Indian Food in Five Points?

[AKIRA]

taking too much food at the buffet, huh..?  a scene from Nutty Professor II: The Klumps is coming to mind...

[danno]

5th Element on Baymeadows is great and good service...... THe Curry Pot on Phillips was the best but alas they are gone.

[ben says]

5th Element on Baymeadows is great and good service...... THe Curry Pot on Phillips was the best but alas they are gone.

Only been to 5th once, but didn't have a good experience at all. Maybe went on an off-day.

[river4340]

India House, which opened a few months ago in the old McAlister's Deli on Baymeadows is pretty good. And there's a cheap takeout place, Spice 2 Go, at the corner of Philips and JTB.

[urbaknight]

Regulars have tried for years to get them to the 5-Points/Avondale area...they just shake their heads.

The amount of times I've asked India's Restaurant ownership to move to our area is... embarrassing.

I guess the suburban mentallity is hard to beat, even for the international community. We have a tough fight on our hands if we really want to make JAX a real city again.

[ben says]

Regulars have tried for years to get them to the 5-Points/Avondale area...they just shake their heads.

The amount of times I've asked India's Restaurant ownership to move to our area is... embarrassing.

I guess the suburban mentallity is hard to beat, even for the international community. We have a tough fight on our hands if we really want to make JAX a real city again.

I think I've said this before, but their reason for not coming to Riverside has been "no demand" and "not enough residents"....

[river4340]

I live in the Baymeadows area, and it seems like every time I'm in an Indian restaurant - whether it's 5th Element, Flavors, India House - the majority of diners are Indian. Sometimes everyone but us. And all the Indians seem to live in Baymeadows, Southside. That's why there's a good Indian grocery at Old Kings and Baymeadows and another on Philips.

But I still think one would make it in Riverside.

[Jaxson]

Regulars have tried for years to get them to the 5-Points/Avondale area...they just shake their heads.

The amount of times I've asked India's Restaurant ownership to move to our area is... embarrassing.

I guess the suburban mentallity is hard to beat, even for the international community. We have a tough fight on our hands if we really want to make JAX a real city again.

I think I've said this before, but their reason for not coming to Riverside has been "no demand" and "not enough residents"....

Not enough demand for Indian food, but there is enough demand for umpteen sushi places?  I would think that the urban core would have enough demand between Riverside, Springfield, downtown and San Marco to support an Indian restaurant...

[ben says]

Completely agree with you. Clearly, most of these owners don't see it that way. In a sense, and rightfully so in this economy, they're playing to their crowd: the Indian population off Baymeadows. I don't think 'bolstering options in the Core' is #1 on their business to-do list. They want a sure deal...Riverside doesn't offer that (to them).

That being said, I believe an Indian place would do fantastic in Riverside.

[danno]

India House, which opened a few months ago in the old McAlister's Deli on Baymeadows is pretty good. And there's a cheap takeout place, Spice 2 Go, at the corner of Philips and JTB.

Spice to go has been horrible the 2 times we have been.

[Jaxson]

Completely agree with you. Clearly, most of these owners don't see it that way. In a sense, and rightfully so in this economy, they're playing to their crowd: the Indian population off Baymeadows. I don't think 'bolstering options in the Core' is #1 on their business to-do list. They want a sure deal...Riverside doesn't offer that (to them).

That being said, I believe an Indian place would do fantastic in Riverside.

I understand that these business owners are going for a sure thing by catering to Indian people on a certain side of town.  This begs the question of whether non-Indians in Jacksonville would also appreciate Indian food.  After all, we have numerous Chinese and Mexican restaurants that draw people from all ethnic groups.  That said, would it be so difficult to establish a food truck for Indian food lovers in the urban core?  Just wondering.

[ben says]

Completely agree with you. Clearly, most of these owners don't see it that way. In a sense, and rightfully so in this economy, they're playing to their crowd: the Indian population off Baymeadows. I don't think 'bolstering options in the Core' is #1 on their business to-do list. They want a sure deal...Riverside doesn't offer that (to them).

That being said, I believe an Indian place would do fantastic in Riverside.

I understand that these business owners are going for a sure thing by catering to Indian people on a certain side of town.  This begs the question of whether non-Indians in Jacksonville would also appreciate Indian food.  After all, we have numerous Chinese and Mexican restaurants that draw people from all ethnic groups.  That said, would it be so difficult to establish a food truck for Indian food lovers in the urban core?  Just wondering.

I'm not restauranteur...but...I can't imagine it's any harder than opening up a Chinese, Japanese, Thai, or Mexican place anywhere. Cheap ingredients, low overhead, with over 1/2 the staff is family working for little to nothing.

[Tacachale]

I think the restaurateurs are underestimating the demand for Indian food in Riverside and the core in general. There may not be a large Indian community like there is in Bombaymeadows, but the tastes of the rest of the population are highly supportive of tasty and diverse cuisine. The setup would probably have to be different than a no-frills spot in a neighborhood strip mall, like a lot of them are, but serve a good product and give people a nice place to eat and hang out, and you'd have every other person in Riverside banging down your door.

[ben says]

Any reports on Cozy Tea's rumored expansion?