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Neelam Rani and Tony Singh’s Punjabi Indian food truck has been a popular spot for locals and travelers since it opened in 2019.
But not having a place for consumers to sit after dinner was a problem, especially in the northern state’s rainy season and hot summers, which take up a large portion of the year.
Then, last August, the couple moved to Bechelli Lane, across from the Country Bowl, in the former Fator’s Framing building. The plan is to open a place to eat and an Indian market there.
For now, however, Punjabi Indian Food continues to offer popular dishes such as bird tikka masala, tandoori bird and goat curry from its food truck parked at the construction site at 2600 Bechelli Lane.
“We moved the truck here because we were renting the building. For the truck, it was difficult, as Redding is suffering from excessive heat, in addition to rain and smoke,” Rani said.
The building’s owner, Mark Fator, said he is working with Rani and Singh to open the building as temporarily as possible, but they don’t have an express date.
“I think it’s great. Everyone I’ve met likes it,” Fator said of having Punjabi Indian Food as a tenant.
The restaurant has garnered an unwavering following since its days on Knighton Road, just off Interstate Five near the TA Travel Center. The food truck opened its doors in 2019.
“It’s close to the highway and an exit, so it’s convenient for all truckers because of the TA. They gave us smart reviews,” Rani said.
He said travelers going up and down I-5 also discovered the Indian food truck. “They just gave us a chance,” Rani said.
When Punjabi moves into its building, the business will be known as Punjabi Indian Food and Groceries. The market will sell flours, spices and snacks.
The construction will protect its visitors from Redding’s extreme weather conditions. However, the food will still be ready in the food truck.
Rani said the cost of installing a kitchen in construction is too high.
Punjabi is an original cuisine that is encouraged in the northern regions of India, where, according to Rani, the dishes are spicier than those in the south. Both Rani and Singh grew up in the Punjab province of northwestern India.
They moved to Redding in 2019 and soon opened the food truck.
“If you ask me what’s smart here, what to eat, what we can try, then I say it’s all smart (because) it’s my restaurant,” Rani said.
Rani asks consumers to give them a chance and tells them to be afraid to offer suggestions.
The truck is open from 11:30 a. m. to 8:00 p. m. From Monday to Saturday.
Opened in early 2019, Cookies & Yogurt in the Mt. Shasta Mall closed last month.
Owner Jeff Eckelbarger said traffic at the mall never met his expectations and rents were rising. “Everything is increasing. We were at the end of our lease, so we would close the site,” he told me recently.
While Eckelbarger has had difficulty expanding, Cookies
The yogurt shop is, in fact, a survivor in a shopping mall full of empty storefronts. Called Cookie Jar when it opened in 2005, Eckelbarger replaced the name Cookies.
“It’s our flagship where we have been from the beginning, where we bake everything, where we mix our dough fresh, it’s kind of tried and true,” he said. “It does have all the Christmas gifts; it’s Christmas-theme related, which probably has a lot to do with it.”
The Second Location of Cookies
In late 2021, Jindra’s Auto Service, at the corner of Cypress Avenue and Bechelli Lane, said goodbye to Redding after 42 years.
The sold assets and the new owner came to the city with redevelopment projects, which were approved in 2022.
Read more: The Buzz: More top points about Redding’s public market. What is an “entertainment zone”?
According to the site’s progression plan, a 3,014-foot convenience store with 826 feet of adjacent rental domain and a 1,026-foot drive-thru domain will come around the corner. There will also be a new 3,293-foot, six-foot space. fuel pumping station and a 1,892-foot car wash.
But in addition to leaving the fuel pumps on for customers, there was a lot more going on at the property.
Until recently.
The old Red Gate building was demolished, as was the deserted building that severely pierced a chimney last August. The antique store has since moved to the Cypress Square grocery shopping center.
Is this a sign that the project is about to start?
Sunny Singh, a member of the project, told me that he hoped to start painting this year, but he didn’t have an express date.
Singh said the drive-thru service will be a coffee shop. She refused to call him.
A Starbucks?
Stay tuned.
David Benda covers business, development and everything happening for USA TODAY in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He is part of a team of committed journalists who investigate irregularities, cover the latest news, and tell other stories about his community. Contact him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-225-8219. To continue this work, subscribe today.
This article was originally published on Redding Record Searchlight: The Buzz: Punjabi Food has a new home. What’s new at the site of old Jindra?