New Indian and Pakistani grocery and restaurant planned for space next to Valli Produce in Rockford
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Renovations are underway to turn space next to Valli Produce into a new locally owned grocery store and restaurant centered on Indian and Pakistani food.
The space, at 5856 E. State St. and 5866 E. State St., was most recently home to Buddy’s Home Furnishings, a national furniture rental and purchase store. The goal is to complete renovations and open The Rockford International Market by this summer.
The Greater Rockford Arab Chamber of Commerce revealed the plans for the space this week.
It said the 6,000-square-foot space will feature a diverse selection of Indian and Pakistani grocery items in one half with an Indo-Pak restaurant on the other half.
Abdul Kader Shainur, owner of The Rockford International Market, plans to launch the grocery side of the business first. The restaurant will follow at a later date to be determined.
The restaurant will offer a real taste of Indian and Pakistani food, said Mustafa Abdall, president of the Greater Rockford Arab Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber said more details on the grocery and restaurant will be released as renovations progress and an opening date nears.
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The new grocery and restaurant is coming to a stretch of the shopping center at the corner of East State Street and Mulford Road with several recent closings. Party City, which is between Valli Produce and Ollie’s near the future International Market, closed at the end of February as the national retailer declared bankruptcy and ended 40 years in business. Culture Crunch, a locally owned seller of international snacks, closed Sunday after roughly a year in business.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
