A new convenience store opened its doors in Eatonton on Memorial Day, but for owner Nilesh “Neil” Patel, the launch of Stop N Go represents more than just a business venture.
It reflects blessings, tradition, and the effort to build something lasting in a community he calls home.
“This is a neighborhood store,” Patel said. “We have reasonable prices, and all our customers, families, and friends like that.”
Patel celebrated the store’s opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce. But instead of the typical balloons and streamers, the grand opening of Stop N Go at 107 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive blended local business optimism with centuries-old Hindu traditions.
Patel’s journey to this point spans continents and decades. Originally from India, he emigrated to the United States in 1999 at age 34, initially settling in New Jersey before relocating to the Atlanta area in 2001. He said he discovered Eatonton almost by accident.
“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 chance visit 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 it but still owns 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 loud, crowded celebrations, Monday’s ceremony was quieter and more reflective. Much of that centered on religious rituals performed by Hindu “saints,” representatives from BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple between downtown Atlanta and Lawrenceville that Patel and his family regularly attend.
“Usually, these ceremonies are for new houses, new beginnings, new stores,” Patel said. “So this is a new store, a new beginning for a business.”
Several rituals held symbolic meaning, including breaking a coconut over flowers placed at the store’s entrance. Patel said the ritual represents 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, which Patel said symbolizes purity and good fortune. Perhaps the most visible portion of the ceremony involved visitors carrying sacred statues throughout the building, entering every room and walking every aisle as they prayed. Patel described the practices as longstanding Hindu traditions and said the presence of religious leaders made the opening more meaningful.
“It was basically like God’s eye looking everywhere,” he 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 daily 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 added that he may pursue additional opportunities in surrounding communities, though his focus remains close to home.
“We have a plan,” he said. “But we are looking only for good stores.”