By Sarah Wang | Staff Writer
When Tim Kulkarni and Joni Navarra, owners of East Market and Goods, first moved to Waco, they noticed the need for an Asian grocery store and made it their mission to fill it.
Located at The Shoppes, 6500 Woodway Dr. ste. 101, East Market and Goods opened in November 2020 after the married team of first- generation Texans traveled the world and started a home in Waco.
East Market’s presence in Waco enables the international community to find foods from their hometowns without having to spend an entire day commuting to other cities like Austin for the products.
Kulkarni said they frequently receive positive feedback from their customers through reviews and customer statements.
“They usually tell us how long they’ve been here and that they’ve had to travel to Austin, Dallas or Houston to get what they need,” Kulkarni said. “And now it’s locally available.”
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, sophomore Kaylee Le said she had a great experience at East Market, even though it is small compared to other Asian markets. She said she often buys spices, vegetables, snacks and drinks from East Market and uses the groceries almost daily.
“They reminded me of my hometown so much because I can buy ingredients to cook for my hometown’s featured meal,” Le said.
When she initially came to Baylor, Le said she expected Waco to be a deserted town with a lack of Asian community. However, she said she was happy to learn about East Market and to know she no longer needed to travel to other cities for her everyday food.
“I think the remarkable opening of East Market at Waco raises the awareness of Asian community for not only Baylor students but also residents living here,” Le said.
Sugar Land junior Lisa Liu moved to the U.S. from China with her parents when she was in fifth grade. She said the Chinese goods on East Market’s shelves remind her of her hometown.
“When I am craving for snacks from China, I would go to East Market and buy some,” Liu said. “The snacks and drinks they sell at East Market are very similar to what we would have in a Chinese market store.”
Liu said she believes East Market plays a vital role for the international student community.
“It helps international students to enjoy foods from their hometown when they are not adapting so well to this foreign environment,” Liu said.
Kulkarni said the demographics of customers are split, half Asian and half American. As a result, he said East Market “bridges a community gap.”
“Food is a universal language,” Kulkarni said. “One of the great [pieces of] feedback we recently got was, ‘You know, I wouldn’t have even considered Waco a home until East Market existed.’”
