A new convenience store opened its doors in Eatonton on Memorial Day, but for owner Nilesh “Neil” Patel, the launch of Stop N Go is about more than business.
It represents blessings, tradition, and building something lasting in a community he now calls “home.”
“This is a neighborhood store,” Patel said. “We have reasonable prices and all our customers, families, and friends like that.”
Patel officially marked the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce. But instead of the usual balloons and streamers, the grand opening of Stop N Go at 107 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. blended local business optimism with centuries-old Hindu traditions.
Patel’s journey to Eatonton spans continents and decades. Originally from India, he emigrated to the United States in 1999 at 34 years old, initially settling in New Jersey before moving to the Atlanta area in 2001. He said he discovered Eatonton almost by chance.
“I passed through the town and saw one store downtown that I liked a lot,” he recalled. “I thought, maybe, thank God, I need that store.”
That visit eventually led Patel to purchase his first Eatonton business in 2013, a convenience store on North Jefferson Avenue that now operates as a Valero gas station. He later sold that location but still owns the Quick Pantry Texaco on Oak Street on the south side of downtown Eatonton.
Patel said he learned the Stop N Go location was available late last year after the previous business closed. After several months of negotiations and renovations, the purchase was finalized last month.
While ribbon cuttings typically feature crowded celebrations and bright decorations, Monday’s ceremony was more subdued and reflective, centered around Hindu rituals performed by representatives from BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple between Atlanta and Lawrenceville that Patel and his family regularly attend.
“Usually, these ceremonies are for new houses, new beginnings, new stores,” Patel explained. “So, this is a new store, a new beginning for a business.”
Several rituals held symbolic meaning, including smashing a coconut over flowers placed at the store’s entrance. Patel said the act symbolizes purity and blessings.
“The inside of the coconut is white,” he said. “When you break it, it’s like God’s blessing comes out of it.”
Another tradition involved entering the store with the right foot first, representing purity and good fortune. The ceremony also included sacred statues being carried throughout the building, with participants praying in each room and along the aisles. Patel described it as a way to invoke protection and blessings throughout the space.
“It was basically like God’s eye looking everywhere,” Patel said. “Just so God’s protection is there, and God’s good luck is there as well.”
The store opened for business immediately after the ceremony, with local resident and former property owner Robert “Buster” Williams serving as its first customer.
Patel said he plans to maintain an ambitious schedule, opening at 6 a.m. and closing at 10 p.m. on weekdays, with slightly shorter weekend hours. For now, he will largely run operations himself with one employee, though he said additional hiring could come as the business grows.
He also said he may pursue additional opportunities in surrounding communities, though his focus remains local for now.
“We have a plan,” he said. “But we are looking only for good stores.”