Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe

Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe is an Indian restaurant on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Vimala Rajendran, an Indian immigrant to the United States, opened the restaurant in 2010. The restaurant purveys South Indian cuisine, and some dishes consist of a fusion of South Indian cuisine and North Carolinan cuisine. The company has provided free lunches in support of refugees at various events.

Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe
Location within North Carolina
Restaurant information
Slogan"When Vimala cooks,
everybody eats"
EstablishedMay 31, 2010 (2010-05-31)
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.
Coordinates35.9100322°N 79.0628443°W / 35.9100322; -79.0628443
Websitecurryblossom.com

History

Vimala Rajendran (born 1958/1959)[1] was born in Canada and raised in Mumbai,[1] attending college in Sion at age 17.[2] 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 and decided to move with her children to Chapel Hill in 1985.[3][4]

She began selling food in Chapel Hill in 1994 with weekly donation-based community dinners;[5][6] two years prior, she had cooked a large dinner for neighbors and was motivated to continue.[7] They also served a source of income for Rajendran's family.[6] As a dependent spouse, she did not have legal authorization to work, and she served take-out dinners in an "underground" status from her apartment until 2005.[8]

Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe opened on May 31, 2010,[9] with $80,000 in community loans.[3][5] Rajendran had learned about the practice of microcredit after a trip to Jamkhed.[3] The restaurant made $650,000 in its first year.[10]

Vimala's 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 feeding customers who could not pay.[5]

Operations

The restaurant's fare consists of South Indian cuisine, and some dishes are a fusion of South Indian cuisine and North Carolinan cuisine.[11][12] Rajendran runs the restaurant with her second husband, Rush Greenslade.[13][7] Rajendran's daughter Anjali is the restaurant's pastry chef, while son Rajeev and daughter Manju work for Vimala's as needed.[5] Rajendran is the owner of the restaurant, located in The Courtyard at 431 West Franklin Street,[5][14] Suite 16.[11]

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.[14][15]

Fare

Rajendran cooks many of her mother's recipes of the cuisine of Kerala,[16] like sambar, while fusing it with local food, like barbecue in North Carolina.[11] It is also inspired by Maharashtrian cuisine, where Rajendran grew up, and Punjabi cuisine, especially samosas.[16] The restaurant's menu also includes tandoori chicken, pulled pork, chana masala, dosas, collard greens, chai tea, and cardamom-chocolate brownies.[2][16][17]

References
  1. 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. Bouloubasis, Victoria (April 1, 2009). "Vimala cooks. Everybody eats". Indy Week. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  3. The Story with Dick Gordon: Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe (radio). American Public Media. July 26, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  4. Bryant, Isaac (August 15, 2017). "Humans of Chapelboro: Vimala Rajendran". WCHL. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  5. 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.
  6. Watson, Harry L.; Neal, Jocelyn (May 1, 2012). "Vimala Cooks, Everybody Eats". Southern Cultures. UNC Press Books. 18 (2): 97. ISBN 9780807837634. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  7. 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.
  8. Jayaraman 2016, p. 54.
  9. Jayaraman 2016, p. 54–55.
  10. Jayaraman 2016, p. 58.
  11. Meyerhoeffer, Kirstin (January 9, 2015). "Vimala's Curryblossom Café". Our State. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  12. "Vimala's Curryblossom Café". Curryblossom.com. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  13. Patterson, Hadassah (September 16, 2015). "Vimala's Curryblossom Café receives national grant". WRAL. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  14. Kane, Dan; Schultz, Mark (November 28, 2016). "Chapel Hill restaurant owners help refugees in Orange, Durham counties". The News & Observer. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  15. 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.
  16. NC Weekend – Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe. UNC-TV. March 12, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  17. Wallace, Emily (May 12, 2010). "Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe coming soon". Indy Week. Retrieved December 26, 2017.

Bibliography
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