Great Cuisine of India in Centralia Sees Drop in Business But Presses On

Editor’s Note: The Chronicle is working to assist local businesses suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 virus spread and associated government orders to close or limit commerce. Additionally, The Chronicle will continue to offer its coverage of the coronavirus and its effects across the community, state and nation free outside of our paywall at chronline.com . Tucked away on North Tower Avenue in a 100-year-old brick building sits Great Cuisine of India in what was the former home of Skookumchuck Tavern. Patrons of long ago who used to come in to throw back beers and down shots of hard liquor now return to feast on traditional Indian food. “People sometimes come in and say, ‘Did you know this used to be Skookumchuck Tavern?’ Great Cuisine of India waitress Lee Leeds said. The building has held a number of businesses over the years, mostly taverns since the early 1970s, but now it houses Ashwani Singh’s third Indian restaurant. “I talked to O’Blarney’s (Irish Pub) the other day, the owner up there said he would stay open to-go but he can’t find employees,” Leeds said. The health department told him that customers are to pay, then sit in their car and wait for the food to be brought out to them curbside. So far, Great Cuisine of India is only making about $100 a day through Uber Eats deliveries, about 10 percent of their daily income. Most of the customers still ordering are regulars, but Leeds and Singh are confident they can hold on with the current restaurant restrictions in place.