Dupont Indian Grocery Kickstarter Succeeds

A Kickstarter campaign to raise $20,000 for Pansaari, a planned organic Indian grocery store in the Dupont Circle area, has succeeded. Rano Singh, Pansaari's aspiring owner/operator, informed Kickstarter supporters in a January 21 email the effort to raise funds for unanticipated renovation and development costs for the store space had reached its goal. Pansaari will be located in the basement of 1603 17th Street, at the corner of Q Street.

1603 17th Street is on the right

"Tonight I will sleep knowing I can pay for my construction materials, and go to meet my landlords tomorrow reinforced by the support of my community. Thank you all," Singh wrote in an email through Kickstarter.

Contributors have already had their credit cards charged.

"I spent yesterday firming up order for the construction materials. Now that I have the funds I don't want to delay. I want Pansaari to be open as soon as possible," Singh wrote in a separate email.

In the latter email, Singh indicated Pansaari could be open in May. She also invited Kickstarter contributors to a pre-opening ceremony.

Pansaari's Kickstarter campaign was the subject of a January 2 SALM blog post.

Singh announced her intention to open Pansaari at the November 13, 2013, meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle.

Kickstarter Campaign for Dupont Indian Grocery

Pansaari, an organic Indian grocery store try to set up near Dupont Circle, has started a Kickstarter campaign.

"My trouble is cost overruns with construction," says Pansaari's aspiring owner/operator Rano Singh on her Kickstarter appeal.

Pansaari seeks to open at 17th and Q Streets

Pansaari seeks $20,000 in pledges before the Kickstarter campaign ends on January 22. As of January 1, it has $2,235 in pledges.

Premiums on offer for low-level contributors include Pansaari mugs, aprons, and tote bags, plus free servings of chai and a chance to visit the store prior to its official opening. At higher levels, enticements include sit down dinners for six or eight, or recipes and tables at the establishment named in the contributor's honor.

On her Kickstarter appeal, Singh says: "The location is perfect, but the space is not. The space has been vacant for 4 years, and the costs of providing basic heating, ventilation, cooling, plumbing, and electric upgrades are far greater than my original estimate from a contractor. I am hopeful my landlord will reconsider, and help with making this a useable space."

If funding comes together, Pansaari will open in April in the basement of 1603 17th Street NW, in a mixed-use building at the corner of Q Street. The last tenant was the Club Chaos nightclub, which closed in 2008.

Rano Singh announced her intention to open Pansaari at a meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont on November 13, 2013. See the SALM blog post of November 15, 2013, for more information.

17th and Q to Get Organic Indian Grocery Store

Updated November 15, 4pm - see below

An organic Indian grocery store named Pansaari will open at 17th and Q Streets NW, the future owner/operator announced at the regularly monthly meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle on November 13.

1603 17th Street is on the right

The store will be located in the basement of 1603 17th Street NW, the former location of Club Chaos nightclub, which closed in 2008.

Owner/operator Rano Singh spoke briefly to the ANC about her vision for the new establishment. She described it as a "Indian organic grocery and cooking school". As for her reason for opening in downtown D.C., she said: "I'm tired of running to Rockville and McLean" in search of genuine Indian ingredients.

She also said there would be a chai bar, but no take-out, so members of the neighborhood would be forced to stop and get to know each other.

Pansaari has a web page where you can sign up for email updates about the grocery's opening.

Although the word Pansaari (also spelled "Pansari") is translated by online Hindu-English dictionaries as "Grocer", a 15-minute promotional video for the new store (available here) has another explanation. A "Pansaari", the video says, is a traditional herb and spice merchant, whose store is also a sort of holistic pharmacy for practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine.

The video also details Singh's influences and inspiration for the new venture.

Some digitally-created visions of the future store's interior appearance are available here.

Update

Thanks to an email from ANC2B Commissioner Kishan Putta (district 04) for this additional information:

• Pansaari has signed a lease on the space.
• Architectural drawings are being finalized before submission to D.C. authorities.
• Projected timetable: Construction starts in December, storing opening March.
• Pansaari may seek a wine/beer license.

Putta adds: "In the Internet age, a liquor license moratorium does not save or promote retail business in the District. Innovative and unique business ideas are the keys to success. I welcome Ms. Singh to the neighborhood and wish her the best of luck."