Early last month, the owner of Gourmet Pantry and Cooking School, in downtown Blacksburg, Roya Gharavi announced she is retiring. She’s closing her business after 25 years, but not before sharing some special moments she’s had in the community.
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https://www.wfxrtv.com/community/its-been-a-great-run-owner-of-blacksburg-gourmet-pantry-is-closing-shop-after-25-years/
COOKING SCHOOL IN DOWNTOWN BLACKSBURG — ROYA GHARAVI ANNOUNCED SHE IS RETIRING. SHE’S CLOSING HER BUSINESS AFTER 25 YEARS — BUT NOT BEFORE SHARING SOME SPECIAL MOMENTS SHE’S HAD IN THE COMMUNITY.WFXR’S EMARYI WILLIAMS BRINGS US THE STORY. 0-910-2:03 “IT STARTED WITH
GETTING OUT OF RESTAURANT BUSINESS AND TAKING A COUPLE OF YEARS OFF AND I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE TO HAVE A PASSION FOR.”GOURMET PANTRY HAS BEEN IN THE BLACKSBURG COMMUNITY SINCE 1999. SIX YEARS AFTER OPENING — ROYA GHARAVI MOVED HER BUSINESS TO
MAIN STREET TO BRING SOMETHING NEW TO THE AREA.FELT LIKE A COOKING SCHOOL WAS NEEDED HERE IN BLACKSBURG.”IN A UNIVERSITY TOWN PEOPLE HAVE THAT INTEREST BECAUSE THEY’RE ARE A LOT OF INTERNATIONAL PEOPLE HERE AND A LOT OF THE FACULTY TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY.”EASY,
HEALTHY, ACCESSIBLE — THAT WAS THE GOAL OF THE RECIPES GHARAVI CREATED WHICH WERE HEAVILY INSPIRED BY HER TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD.WITH A PASSION TO BRING EVEN MORE CULTURE TO THE AREA — SHE CREATED A SPACE WHERE CHEFS FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES COULD
TEACH AS WELL.”YOU NAME IT — CUBAN, PERSIAN, WE HAD MORRACAN CUISINE, ITALIAN, FRENCH, WE PRETTY MUCH COVERED SOUTH AFRICAN, WE COVERED LOTS OF TYPES OF CLASSES.”AS THE CLOSING OF THE STORE COMES CLOSER…GHARAVI IS LOOKING BACK ON THE EXPERIENCE “ONE OF
THE PASSIONS I HAD ABOUT THE STORE IS MEETING ALL THE CUSTOMERS AND I MADE FRIENDS WITH A LOT OF THEM…AND YOU KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF RESPECT FOR TEACHING AND PEOPLE STILL COME AND ASK ME HOW TO USE CERTAIN THINGS OR
HOW TO COOK WITH CERTAIN THINGS, SO THEY TRUST ME. WHAT I SOLD HERE, I BUILT TRUST IN THE COMMUNTIYAND THAT WAS MY GOAL HERE WHAT MADE MY BUSINESS SO SUCCESSFULGHARAVI SAYS THE CLOSURE WILL GIVE HER MORE TIME TO ENJOY THE
HOLIDAYS, HAVE FUN WITH FAMILY AND TRAVEL.SHE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE AS WELL. “I GOT RECIPES FOR ABOUT TWO MORE BOOKS WHICH I NOW HAVE TIME TO DO. I’LL BE AROUND TOWN, AND I’M SURE I’LL RUN INTO –SEE EVERYBODY AGAIN.
IT’S BEEN A GREAT RUN.”IN BLACKSBURG — EMARYI WILLIAMS — W-F-X-R NEWS. GHARAVI SAYS TO REMEMBER TO COME AND REDEEM ANY GIFT CARDS YOU MAY HAVE BEFORE THE END OF JANUARY.SHE’S ALSO DOING A JANUARY.BEFORE THE END OF CARDS YOU MAY HAVE AND REDEEM
ANY GIFT REMEMBER TO COME GHARAVI SAYS TO