On a Friday morning, Som Timsina was bleary-eyed as he straightened the vegetable baskets in his supermarket in the Old North End in Burlington. The owner of Central Market: Taste of Asia had returned the night before from a 30-hour round trip to New York and New Jersey to get fresh produce and supplies. "Every 15 days I go to Boston, every week to New York City," Timsina, 39, said, rattling off his schedule. "Sometimes I feel so tired ... doing everything ourselves." But the affable Bhutanese man perked up when he described his store as the largest Asian grocery retailer in Vermont. "There's no Asian store bigger than this," he declared. Timsina and his brother-in-law, Bhakti Adhikari, opened their first Central Market in Winooski in 2011. They have since closed it to focus on their business in Burlington, which they opened in March 2014. Central Market is one of eight grocery stores in the Old North End aimed at serving New Americans; the neighborhood spans an area of about 24 acres and is home to many immigrants. To remain competitive, the store doesn't limit itself to Asian food items — or to food items, period. "My plan is to make everything available all the time," Timsina said. In short, he aims to provide a one-stop shopping experience to his community and beyond. Some of the more unusual offerings customers will find at Central Market include Arabic calligraphy wall art and a poster of the Taoist god of wealth, Caishen. They can also buy fufu mix, a staple food in many African countries; palm-nut cream concentrate; and iPhone chargers. One of Timsina's best-selling items is air freshener from Saudi Arabia. "The scent, everybody likes it," he said. The Bhutanese co-owners have made a conscious effort to cater to the needs of the area's multicultural community. For example, Timsina makes sure his store carries white eggplant and other varieties commonly grown in Thailand, Italy, India and Africa to satisfy customers' culinary preferences. A Nepali, Indian and Vietnamese restaurant with a small dine-in area serves those who seek sustenance on the spot. Providing good customer service is key to ensuring loyalty among customers and staying competitive, Timsina said. Like a supermarket, Central Market has aisle signs to help customers navigate the store. Timsina carries a walkie-talkie to communicate with his employees and wears a Bluetooth earpiece so he can attend…
On a Friday morning, Som Timsina was bleary-eyed as he straightened the vegetable baskets in his supermarket in the Old North End in Burlington. The owner of Central Market: Taste of Asia had returned the night before from a 30-hour round trip to New York and New Jersey to get fresh produce and supplies. "Every 15 days I go to Boston, every week to New York City," Timsina, 39, said, rattling off his schedule. "Sometimes I feel so tired ... doing everything ourselves." But the affable Bhutanese man perked up when he described his store as the largest Asian grocery retailer in Vermont. "There's no Asian store bigger than this," he declared. Timsina and his brother-in-law, Bhakti Adhikari, opened their first Central Market in Winooski in 2011. They have since closed it to focus on their business in Burlington, which they opened in March 2014. Central Market is one of eight grocery stores in the Old North End aimed at serving New Americans; the neighborhood spans an area of about 24 acres and is home to many immigrants. To remain competitive, the store doesn't limit itself to Asian food items — or to food items, period. "My plan is to make everything available all the time," Timsina said. In short, he aims to provide a one-stop shopping experience to his community and beyond. Some of the more unusual offerings customers will find at Central Market include Arabic calligraphy wall art and a poster of the Taoist god of wealth, Caishen. They can also buy fufu mix, a staple food in many African countries; palm-nut cream concentrate; and iPhone chargers. One of Timsina's best-selling items is air freshener from Saudi Arabia. "The scent, everybody likes it," he said. The Bhutanese co-owners have made a conscious effort to cater to the needs of the area's multicultural community. For example, Timsina makes sure his store carries white eggplant and other varieties commonly grown in Thailand, Italy, India and Africa to satisfy customers' culinary preferences. A Nepali, Indian and Vietnamese restaurant with a small dine-in area serves those who seek sustenance on the spot. Providing good customer service is key to ensuring loyalty among customers and staying competitive, Timsina said. Like a supermarket, Central Market has aisle signs to help customers navigate the store. Timsina carries a walkie-talkie to communicate with his employees and wears a Bluetooth earpiece so he can attend…