On May 13, Saffron Circle hosted its first public showcase during Colony Square’s weekly “Yoga on the Lawn” event in Midtown Atlanta, bringing together wellness, food, and South Asian women-led entrepreneurship in a community-centered gathering attended by hundreds.
Co-hosted by Saffron Circle and Tandoori Pizza & Wing Co., the event transformed the Plaza at Colony Square into an open-air marketplace featuring artisanal food products and beverages created by local South Asian women entrepreneurs. Attendees participated in an evening yoga session before exploring a curated selection of handcrafted offerings from members of the collective.
Founded by food and travel writer Sucheta Rawal, Saffron Circle is an invitation-only network of South Asian women in metro Atlanta who lead food-focused businesses. The collective aims to encourage collaboration, visibility, and resource-sharing among women entrepreneurs in the culinary space.
The showcase featured chai from The Chai Box, South Indian iced coffee from Raani Coffee, and Indian-inspired chocolates from CocoaTown. Guests also sampled single-origin spices from Humble Origin Superfoods, chai Biscoff cake and vegan pinwheels from Punjab Spice Company, and mango spritz and rose beverages from Coffee ki Rani. Tandoori Pizza & Wing Co. served samosas and mango lemonade during the event.
The collaboration with Tandoori Pizza & Wing Co. will continue beyond the launch event. Owned by restaurateur Archna Becker, the restaurant plans to carry products from Saffron Circle members on a consignment basis, with each item accompanied by information about its maker and story.
Becker, founder of the former Atlanta restaurant Bhojanic, has been part of Atlanta’s South Asian culinary landscape for more than two decades and said the initiative reflects the importance of creating supportive spaces for women-led businesses.
Other founding members of the collective include Andal Balu of CocoaTown, Sonia Paryani of Sincerely, and Alak Nanda of Podilife. The group was formed in April during an inaugural luncheon hosted at Rawal’s home in Smyrna, where members gathered to discuss collaboration and community-building.
The event combined Colony Square’s focus on community engagement with Saffron Circle’s mission of highlighting South Asian women makers and preserving cultural storytelling through food and entrepreneurship.