if we had good volumes. 00:12:57.980 --> 00:13:01.590 align:middle line:84% And that's what-- so that's why we 00:13:01.590 --> 00:13:06.160 align:middle line:84% had to grow from 4,000 to 13,000 square feet recently 00:13:06.160 --> 00:13:07.730 align:middle line:90% in Redmond. 00:13:07.730 --> 00:13:10.570 align:middle line:84% And then we added another one in Bothell 00:13:10.570 --> 00:13:12.856 align:middle line:90% for another 14,000 square feet. 00:13:12.856 --> 00:13:13.356 align:middle line:90% OK. 00:13:13.356 --> 00:13:17.374 align:middle line:10% In 20 years, you've moved from 4,000 to 13,000. 00:13:17.374 --> 00:13:20.480 align:middle line:10% That's quite a feat. 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:24.840 align:middle line:10% Having achieved that feat, will you tell us like, 00:13:24.840 --> 00:13:27.170 align:middle line:10% how did the pandemic-- 00:13:27.170 --> 00:13:30.770 align:middle line:10% how did the pandemic hit you as a small business owner? 00:13:30.770 --> 00:13:33.850 align:middle line:10% Because since March, that's what you've been dealing. 00:13:33.850 --> 00:13:37.810 align:middle line:10% Both in your Redmond and Bothell locations. 00:13:37.810 --> 00:13:38.310 align:middle line:90% Yes. 00:13:38.310 --> 00:13:39.160 align:middle line:90% Yeah. 00:13:39.160 --> 00:13:42.440 align:middle line:84% Basically, we're facing a lot of challenges 00:13:42.440 --> 00:13:44.820 align:middle line:90% because of the COVID. 00:13:44.820 --> 00:13:49.370 align:middle line:84% Definitely, in terms of our daily operations, 00:13:49.370 --> 00:13:52.350 align:middle line:84% we had to make a lot of changes in terms 00:13:52.350 --> 00:13:57.110 align:middle line:84% of dealing with the customers and in terms of bringing in-- 00:13:57.110 --> 00:14:00.560 align:middle line:90% 00:14:00.560 --> 00:14:02.390 align:middle line:84% maintaining the social distancing 00:14:02.390 --> 00:14:09.320 align:middle line:84% and maintaining the hygiene in terms of keeping our shopping 00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:14.930 align:middle line:84% carts clean and keeping our customers 00:14:14.930 --> 00:14:21.080 align:middle line:84% from employees-- direct contact by putting 00:14:21.080 --> 00:14:25.970 align:middle line:84% plexiglass dividers in between, and so on so forth. 00:14:25.970 --> 00:14:27.680 align:middle line:90% We had to do all those things. 00:14:27.680 --> 00:14:29.960 align:middle line:84% And then not-- supply chain, also, we 00:14:29.960 --> 00:14:32.090 align:middle line:90% had to make several changes. 00:14:32.090 --> 00:14:35.690 align:middle line:84% Because we had to discontinue some of the offerings 00:14:35.690 --> 00:14:41.090 align:middle line:84% that we'd been doing, which is like self-serve, bulk bins, 00:14:41.090 --> 00:14:43.130 align:middle line:90% and hot food. 00:14:43.130 --> 00:14:48.830 align:middle line:84% This sort of steam table by way of by portion size. 00:14:48.830 --> 00:14:54.750 align:middle line:84% And small packaging that customer could 00:14:54.750 --> 00:14:56.760 align:middle line:90% make and purchase it by weight and so on and so forth. 00:14:56.760 --> 00:15:00.175 align:middle line:84% So all those things, we had to discontinue 00:15:00.175 --> 00:15:07.130 align:middle line:84% because of the COVID and stick with only prepackaged products. 00:15:07.130 --> 00:15:13.988 align:middle line:84% So that the hygiene levels are high and contamination 00:15:13.988 --> 00:15:16.980 align:middle line:90% is low. 00:15:16.980 --> 00:15:21.430 align:middle line:10% So there were some [AUDIO DISTORTION] .. little bit of background. 00:15:21.430 --> 00:15:25.915 align:middle line:10% If I hear you correctly, your, some sections 00:15:25.915 --> 00:15:28.088 align:middle line:10% of the store had to be shut down because 00:15:28.088 --> 00:15:33.620 align:middle line:10% of the pandemic And the bakery and the hot food section 00:15:33.620 --> 00:15:34.790 align:middle line:10% not been going on. 00:15:34.790 --> 00:15:37.950 align:middle line:10% So how did the grocery section do? 00:15:37.950 --> 00:15:42.030 align:middle line:84% The grocery side actually did very well. 00:15:42.030 --> 00:15:45.450 align:middle line:84% I mean, whatever the sales we lost 00:15:45.450 --> 00:15:51.180 align:middle line:84% from the bulk bins and the hot food and things like that, 00:15:51.180 --> 00:15:56.220 align:middle line:84% we gained more on the grocery side. 00:15:56.220 --> 00:15:59.630 align:middle line:90% Meaning a few people started-- 00:15:59.630 --> 00:16:03.090 align:middle line:84% because of the pandemic, a lot of people started going to work 00:16:03.090 --> 00:16:06.030 align:middle line:84% and working from home and staying home. 00:16:06.030 --> 00:16:10.850 align:middle line:84% And they're not going out to a lot of meetings and outings. 00:16:10.850 --> 00:16:12.840 align:middle line:90% So they started cooking at home. 00:16:12.840 --> 00:16:17.710 align:middle line:84% And therefore, they started purchasing more grocery items, 00:16:17.710 --> 00:16:21.000 align:middle line:84% taking it home and cooking it themselves. 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:24.990 align:middle line:84% So our grocery business has picked up 00:16:24.990 --> 00:16:30.090 align:middle line:84% 30% more than what we used to do in the past. 00:16:30.090 --> 00:16:32.310 align:middle line:10% That's great. 00:16:32.310 --> 00:16:34.800 align:middle line:10% Can you talk a little bit about how 00:16:34.800 --> 00:16:38.550 align:middle line:10% you responded to the social distancing 00:16:38.550 --> 00:16:40.080 align:middle line:10% advice that came out, right? 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:42.750 align:middle line:10% Because it's an enclosed space, and there's 00:16:42.750 --> 00:16:47.010 align:middle line:10% all this information coming out about being in closed spaces, 00:16:47.010 --> 00:16:49.700 align:middle line:10% and then you have to maintain social distance. 00:16:49.700 --> 00:16:51.900 align:middle line:10% So what are some of the changes that you 00:16:51.900 --> 00:16:55.680 align:middle line:10% had to make in your store, in your business, 00:16:55.680 --> 00:16:57.680 align:middle line:10% in order to respond to the pandemic 00:16:57.680 --> 00:17:00.270 align:middle line:10% and to continue with your business? 00:17:00.270 --> 00:17:01.530 align:middle line:90% Yes. 00:17:01.530 --> 00:17:04.119 align:middle line:90% We did several changes. 00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:09.270 align:middle line:84% Number one is number of people allowed into the store 00:17:09.270 --> 00:17:12.000 align:middle line:90% at any given point, to keep-- 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:15.690 align:middle line:84% maintaining the social distancing. 00:17:15.690 --> 00:17:21.450 align:middle line:84% Based on our square footage, the aisle space and so on and so 00:17:21.450 --> 00:17:26.040 align:middle line:90% forth, we figured only-- 00:17:26.040 --> 00:17:27.990 align:middle line:90% without our employees. 00:17:27.990 --> 00:17:30.960 align:middle line:84% It's about 12 customers that we could handle at the time. 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:34.790 align:middle line:84% So we kept a couple of guys outside 00:17:34.790 --> 00:17:36.540 align:middle line:84% and they would monitor the number of people 00:17:36.540 --> 00:17:38.950 align:middle line:90% that entered into the store. 00:17:38.950 --> 00:17:41.760 align:middle line:84% That would never cross 12 people. 00:17:41.760 --> 00:17:45.600 align:middle line:84% And number two, even once you cross into the store, 00:17:45.600 --> 00:17:51.690 align:middle line:84% then we started putting stickers six feet apart in each aisle. 00:17:51.690 --> 00:17:57.010 align:middle line:84% And also, we designated aisles, one side is enter 00:17:57.010 --> 00:17:59.350 align:middle line:90% and the other side is exit. 00:17:59.350 --> 00:18:03.000 align:middle line:84% So it's like a one way traffic kind of thing. 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:07.190 align:middle line:84% And even in the produce aisle, it's about-- 00:18:07.190 --> 00:18:10.050 align:middle line:84% our produce aisle is about 28 feet long. 00:18:10.050 --> 00:18:14.440 align:middle line:84% And so every six feet, we put a sticker. 00:18:14.440 --> 00:18:19.030 align:middle line:84% And then we would keep one or two people 00:18:19.030 --> 00:18:22.430 align:middle line:84% in the aisle monitoring the customers. 00:18:22.430 --> 00:18:26.000 align:middle line:84% And if we have too many people coming into the produce 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:30.210 align:middle line:84% section, we would request them, can you please wait? 00:18:30.210 --> 00:18:33.990 align:middle line:84% I mean, all these things we had to do back in the beginning. 00:18:33.990 --> 00:18:38.190 align:middle line:84% But within two weeks, even the customers 00:18:38.190 --> 00:18:40.950 align:middle line:84% learned how to behave, these kind of things. 00:18:40.950 --> 00:18:45.850 align:middle line:84% And they started doing it on their own kind of thing. 00:18:45.850 --> 00:18:49.140 align:middle line:84% So now we have only one or two people 00:18:49.140 --> 00:18:53.520 align:middle line:84% in the store kind of going around and monitoring the floor 00:18:53.520 --> 00:18:57.960 align:middle line:84% traffic, to make sure everybody is maintaining social distance 00:18:57.960 --> 00:19:02.520 align:middle line:90% and the customers are happy. 00:19:02.520 --> 00:19:10.890 align:middle line:10% So today, as we are doing this interview, of course the headlines have been that the economy has plunged 13 per cent. 00:19:10.890 --> 00:19:14.610 align:middle line:10% And I think all of us who are living through this, 00:19:14.610 --> 00:19:19.140 align:middle line:10% we are also witnessing shops closing, restaurants closing, 00:19:19.140 --> 00:19:21.180 align:middle line:10% almost like an everyday story. 00:19:21.180 --> 00:19:25.302 align:middle line:10% So for one, of course, I'm very, very glad 00:19:25.302 --> 00:19:26.760 align:middle line:10% to know that the business did well. 00:19:26.760 --> 00:19:28.500 align:middle line:10% What about your employees? 00:19:28.500 --> 00:19:29.460 align:middle line:10% Did you have to-- 00:19:29.460 --> 00:19:31.290 align:middle line:10% were you able to retain your workforce? 00:19:31.290 --> 00:19:32.920 align:middle line:10% Did you let them go? 00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:35.260 align:middle line:10% How did you manage your employees? 00:19:35.260 --> 00:19:37.800 align:middle line:10% How did you take care of them? 00:19:37.800 --> 00:19:43.880 align:middle line:84% We were very fortunate to have multiple offerings 00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:46.560 align:middle line:90% under our label, Mayuri label. 00:19:46.560 --> 00:19:52.310 align:middle line:84% We have restaurants, bakery, and chaat, and grocery. 00:19:52.310 --> 00:19:55.020 align:middle line:84% So the restaurant and the bakery part 00:19:55.020 --> 00:19:57.310 align:middle line:84% kind of suffered because of COVID. 00:19:57.310 --> 00:20:01.560 align:middle line:84% So what we did is we put those employees who all wanted 00:20:01.560 --> 00:20:05.970 align:middle line:84% to continue to work brought them into the grocery side 00:20:05.970 --> 00:20:11.030 align:middle line:84% and we had to take extra precautions in the grocery 00:20:11.030 --> 00:20:17.670 align:middle line:84% side, as opposed to cleaning the carts and cleaning the shopping 00:20:17.670 --> 00:20:19.500 align:middle line:90% bags, and so on and so forth. 00:20:19.500 --> 00:20:23.140 align:middle line:84% So we had these people do those kind of work. 00:20:23.140 --> 00:20:32.465 align:middle line:84% And anybody who has underlying factors like if they 00:20:32.465 --> 00:20:36.330 align:middle line:84% are sugar patients or heart patients and things 00:20:36.330 --> 00:20:40.750 align:middle line:84% like that they requested time off. 00:20:40.750 --> 00:20:45.620 align:middle line:84% So we gave them the time off and picked up the other people 00:20:45.620 --> 00:20:48.750 align:middle line:84% who wanted to work in our bakery or restaurant 00:20:48.750 --> 00:20:50.380 align:middle line:90% into the grocery side. 00:20:50.380 --> 00:20:53.910 align:middle line:84% And quickly trained them for smaller jobs 00:20:53.910 --> 00:20:57.510 align:middle line:84% not special jobs but other jobs like bagging, 00:20:57.510 --> 00:21:02.910 align:middle line:84% stocking, facing the shelves, so on and so forth. 00:21:02.910 --> 00:21:06.270 align:middle line:84% And that's how we have been able to keep 00:21:06.270 --> 00:21:09.970 align:middle line:90% most of our people employed. 00:21:09.970 --> 00:21:15.580 align:middle line:10% So it looks like you didn't have to let go people, 00:21:15.580 --> 00:21:18.120 align:middle line:10% which is great. 00:21:18.120 --> 00:21:19.890 align:middle line:10% Also during the pandemic we've seen 00:21:19.890 --> 00:21:24.060 align:middle line:10% even if you're a big company there are problems supporting 00:21:24.060 --> 00:21:26.100 align:middle line:10% a lot of employees and that's been difficult. 00:21:26.100 --> 00:21:29.720 align:middle line:10% But also one of the things that big grocery chains are 00:21:29.720 --> 00:21:34.070 align:middle line:10% able to do is quickly resort to technology, 00:21:34.070 --> 00:21:38.850 align:middle line:10% they work on curbside pickup, make all these arrangements 00:21:38.850 --> 00:21:42.990 align:middle line:10% and be more able to adapt to the needs of the pandemic 00:21:42.990 --> 00:21:48.160 align:middle line:10% far better than smaller grocery chains were 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:51.310 align:middle line:10% able to do, in terms of curb-side pickup, 00:21:51.310 --> 00:21:54.990 align:middle line:10% in terms of taking online orders, filling online orders 00:21:54.990 --> 00:21:56.160 align:middle line:10% and doing everything. 00:21:56.160 --> 00:22:02.300 align:middle line:10% So how much was Mayuri able to adapt to all? 00:22:02.300 --> 00:22:05.760 align:middle line:84% Pretty much I would say 50% to 60%. 00:22:05.760 --> 00:22:07.090 align:middle line:90% We could have done more. 00:22:07.090 --> 00:22:11.730 align:middle line:84% But we want to pay for this and one best part 00:22:11.730 --> 00:22:16.170 align:middle line:84% for us is the majority of our customer base is IT-based, 00:22:16.170 --> 00:22:20.370 align:middle line:84% and they quickly figured out that most 00:22:20.370 --> 00:22:22.500 align:middle line:84% of these Indian stores don't have 00:22:22.500 --> 00:22:26.780 align:middle line:84% online ordering and online pickup, and so on and so forth. 00:22:26.780 --> 00:22:30.750 align:middle line:84% Now there's a few reasons why we didn't have that, 00:22:30.750 --> 00:22:33.390 align:middle line:84% because our customers mostly like 00:22:33.390 --> 00:22:37.990 align:middle line:84% to buy fresh vegetables and also spices. 00:22:37.990 --> 00:22:39.930 align:middle line:84% Some of them are not branded so they 00:22:39.930 --> 00:22:42.780 align:middle line:84% want to see the quality of the spice, of the lentils, 00:22:42.780 --> 00:22:45.130 align:middle line:84% of the rice before they pick it up. 00:22:45.130 --> 00:22:49.530 align:middle line:84% So therefore they want in person that hands on experience. 00:22:49.530 --> 00:22:51.510 align:middle line:84% That's the reason why we never really 00:22:51.510 --> 00:22:53.580 align:middle line:90% focused on the online business. 00:22:53.580 --> 00:22:56.220 align:middle line:84% But with this COVID we had no choice 00:22:56.220 --> 00:22:59.300 align:middle line:90% but we had to embrace that. 00:22:59.300 --> 00:23:03.280 align:middle line:84% And so the customers also felt that's the right thing. 00:23:03.280 --> 00:23:05.540 align:middle line:84% And so they kind of helped us out. 00:23:05.540 --> 00:23:09.540 align:middle line:84% A couple of smart girls from Bay Area 00:23:09.540 --> 00:23:15.030 align:middle line:84% came up with this [? vc.com ?] app, and people like us 00:23:15.030 --> 00:23:18.460 align:middle line:84% who don't have that app, shopping cart, and all 00:23:18.460 --> 00:23:19.300 align:middle line:90% those things. 00:23:19.300 --> 00:23:24.120 align:middle line:84% They kind of help us out to set up a quick thing like fax, 00:23:24.120 --> 00:23:24.990 align:middle line:90% email. 00:23:24.990 --> 00:23:29.640 align:middle line:84% So as a customer you can just hand-write your order, 00:23:29.640 --> 00:23:30.510 align:middle line:90% and then-- 00:23:30.510 --> 00:23:32.425 align:middle line:84% the funny part is in any language. 00:23:32.425 --> 00:23:35.010 align:middle line:90% 00:23:35.010 --> 00:23:37.020 align:middle line:84% I mean it would come in in English 00:23:37.020 --> 00:23:42.040 align:middle line:84% but the names would have, for example, Chinese okra, in Urdu, 00:23:42.040 --> 00:23:43.780 align:middle line:90% you would call it bendekai. 00:23:43.780 --> 00:23:46.780 align:middle line:84% So they would write bendekai, 00:23:46.780 --> 00:23:48.920 align:middle line:90% and things like that. 00:23:48.920 --> 00:23:53.250 align:middle line:84% And luckily we have people from all over the states working 00:23:53.250 --> 00:23:55.650 align:middle line:84% at our store so they would go and ask them, 00:23:55.650 --> 00:23:57.630 align:middle line:90% "What does this mean?" 00:23:57.630 --> 00:24:00.690 align:middle line:84% And then we'd go pick all those vegetables and everything 00:24:00.690 --> 00:24:01.960 align:middle line:90% put together. 00:24:01.960 --> 00:24:05.150 align:middle line:84% And then when you come to the store 00:24:05.150 --> 00:24:08.830 align:middle line:84% you would call us, and then at that point we ring up 00:24:08.830 --> 00:24:09.520 align:middle line:90% your order. 00:24:09.520 --> 00:24:12.820 align:middle line:84% Because majority of the time we did not have everything 00:24:12.820 --> 00:24:15.190 align:middle line:84% that you asked for, or sometimes we 00:24:15.190 --> 00:24:17.070 align:middle line:90% had to substitute some items. 00:24:17.070 --> 00:24:19.130 align:middle line:84% And so we take your permission to do that. 00:24:19.130 --> 00:24:21.850 align:middle line:84% And then finally, we cleared the bill, 00:24:21.850 --> 00:24:27.730 align:middle line:84% and then bring the cart to you, and you 00:24:27.730 --> 00:24:30.870 align:middle line:84% swipe your card and pay, and then we'd load it up, 00:24:30.870 --> 00:24:34.040 align:middle line:90% and there you go. 00:24:34.040 --> 00:24:37.950 align:middle line:10% So maybe you were not able to do exactly what bigger chains did, 00:24:37.950 --> 00:24:41.700 align:middle line:10% but also as you were answering-- 00:24:41.700 --> 00:24:44.960 align:middle line:10% you know how South Asians like to look 00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:45.960 align:middle line:10% at what they are buying. 00:24:45.960 --> 00:24:47.450 align:middle line:10% Like to touch it, feel it. 00:24:47.450 --> 00:24:50.800 align:middle line:10% I was also thinking that to most immigrants 00:24:50.800 --> 00:24:54.610 align:middle line:10% your store must be sort of the most important place that 00:24:54.610 --> 00:24:55.720 align:middle line:10% reminds them of home. 00:24:55.720 --> 00:25:00.280 align:middle line:10% So even if there are some places where you're not 00:25:00.280 --> 00:25:02.750 align:middle line:10% able to match up produce you are still 00:25:02.750 --> 00:25:09.760 align:middle line:10% offering very, very [AUDIO DISTORTION] food from home, right? 00:25:09.760 --> 00:25:12.160 align:middle line:10% So that makes a difference. 00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:17.790 align:middle line:10% So I had one more question just about your observation 00:25:17.790 --> 00:25:20.190 align:middle line:10% of what's going on in the store. 00:25:20.190 --> 00:25:23.610 align:middle line:10% Which is, did you notice anything 00:25:23.610 --> 00:25:28.300 align:middle line:10% about consumer behavior, or how the social behavior 00:25:28.300 --> 00:25:34.270 align:middle line:10% within the space of your store changed during the pandemic? 00:25:34.270 --> 00:25:35.470 align:middle line:90% Yes definitely. 00:25:35.470 --> 00:25:39.910 align:middle line:90% 00:25:39.910 --> 00:25:45.810 align:middle line:84% I mean it's easing up now, but back in March and April, 00:25:45.810 --> 00:25:49.870 align:middle line:84% we really, really could see that the worry in their face. 00:25:49.870 --> 00:25:51.670 align:middle line:84% They were really, really concerned. 00:25:51.670 --> 00:25:56.620 align:middle line:84% And we could see only one person in the family 00:25:56.620 --> 00:26:03.370 align:middle line:84% would come out and shop all the time, either mother 00:26:03.370 --> 00:26:07.590 align:middle line:84% or a father, and the rest of them they just stay in the car. 00:26:07.590 --> 00:26:13.030 align:middle line:84% And then bring the products in the bag, 00:26:13.030 --> 00:26:16.850 align:middle line:84% they would put it in their trunk. 00:26:16.850 --> 00:26:23.410 align:middle line:84% They're very cautious because we didn't know how this COVID 00:26:23.410 --> 00:26:25.310 align:middle line:90% disease is transmitted. 00:26:25.310 --> 00:26:29.350 align:middle line:84% And so therefore everybody is really, really worried. 00:26:29.350 --> 00:26:35.680 align:middle line:84% And we were getting different information 00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:38.620 align:middle line:84% from the CDC and all other sources. 00:26:38.620 --> 00:26:40.450 align:middle line:84% Every time it's something different. 00:26:40.450 --> 00:26:42.610 align:middle line:90% So everybody was concerned. 00:26:42.610 --> 00:26:48.070 align:middle line:84% So you could see that concern in a lot of customer's faces. 00:26:48.070 --> 00:26:49.815 align:middle line:90% And also our employees, too. 00:26:49.815 --> 00:26:51.190 align:middle line:84% They were really, really worried. 00:26:51.190 --> 00:27:03.040 align:middle line:84% Scared to work long hours because they didn't want to get 00:27:03.040 --> 00:27:04.280 align:middle line:90% exposed to it. 00:27:04.280 --> 00:27:05.500 align:middle line:90% And worst of all-- 00:27:05.500 --> 00:27:08.110 align:middle line:90% 00:27:08.110 --> 00:27:11.590 align:middle line:84% everybody now is forgetting-- is that Seattle was 00:27:11.590 --> 00:27:14.500 align:middle line:90% the epicenter for this thing. 00:27:14.500 --> 00:27:20.050 align:middle line:84% And though New York and other places picked up later on, 00:27:20.050 --> 00:27:22.390 align:middle line:84% but it's happened to us in Kirkland, 00:27:22.390 --> 00:27:25.390 align:middle line:84% and which is next down to Bothell and Redmond. 00:27:25.390 --> 00:27:28.560 align:middle line:84% And so it's fresh in everybody's mind. 00:27:28.560 --> 00:27:33.580 align:middle line:84% Everybody is really scared and a lot of people are dying. 00:27:33.580 --> 00:27:37.460 align:middle line:84% I mean we know that they are dying because of COVID. 00:27:37.460 --> 00:27:40.940 align:middle line:90% 00:27:40.940 --> 00:27:46.150 align:middle line:84% And most of our customers are young couples 00:27:46.150 --> 00:27:51.160 align:middle line:84% coming from abroad, and their loved ones, their parents and everybody 00:27:51.160 --> 00:27:53.546 align:middle line:90% are back home in India. 00:27:53.546 --> 00:27:57.160 align:middle line:84% And the majority of them are the main breadwinners 00:27:57.160 --> 00:27:59.830 align:middle line:90% for the family too. 00:27:59.830 --> 00:28:02.320 align:middle line:84% These guys earn money and send it back home. 00:28:02.320 --> 00:28:07.930 align:middle line:84% So there's so much riding on their well-being. 00:28:07.930 --> 00:28:10.690 align:middle line:84% So you could see all that in the customers. 00:28:10.690 --> 00:28:12.450 align:middle line:84% And so they tried to maintain the social 00:28:12.450 --> 00:28:14.410 align:middle line:84% distance and everything on their own. 00:28:14.410 --> 00:28:17.070 align:middle line:84% And if somebody also comes too close to them, 00:28:17.070 --> 00:28:19.300 align:middle line:84% they would get upset and worried and they 00:28:19.300 --> 00:28:22.420 align:middle line:84% would bring that to our attention, even if we bring in more people 00:28:22.420 --> 00:28:25.000 align:middle line:90% or if they're too close. 00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:26.990 align:middle line:90% Those kinds of things. 00:28:26.990 --> 00:28:30.260 align:middle line:10% But was there a marked change in consumer behavior 00:28:30.260 --> 00:28:31.910 align:middle line:10% that you noticed? 00:28:31.910 --> 00:28:34.710 align:middle line:10% What was it-- the consumer behavior change? 00:28:34.710 --> 00:28:37.860 align:middle line:90% 00:28:37.860 --> 00:28:40.610 align:middle line:84% It's getting a bit more relaxed about now. 00:28:40.610 --> 00:28:45.090 align:middle line:84% From March, April, May, June, they're 00:28:45.090 --> 00:28:47.030 align:middle line:84% getting a little bit more relaxed. 00:28:47.030 --> 00:28:49.700 align:middle line:90% 00:28:49.700 --> 00:28:52.940 align:middle line:84% Because now we know how it's transmitted. 00:28:52.940 --> 00:28:56.680 align:middle line:84% As long as you are careful that you 00:28:56.680 --> 00:29:00.190 align:middle line:84% wash your hands and everything that they are telling you. 00:29:00.190 --> 00:29:03.800 align:middle line:84% Maintain that and they know that you may not get it. 00:29:03.800 --> 00:29:05.160 align:middle line:90% So that's what they're doing. 00:29:05.160 --> 00:29:09.980 align:middle line:84% They're not going out too often, unless it's necessary and so on. 00:29:09.980 --> 00:29:11.690 align:middle line:90% Yes. 00:29:11.690 --> 00:29:14.540 align:middle line:10% So we don't know when the pandemic will be over 00:29:14.540 --> 00:29:16.910 align:middle line:10% because we don't know so many things right now. 00:29:16.910 --> 00:29:19.680 align:middle line:10% So if it continues for a year, when 00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:22.570 align:middle line:10% you look ahead how can you plan? 00:29:22.570 --> 00:29:25.410 align:middle line:10% Are you prepared for Mayuri to continue 00:29:25.410 --> 00:29:28.520 align:middle line:10% if this continues for a year? 00:29:28.520 --> 00:29:29.860 align:middle line:90% Oh, yes. 00:29:29.860 --> 00:29:31.220 align:middle line:90% We will stay in business. 00:29:31.220 --> 00:29:34.610 align:middle line:84% We'll continue to do what is necessary 00:29:34.610 --> 00:29:37.640 align:middle line:84% and we are in fact looking for new locations 00:29:37.640 --> 00:29:41.660 align:middle line:90% to expand our business and so on so forth. 00:29:41.660 --> 00:29:46.580 align:middle line:84% And at the same time, we are investing money 00:29:46.580 --> 00:29:50.450 align:middle line:84% into doing this online business, curbside business. 00:29:50.450 --> 00:29:53.220 align:middle line:84% And the new leases that we are negotiating, 00:29:53.220 --> 00:29:59.290 align:middle line:84% we are requiring landlords to provide us curbside pickup 00:29:59.290 --> 00:30:02.010 align:middle line:90% areas, and all those things. 00:30:02.010 --> 00:30:05.600 align:middle line:84% Yes, we are planning ahead for this. 00:30:05.600 --> 00:30:08.475 align:middle line:84% Thinking that if not COVID-19 then 00:30:08.475 --> 00:30:10.070 align:middle line:90% it could be something else. 00:30:10.070 --> 00:30:14.750 align:middle line:84% But this is going to be part of our life going forward. 00:30:14.750 --> 00:30:16.230 align:middle line:90% That's how we are prepared. 00:30:16.230 --> 00:30:21.560 align:middle line:10% As South Asian, the big festivals are coming up. 00:30:21.560 --> 00:30:25.802 align:middle line:10% How do you think the festival season will be? 00:30:25.802 --> 00:30:27.260 align:middle line:84% That's a good question in the sense 00:30:27.260 --> 00:30:31.040 align:middle line:84% that we just went through one or two festivals 00:30:31.040 --> 00:30:33.890 align:middle line:90% and there was a test for us. 00:30:33.890 --> 00:30:36.330 align:middle line:84% Especially in March when the COVID 00:30:36.330 --> 00:30:40.180 align:middle line:84% really peaked in the later part of March and early April, 00:30:40.180 --> 00:30:42.080 align:middle line:84% people were really, really concerned. 00:30:42.080 --> 00:30:46.290 align:middle line:84% We went through a couple of important festivals like a New 00:30:46.290 --> 00:30:49.740 align:middle line:90% Years for many states. 00:30:49.740 --> 00:31:03.920 align:middle line:84% And what we noticed is about 20% to 25% down on our volumes. 00:31:03.920 --> 00:31:08.570 align:middle line:84% But still people bought those items 00:31:08.570 --> 00:31:13.540 align:middle line:84% and excludes a lot of fresh coming through the stores. 00:31:13.540 --> 00:31:19.070 align:middle line:84% Only even that drop happened because we 00:31:19.070 --> 00:31:22.370 align:middle line:84% feel that the lines are too long for people 00:31:22.370 --> 00:31:24.000 align:middle line:90% to get into the store. 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:29.210 align:middle line:84% And that's the reason why we couldn't service them. 00:31:29.210 --> 00:31:33.530 align:middle line:84% Not that the demand wasn't there. 00:31:33.530 --> 00:31:37.630 align:middle line:84% It's mostly because of the lines displaced a lot of people. 00:31:37.630 --> 00:31:42.270 align:middle line:84% And so moving forward what we are trying to do 00:31:42.270 --> 00:31:46.820 align:middle line:84% is prepackage some of those items for each festival. 00:31:46.820 --> 00:31:51.350 align:middle line:84% And you can come in for the Ganesha, 00:31:51.350 --> 00:31:54.870 align:middle line:84% whatever thing you need for the Puja 00:31:54.870 --> 00:31:59.300 align:middle line:84% We would just package those all in one big bag 00:31:59.300 --> 00:32:04.520 align:middle line:84% so you just pick that up and you purchase that. 00:32:04.520 --> 00:32:09.090 align:middle line:84% It makes it much easier for you to get it done. 00:32:09.090 --> 00:32:13.710 align:middle line:84% And so we can get you in and out much quicker. 00:32:13.710 --> 00:32:16.120 align:middle line:84% So those are the things that, for Durga Puja, 00:32:16.120 --> 00:32:19.750 align:middle line:90% we're doing the same thing, 00:32:19.750 --> 00:32:21.650 align:middle line:84% for Lakshmi, we're doing the same thing. 00:32:21.650 --> 00:32:26.460 align:middle line:84% We're pre-packaging items so that we could do that. 00:32:26.460 --> 00:32:31.730 align:middle line:10% So just for our listeners of South Asian [AUDIO CUTS OUT] 00:32:31.730 --> 00:32:34.890 align:middle line:10% and Hinduism is a prominent religion in South Asia. 00:32:34.890 --> 00:32:38.480 align:middle line:10% And so all these references are meaning 00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:46.580 align:middle line:10% they're like big celebrations revering some of millions goddesses 00:32:46.580 --> 00:32:50.960 align:middle line:10% and gods and goddesses in this, Lakshmi, Durga, these are all goddesses 00:32:50.960 --> 00:32:53.690 align:middle line:10% and there are big celebrations. 00:32:53.690 --> 00:33:01.140 align:middle line:10% Right. One question I'm asking everyone in this series is, 00:33:01.140 --> 00:33:06.020 align:middle line:10% was there a particular moment during this last four or five 00:33:06.020 --> 00:33:08.830 align:middle line:10% months when you suddenly realized 00:33:08.830 --> 00:33:11.510 align:middle line:10% you were living through the global pandemic? 00:33:11.510 --> 00:33:16.250 align:middle line:10% If you recall it, can you share or describe the moment. 00:33:16.250 --> 00:33:19.580 align:middle line:84% Yes absolutely, in the sense that especially 00:33:19.580 --> 00:33:26.720 align:middle line:84% during the late part of March, I think, or early April, I 00:33:26.720 --> 00:33:32.090 align:middle line:84% personally stayed home because of my health conditions 00:33:32.090 --> 00:33:37.220 align:middle line:84% and so I started watching TV and the news 00:33:37.220 --> 00:33:42.880 align:middle line:84% that we would get from New York and Washington DC, the White 00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:44.600 align:middle line:90% House and all that. 00:33:44.600 --> 00:33:49.230 align:middle line:84% And then of course the WhatsApp from India. 00:33:49.230 --> 00:33:52.370 align:middle line:84% A good thing is back then India was in lockdown 00:33:52.370 --> 00:33:55.710 align:middle line:84% so there's not much of the bad news coming from there. 00:33:55.710 --> 00:34:02.120 align:middle line:84% And we were really praising how well they've managed it. 00:34:02.120 --> 00:34:06.510 align:middle line:84% And then we were feeling really scared in our country, 00:34:06.510 --> 00:34:13.310 align:middle line:84% especially Seattle, California, and New 00:34:13.310 --> 00:34:15.630 align:middle line:90% York, and all these places. 00:34:15.630 --> 00:34:18.830 align:middle line:84% And during that time, I was really, really scared 00:34:18.830 --> 00:34:23.580 align:middle line:84% and staying home and watching TV and talking to people. 00:34:23.580 --> 00:34:29.730 align:middle line:90% And I thought, OK, this is it. 00:34:29.730 --> 00:34:35.300 align:middle line:84% I mean in WhatsApp you would see animals 00:34:35.300 --> 00:34:39.670 align:middle line:84% coming into the streets and all these things. 00:34:39.670 --> 00:34:44.489 align:middle line:84% It's no wonder everybody knew that this 00:34:44.489 --> 00:34:46.770 align:middle line:84% was something unique and you will never 00:34:46.770 --> 00:34:48.739 align:middle line:90% see that in their lifetime. 00:34:48.739 --> 00:34:52.780 align:middle line:10% So yes we felt that really. 00:34:52.780 --> 00:34:55.530 align:middle line:10% 00:34:55.530 --> 00:34:57.510 align:middle line:10% So you said because of health reasons 00:34:57.510 --> 00:34:59.710 align:middle line:10% you decided to stay back. 00:34:59.710 --> 00:35:01.920 align:middle line:10% So are you completely quarantined? 00:35:01.920 --> 00:35:06.060 align:middle line:10% Are you visiting-- 00:35:06.060 --> 00:35:12.480 align:middle line:10% Well, I did that and then I snapped out of it. 00:35:12.480 --> 00:35:17.340 align:middle line:84% I said OK, as long as I maintain social distance 00:35:17.340 --> 00:35:23.090 align:middle line:84% and maintain the recommended guidelines 00:35:23.090 --> 00:35:26.070 align:middle line:90% I shouldn't worry too much. 00:35:26.070 --> 00:35:30.180 align:middle line:84% I should about doing my fairly routine business. 00:35:30.180 --> 00:35:34.910 align:middle line:84% And just staying home only was getting me depressed on day 00:35:34.910 --> 00:35:35.410 align:middle line:90% to day basis. 00:35:35.410 --> 00:35:39.450 align:middle line:90% 00:35:39.450 --> 00:35:47.250 align:middle line:84% I think mid-May I decided to start working again. 00:35:47.250 --> 00:35:51.070 align:middle line:10% And every day I'm going to work 00:35:51.070 --> 00:35:53.910 align:middle line:10% I'm glad you are doing well now. 00:35:53.910 --> 00:35:57.060 align:middle line:10% Thanks for sharing this with us because I think a lot of people 00:35:57.060 --> 00:36:00.415 align:middle line:10% have to choose between life and life issues. 00:36:00.415 --> 00:36:02.940 align:middle line:10% 00:36:02.940 --> 00:36:05.340 align:middle line:10% I think that has been one of the most difficult decisions 00:36:05.340 --> 00:36:09.330 align:middle line:10% you have had to make during the pandemic, right? 00:36:09.330 --> 00:36:12.260 align:middle line:10% How can you prioritize between life and life issues. 00:36:12.260 --> 00:36:13.380 align:middle line:10% Exactly. 00:36:13.380 --> 00:36:18.860 align:middle line:10% So thank you so much for talking with us, and for your time, 00:36:18.860 --> 00:36:22.190 align:middle line:10% and telling us all these stories. 00:36:22.190 --> 00:36:27.210 align:middle line:10% Like your story about arriving and getting your visa soon 00:36:27.210 --> 00:36:27.900 align:middle line:10% enough. 00:36:27.900 --> 00:36:29.820 align:middle line:10% It's like, for a green card right now 00:36:29.820 --> 00:36:32.260 align:middle line:10% immigrants have to wait for 20 years. 00:36:32.260 --> 00:36:37.795 align:middle line:10% So I'll keep thinking about all that. 00:36:37.795 --> 00:36:42.698 align:middle line:10% So at this point we'll ask if anyone has questions for you. 00:36:42.698 --> 00:36:45.630 align:middle line:10% And we have a couple of questions on the chat, 00:36:45.630 --> 00:36:51.870 align:middle line:10% and then turn on your video and ask the question. 00:36:51.870 --> 00:36:55.290 align:middle line:10% Amar, if you want you can turn on your video as well. 00:36:55.290 --> 00:36:55.790 align:middle line:90% OK. 00:36:55.790 --> 00:37:00.610 align:middle line:90% 00:37:00.610 --> 00:37:01.380 align:middle line:10% Hi, Amar. 00:37:01.380 --> 00:37:04.350 align:middle line:10% I think there's a question from Ruth. 00:37:04.350 --> 00:37:08.010 align:middle line:10% Amarnath, can you read it or should I read it? 00:37:08.010 --> 00:37:11.140 align:middle line:84% I can't read it, but if you could, that would be nice. 00:37:11.140 --> 00:37:12.230 align:middle line:10% OK. 00:37:12.230 --> 00:37:13.690 align:middle line:10% Yes, sure. 00:37:13.690 --> 00:37:15.580 align:middle line:10% So, Amarnath, thank you so much. 00:37:15.580 --> 00:37:17.610 align:middle line:10% "You mentioned the many changes you 00:37:17.610 --> 00:37:21.960 align:middle line:10% had to put in place for your business due to COVID 19. 00:37:21.960 --> 00:37:25.320 align:middle line:10% What support did you--" Oh, excellent question, Ruth. 00:37:25.320 --> 00:37:26.790 align:middle line:10% I almost know the question now. 00:37:26.790 --> 00:37:31.150 align:middle line:10% "So what's support did you and other small business owners 00:37:31.150 --> 00:37:34.830 align:middle line:10% in Seattle receive to make these changes? 00:37:34.830 --> 00:37:39.570 align:middle line:10% Was there good guidance and/or any financial support 00:37:39.570 --> 00:37:42.590 align:middle line:10% to make these change? 00:37:42.590 --> 00:37:46.290 align:middle line:10% I'm curious what you might have done differently, 00:37:46.290 --> 00:37:49.330 align:middle line:10% or that could still be done." 00:37:49.330 --> 00:37:52.130 align:middle line:10% 00:37:52.130 --> 00:37:58.095 align:middle line:10% Yes, the support we received is from the local Redmond city 00:37:58.095 --> 00:37:58.595 align:middle line:10% council. 00:37:58.595 --> 00:38:03.290 align:middle line:90% 00:38:03.290 --> 00:38:09.170 align:middle line:84% They're still holding regular small business meetings 00:38:09.170 --> 00:38:12.920 align:middle line:84% with all the small business owners and offering 00:38:12.920 --> 00:38:17.330 align:middle line:84% us support if anybody needs any help. 00:38:17.330 --> 00:38:22.240 align:middle line:90% 00:38:22.240 --> 00:38:25.332 align:middle line:84% You have to understand, the Bellevue-Redmond area there's 00:38:25.332 --> 00:38:30.440 align:middle line:84% a lot of ethnic business around there and some of them 00:38:30.440 --> 00:38:32.690 align:middle line:84% may not be able to communicate properly 00:38:32.690 --> 00:38:38.540 align:middle line:84% in English the signage that is required with this new COVID. 00:38:38.540 --> 00:38:43.550 align:middle line:84% So they would help us to translate 00:38:43.550 --> 00:38:46.590 align:middle line:84% that's in Indian language and in English, 00:38:46.590 --> 00:38:48.440 align:middle line:90% and so on and so forth. 00:38:48.440 --> 00:38:53.450 align:middle line:84% And even the script a [? bank ?] and then you 00:38:53.450 --> 00:38:57.500 align:middle line:84% can give it to your sign makers and they can make the signs 00:38:57.500 --> 00:38:58.640 align:middle line:90% and put it in. 00:38:58.640 --> 00:39:05.570 align:middle line:84% And also explain to your employees what to look for 00:39:05.570 --> 00:39:08.030 align:middle line:90% and how to do all those things. 00:39:08.030 --> 00:39:12.690 align:middle line:84% A constant help both from the Health Department and from the city 00:39:12.690 --> 00:39:14.990 align:middle line:90% council. 00:39:14.990 --> 00:39:18.110 align:middle line:84% And then financial help as well in terms 00:39:18.110 --> 00:39:20.960 align:middle line:84% of the Small Business Administration 00:39:20.960 --> 00:39:23.470 align:middle line:90% loans and all those things. 00:39:23.470 --> 00:39:29.120 align:middle line:84% And if employees need any further assistance 00:39:29.120 --> 00:39:34.790 align:middle line:84% the Indian local associations also 00:39:34.790 --> 00:39:41.240 align:middle line:84% reached out through us asking us if any of our employees 00:39:41.240 --> 00:39:49.140 align:middle line:84% need any help in terms of food-wise, 00:39:49.140 --> 00:39:58.660 align:middle line:90% or any boarding assistance. 00:39:58.660 --> 00:40:01.190 align:middle line:10% And just to remind you if not else 00:40:01.190 --> 00:40:03.640 align:middle line:10% I'm curious what you might have done differently. 00:40:03.640 --> 00:40:06.662 align:middle line:10% If you did not receive this support what would 00:40:06.662 --> 00:40:08.690 align:middle line:10% you have done differently? 00:40:08.690 --> 00:40:12.200 align:middle line:10% Or that could still be done. 00:40:12.200 --> 00:40:17.450 align:middle line:84% Yes one good thing is that we've been 00:40:17.450 --> 00:40:18.780 align:middle line:90% a very successful business. 00:40:18.780 --> 00:40:23.000 align:middle line:84% And community did really help us to grow so much. 00:40:23.000 --> 00:40:26.390 align:middle line:84% From 4,000 square feet, now we have two locations, 00:40:26.390 --> 00:40:30.780 align:middle line:84% one is 13,000 and the other is 14,000 square feet. 00:40:30.780 --> 00:40:37.130 align:middle line:84% We do over, I would say, one point 00:40:37.130 --> 00:40:41.430 align:middle line:84% some million dollars a month in revenue in both the locations. 00:40:41.430 --> 00:40:44.810 align:middle line:90% So we have a good precedent. 00:40:44.810 --> 00:40:47.300 align:middle line:90% We have good cash flow. 00:40:47.300 --> 00:40:51.530 align:middle line:84% So if I couldn't find any funding 00:40:51.530 --> 00:41:00.370 align:middle line:84% from the SBA or the city I would have funded myself 00:41:00.370 --> 00:41:03.890 align:middle line:90% the majority of these things. 00:41:03.890 --> 00:41:06.540 align:middle line:84% We would not have hesitated a single second 00:41:06.540 --> 00:41:09.290 align:middle line:90% to take care of this issue. 00:41:09.290 --> 00:41:14.200 align:middle line:84% And what else I really wanted to tell you-- 00:41:14.200 --> 00:41:19.700 align:middle line:84% I really, really want to focus on this online business. 00:41:19.700 --> 00:41:23.560 align:middle line:84% It's not as easy as we think it is. 00:41:23.560 --> 00:41:29.870 align:middle line:84% Keeping the inventory because people are shopping 00:41:29.870 --> 00:41:32.390 align:middle line:84% and constantly taking the stuff, and then we 00:41:32.390 --> 00:41:37.310 align:middle line:84% have to update our inventory constantly. 00:41:37.310 --> 00:41:39.470 align:middle line:84% And then most of our products come 00:41:39.470 --> 00:41:44.150 align:middle line:84% from abroad and from other southern states 00:41:44.150 --> 00:41:46.490 align:middle line:84% and it takes timing, and logistics, 00:41:46.490 --> 00:41:48.460 align:middle line:90% and all those things. 00:41:48.460 --> 00:41:51.350 align:middle line:84% It's a challenge I don't know how Amazon does it. 00:41:51.350 --> 00:41:53.800 align:middle line:84% Maybe that's the reason why they pay millions 00:41:53.800 --> 00:41:56.250 align:middle line:90% of dollars for their logistics, 00:41:56.250 --> 00:41:58.270 align:middle line:90% they invest in. 00:41:58.270 --> 00:42:02.510 align:middle line:84% We, on the other hand, don't have that kind of capital 00:42:02.510 --> 00:42:03.290 align:middle line:90% to invest. 00:42:03.290 --> 00:42:05.710 align:middle line:10% But we are working on it. 00:42:05.710 --> 00:42:06.590 align:middle line:10% That's great. 00:42:06.590 --> 00:42:08.920 align:middle line:10% And great question, Ruth. 00:42:08.920 --> 00:42:11.516 align:middle line:10% Any other questions? 00:42:11.516 --> 00:42:12.562 align:middle line:10% Amber, yes. 00:42:12.562 --> 00:42:13.520 align:middle line:90% Yes, I have a question. 00:42:13.520 --> 00:42:15.950 align:middle line:84% Thank you so much for sharing your story. 00:42:15.950 --> 00:42:19.130 align:middle line:90% It was absolutely fascinating. 00:42:19.130 --> 00:42:21.590 align:middle line:84% I'm a historian by profession, and I 00:42:21.590 --> 00:42:23.780 align:middle line:84% didn't know how interesting it could be 00:42:23.780 --> 00:42:25.350 align:middle line:90% to learn about supply chains. 00:42:25.350 --> 00:42:29.630 align:middle line:84% But believe me I was hanging on your every word. 00:42:29.630 --> 00:42:32.040 align:middle line:84% And I have like 100 questions for you. 00:42:32.040 --> 00:42:36.980 align:middle line:84% But one that I was thinking about your past experience 00:42:36.980 --> 00:42:39.662 align:middle line:84% in a number of different businesses. 00:42:39.662 --> 00:42:41.120 align:middle line:84% One of the things that has happened 00:42:41.120 --> 00:42:42.860 align:middle line:84% to me since the pandemic is I have 00:42:42.860 --> 00:42:46.730 align:middle line:84% begun to look at everything I've done in my life 00:42:46.730 --> 00:42:48.470 align:middle line:90% as preparation for this moment. 00:42:48.470 --> 00:42:51.350 align:middle line:84% So for instance I'm sitting here at my sewing machine right 00:42:51.350 --> 00:42:53.990 align:middle line:84% now sewing masks while you were talking, 00:42:53.990 --> 00:42:56.540 align:middle line:84% and I'm so grateful that I learned to sew from my mother 00:42:56.540 --> 00:42:58.510 align:middle line:90% when I was a child. 00:42:58.510 --> 00:43:01.670 align:middle line:84% Traveling abroad, living in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. 00:43:01.670 --> 00:43:04.640 align:middle line:84% Thinking about how I could consume different things 00:43:04.640 --> 00:43:05.960 align:middle line:90% or develop different habits. 00:43:05.960 --> 00:43:09.710 align:middle line:84% That I learned to be resilient and nimble. 00:43:09.710 --> 00:43:11.870 align:middle line:84% Because of those experiences that I feel 00:43:11.870 --> 00:43:14.400 align:middle line:84% have helped me a lot during the pandemic. 00:43:14.400 --> 00:43:19.730 align:middle line:84% So my question to you is having had all these experiences what 00:43:19.730 --> 00:43:23.870 align:middle line:84% are the ones that you look to that you think were the best 00:43:23.870 --> 00:43:29.540 align:middle line:84% preparation or helped you learn some tool or skill that 00:43:29.540 --> 00:43:35.478 align:middle line:84% have helped you to manage and be as flexible as you have been 00:43:35.478 --> 00:43:36.520 align:middle line:90% during all these changes? 00:43:36.520 --> 00:43:39.750 align:middle line:90% 00:43:39.750 --> 00:43:46.380 align:middle line:84% It's definitely I would say it's our staff that came 00:43:46.380 --> 00:43:49.930 align:middle line:90% from different backgrounds. 00:43:49.930 --> 00:43:56.550 align:middle line:84% They came forward and they guided us in many ways. 00:43:56.550 --> 00:44:03.130 align:middle line:84% Like some of my staff's spouses are IT-based people. 00:44:03.130 --> 00:44:10.440 align:middle line:90% Some of them have other skills. 00:44:10.440 --> 00:44:14.880 align:middle line:84% So they kind of said, hey, do you need this? 00:44:14.880 --> 00:44:20.054 align:middle line:84% My husband, my wife, can do this for you. 00:44:20.054 --> 00:44:24.700 align:middle line:84% We could build this shield between the customers 00:44:24.700 --> 00:44:27.070 align:middle line:84% and us if we can get plexiglass 00:44:27.070 --> 00:44:29.060 align:middle line:84% and then they would make those things. 00:44:29.060 --> 00:44:31.780 align:middle line:90% And masks. 00:44:31.780 --> 00:44:35.460 align:middle line:90% They would stitch those masks. 00:44:35.460 --> 00:44:40.170 align:middle line:84% And then they'd say, hey, we have a very good source 00:44:40.170 --> 00:44:45.270 align:middle line:84% to purchase these masks, so customers coming in 00:44:45.270 --> 00:44:49.180 align:middle line:84% and they can't afford one we can provide them for free, 00:44:49.180 --> 00:44:51.570 align:middle line:90% or nominal price. 00:44:51.570 --> 00:44:53.970 align:middle line:84% And all these things, these resources, 00:44:53.970 --> 00:44:55.950 align:middle line:90% everything came from-- 00:44:55.950 --> 00:45:00.710 align:middle line:84% believe it or not, majority from our employees, 00:45:00.710 --> 00:45:03.000 align:middle line:90% and as well as the customers. 00:45:03.000 --> 00:45:04.020 align:middle line:90% Even the customers. 00:45:04.020 --> 00:45:07.380 align:middle line:84% They came to us and say, hey, we're so glad you're open, 00:45:07.380 --> 00:45:08.700 align:middle line:90% you're doing all these things. 00:45:08.700 --> 00:45:11.090 align:middle line:90% Do you need any help? 00:45:11.090 --> 00:45:12.980 align:middle line:90% We can do the crowd control. 00:45:12.980 --> 00:45:14.490 align:middle line:90% We can clean the baskets. 00:45:14.490 --> 00:45:16.910 align:middle line:90% We can clean the shopping carts. 00:45:16.910 --> 00:45:19.230 align:middle line:90% Trust me, it's unbelievable. 00:45:19.230 --> 00:45:21.420 align:middle line:84% We know that we just added expenses I 00:45:21.420 --> 00:45:23.110 align:middle line:90% know you guys can't afford it. 00:45:23.110 --> 00:45:24.420 align:middle line:90% We can do this for you. 00:45:24.420 --> 00:45:30.450 align:middle line:90% And you know it's unbelievable. 00:45:30.450 --> 00:45:37.335 align:middle line:84% I didn't think it's in them, but it is remarkable. 00:45:37.335 --> 00:45:40.860 align:middle line:90% 00:45:40.860 --> 00:45:43.710 align:middle line:84% I can see it in your smile, what a difference that has 00:45:43.710 --> 00:45:44.970 align:middle line:90% made for you. 00:45:44.970 --> 00:45:45.660 align:middle line:90% Yes. 00:45:45.660 --> 00:45:46.760 align:middle line:90% Absolutely. 00:45:46.760 --> 00:45:50.370 align:middle line:84% And Dharitri was saying earlier that the grocery 00:45:50.370 --> 00:45:52.090 align:middle line:90% store is a taste of home. 00:45:52.090 --> 00:45:55.560 align:middle line:84% It is an extension and that way of home in a way 00:45:55.560 --> 00:45:59.940 align:middle line:84% that people get that familiarity and that then you 00:45:59.940 --> 00:46:02.227 align:middle line:90% are all family to each other. 00:46:02.227 --> 00:46:03.060 align:middle line:90% It's really amazing. 00:46:03.060 --> 00:46:03.810 align:middle line:90% Sure. 00:46:03.810 --> 00:46:04.500 align:middle line:90% Yes. 00:46:04.500 --> 00:46:07.620 align:middle line:10% I mean, just the smell, right, of an Indian grocery store. 00:46:07.620 --> 00:46:10.960 align:middle line:10% Mustard oil, all the things that you're familiar with. 00:46:10.960 --> 00:46:12.840 align:middle line:10% Also, again, great question Amber. 00:46:12.840 --> 00:46:18.200 align:middle line:10% And great answer because it looks like - and of course I've talked to Amarnath before - 0:46:18.200 --> 00:46:22.380 align:middle line:10% It's not surprising to me that your answer is the answer 00:46:22.380 --> 00:46:26.695 align:middle line:10% that it is because you've spent your time 00:46:26.695 --> 00:46:27.820 align:middle line:10% investing in relationships. 00:46:27.820 --> 00:46:34.440 align:middle line:10% And now is the time that you reaped from it. 00:46:34.440 --> 00:46:38.570 align:middle line:10% So that your employees became he biggest support. 00:46:38.570 --> 00:46:42.250 align:middle line:10% That's great. Any other questions? 00:46:42.250 --> 00:46:44.740 align:middle line:10% I do have one more question. 00:46:44.740 --> 00:46:46.597 align:middle line:90% It's a quick one. 00:46:46.597 --> 00:46:48.680 align:middle line:84% Dharitri was asking about consumer-based behavior. 00:46:48.680 --> 00:46:52.640 align:middle line:84% And one of my friends who's from Calcutta lives in Arizona. 00:46:52.640 --> 00:46:54.720 align:middle line:90% And she said there is no dal. 00:46:54.720 --> 00:46:57.990 align:middle line:84% There are no pulses, There's no lentils in my desi store. 00:46:57.990 --> 00:47:00.120 align:middle line:84% And I suspect that all the white people 00:47:00.120 --> 00:47:03.990 align:middle line:84% have gone in there to get them, because they keep so well. 00:47:03.990 --> 00:47:06.930 align:middle line:84% My family has been surviving on dal. 00:47:06.930 --> 00:47:09.660 align:middle line:84% And so I wondered if you noticed any shift 00:47:09.660 --> 00:47:13.590 align:middle line:84% not just in consumer behavior but in who your customers were 00:47:13.590 --> 00:47:16.560 align:middle line:90% during this time. 00:47:16.560 --> 00:47:21.360 align:middle line:84% Yes I did but not so much in the dal, especially in Seattle. 00:47:21.360 --> 00:47:25.900 align:middle line:84% But we did it in the chicken and the mutton. 00:47:25.900 --> 00:47:31.620 align:middle line:10% Especially with the meat market in the mainstream. 00:47:31.620 --> 00:47:33.350 align:middle line:90% It dried up a little bit. 00:47:33.350 --> 00:47:36.200 align:middle line:84% At that time we saw a lot of people come in 00:47:36.200 --> 00:47:38.570 align:middle line:90% and shop in our meat department. 00:47:38.570 --> 00:47:44.220 align:middle line:84% And far as the lentils and rice, the wheat flour-- 00:47:44.220 --> 00:47:46.120 align:middle line:90% not much of a difference. 00:47:46.120 --> 00:47:49.680 align:middle line:10% But we did notice most of the mainstream people coming 00:47:49.680 --> 00:47:55.220 align:middle line:10% in for chicken, some haldi. 00:47:55.220 --> 00:48:04.230 align:middle line:84% You know the ones that comment in the social media about how 00:48:04.230 --> 00:48:07.240 align:middle line:90% to increase your immunity. 00:48:07.240 --> 00:48:08.920 align:middle line:90% So those items. 00:48:08.920 --> 00:48:11.022 align:middle line:10% The kind of people were coming. 00:48:11.022 --> 00:48:13.050 align:middle line:10% Turmeric is very cool right now. 00:48:13.050 --> 00:48:16.840 align:middle line:10% even Whole Foods-- turmeric try this, turmeric tea. 00:48:16.840 --> 00:48:21.270 align:middle line:10% Turmeric is the newest-- 00:48:21.270 --> 00:48:22.480 align:middle line:10% [? yogurt ?] 00:48:22.480 --> 00:48:23.520 align:middle line:90% Right. 00:48:23.520 --> 00:48:26.910 align:middle line:90% So we noticed this stuff. 00:48:26.910 --> 00:48:28.410 align:middle line:90% Yeah. 00:48:28.410 --> 00:48:29.380 align:middle line:90% Thank you so much. 00:48:29.380 --> 00:48:32.160 align:middle line:84% I really enjoyed learning from you so much. 00:48:32.160 --> 00:48:33.780 align:middle line:90% Thank you. 00:48:33.780 --> 00:48:35.840 align:middle line:10% Thank you so much, Amarnath. 00:48:35.840 --> 00:48:40.280 align:middle line:10% Thank you Ruth and Amber for joining. 00:48:40.280 --> 00:48:42.650 align:middle line:10% Yeah thank you so much for giving me 00:48:42.650 --> 00:48:44.870 align:middle line:10% this much opportunity. 00:48:44.870 --> 00:48:46.880 align:middle line:10% Sorry I also meant to-- is there anything 00:48:46.880 --> 00:48:50.140 align:middle line:10% else you want to share, please. 00:48:50.140 --> 00:48:50.960 align:middle line:90% No. 00:48:50.960 --> 00:48:52.520 align:middle line:90% That's wonderful. 00:48:52.520 --> 00:48:54.830 align:middle line:84% I'm glad you gave me the opportunity 00:48:54.830 --> 00:48:59.900 align:middle line:90% to tell my story of our lives. 00:48:59.900 --> 00:49:00.405 align:middle line:90% OK. 00:49:00.405 --> 00:49:01.530 align:middle line:10% Thank you so much everyone. 00:49:01.530 --> 00:49:02.360 align:middle line:10% Athena. 00:49:02.360 --> 00:49:04.160 align:middle line:10% Thank you. 00:49:04.160 --> 00:49:05.510 align:middle line:90% Thank you everybody. 00:49:05.510 --> 00:49:07.820 align:middle line:84% Oh, thank you so much everyone for joining us today 00:49:07.820 --> 00:49:10.190 align:middle line:84% another awesome interview with Stories to Tell. 00:49:10.190 --> 00:49:11.340 align:middle line:90% I always learn so much. 00:49:11.340 --> 00:49:13.582 align:middle line:84% And again I'm so grateful for the experience. 00:49:13.582 --> 00:49:15.290 align:middle line:84% Thank you to you both that was wonderful. 00:49:15.290 --> 00:49:16.707 align:middle line:84% And thanks for giving us your time 00:49:16.707 --> 00:49:18.620 align:middle line:90% today and wonderful questions. 00:49:18.620 --> 00:49:21.570 align:middle line:84% We're grateful for these great questions that come in. 00:49:21.570 --> 00:49:24.140 align:middle line:84% Thanks and we have another week coming up 00:49:24.140 --> 00:49:27.030 align:middle line:84% with more great interviews so I hope you can join us. 00:49:27.030 --> 00:49:31.080 align:middle line:84% Thanks so much, everybody and have a great afternoon. 00:49:31.080 --> 00:49:33.900 align:middle line:90% Thanks everyone. 00:49:33.900 --> 00:49:35.650 align:middle line:90% Thank you. 00:49:35.650 --> 00:49:51.000 align:middle line:90%