Wildwood residents now have the chance to experience authentic Nepali and Indian cuisine with the opening of a new grocery store, Sneha Spice Grocery, at 2444 Taylor Road in the Dierbergs Market Plaza in Town Center.
Former Wildwood residents Rachana Bhatta and her husband, Madhav Bhatta, are the store owners.
While the store quietly opened on Dec. 28, the owners will hold its official grand opening and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, in collaboration with the city of Wildwood, at 11:30 a.m. Friday. Light refreshments will be served, and exclusive offers will be held, Bhatta said.
The store primarily offers Indian and Nepali spices, frozen food and fresh produce, but Bhatta stressed that everyone is welcome.
“We really want people of all ethnicities and races to come to our store,” she said. “This is the first grocery store in the area of its kind.”
Sneha Spice Grocery opened in the space that previously housed Ince Orthodontics, whose lease with Dierbergs Markets expired in July 2023.
Bhatta said it was a challenging process to convert the approximately 1,600-square-foot space into a grocery store.
“Just tearing up everything was so hard,” she said.
Dream come true
Bhatta said she and her husband have long dreamed about opening their own business. Now, as first-time business owners, that dream has been realized.
She said her family moved from Madison, Wis., to the Wildwood area and enjoyed living in the city, which they found “so safe.”
“Once our family started growing, that’s when we moved to Chesterfield where we live currently,” she added.
Bhatta said Wildwood city officials and the community at large have been supportive of their business venture.
She said Sneha Spice Grocery currently has one full-time and two part-time employees, but she and her husband will be looking to hire another part-time employee this summer.
Sneha Spice Grocery is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Monday. For more information, visit the store’s Facebook page.