Hometown Hero: Vimala Rajendron

Winning Chapel Hill Magazine’s “Best Indian Food in Chapel Hill” award in 2012 and consistently placing as a finalist in “Best of” and “Reader’s Choice” polls in Indy Week’s “Best of the Triangle” awards isn’t the only thing that’s made Vimala’s Curryblossom Café notable here in Chapel Hill. The owner, Vimala Rajendron, garners just as much positive press as the food she helps to create.

Rajendron is this week’s Hometown Hero, because her dedication to service and commitment to the Chapel Hill community is always on display. Right in front of the Curryblossom Café is a familiar sign that reads “Nobody turned away due to lack of money. Food is a human right. When Vimala cooks, everybody eats.”

Usually, a philosophy and accompanying business practice like that would be enough to scare away potential investors. Due to a locally-based network of shareholders and small-scale investors, Rajendron was able to raise over $80,000 in capital and open her restaurant proper in 2009 after running a successful catering business. Instead of being a hindrance to profitability, Vimala’s “everybody eats” philosophy has become a reason for customers to eat, donate and be involved with the restaurant and the social work it sponsors.

Vimala’s Curryblossom Café sources many of the ingredients used locally, from a host of local collaborators and even the Carrboro Farmer’s Market. In December of 2010, ground was broken to create a “kitchen garden” for the restaurant and provide a convenient composting outlet for kitchen scraps.

Rajendron’s tenacity for social justice, be it in the form of providing food and refuge for those who need it most or willingness to speak out on behalf of victims of domestic violence, sets her apart in the Chapel Hill community, and we’re happy to recognize her as this week’s Hometown Hero!

Vimala’s Curryblossom Café handed out free chai to the marchers

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