For any driver traversing the curving stretches of Naparima Mayaro Road, heading east toward Trinidad’s sun-soaked Mayaro beaches or the inactive mud volcano that once engulfed the village of Piparo, the busy New Grant three-way intersection often slips by unnoticed. What many passing commuters fail to recognize, however, is that this quiet crossroads connecting rural communities including Princes Town, Rio Claro and Williamsville has grown over decades into one of the region’s most resilient grassroots economic hubs, home to a thriving cluster of small businesses and the birthplace of a nationally celebrated grocery chain.
This junction has outlasted seismic shifts in the local economy, including the dissolution of State-owned agricultural conglomerate Caroni 1975 Ltd, which once employed hundreds of multi-generational local workers on its sugar cane, citrus and cocoa estates. It even survived the widespread economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced temporary closures for businesses across the country. Today, nearly 20 businesses remain rooted at the crossroads, with some evolving, some closing, and new ventures launching in just the past five years, continuing to draw loyal customers who have built their lives along this major regional corridor. As one long-time local resident told reporters, “You can get most of the things you need at this junction—not everything, but a lot of things. I think it is worth it to go there; the prices are sometimes better than when you go outside of the area.”
### The Historical Roots of a Community Crossroads
New Grant itself draws its name and origins from the Merikins, liberated African enslaved people who were promised freedom and land grants in exchange for fighting alongside British forces during the American Revolutionary War. What is now known as New Grant Junction was originally called Torrib Trace Junction, and it has hosted small businesses catering to cross-district commuters for as long as locals can recall.
The earliest permanent commercial operations were run by Chinese traders who set up the area’s first general stores along the main road in the early 1900s. By the 1960s, a public post office and gas station were added to the junction, meeting growing local demand for closer access to essential services. For local residents, the new amenities eliminated the need to travel long distances to the crowded urban centers of Princes Town or Rio Claro, cementing the junction’s role as a convenient community gathering point.
The turning point for the junction came in 1988, when local entrepreneur Mohan Persad purchased the junction’s original long shop, located on the roadway leading to Rio Claro and Torrib Trace, from previous owner Parsam Nanan. Mohan and his wife Shirley Persad transformed the small store into Persad’s D Food King, the first location of what would grow into a nationwide supermarket chain with a sprawling wholesale and distribution network. Today, that original location still serves hundreds of local customers every week.
### A Thriving Cluster of Local Enterprise
Today, the intersection hosts a diverse mix of businesses that cater to every daily need of local residents and passing commuters. The former Seecharan’s liquor shop has been converted into a hardware store, sitting alongside a gym, poultry outlet, barber shop, cyber cafe, multiple restaurants, and bars. A small religious and variety store has remained a community staple for decades, while street vendors line the roadside, displaying crates of fresh fruit, vegetables, coconuts and other local goods to catch the attention of passing drivers.
The New Grant post office and long-standing gas station open their doors daily to customers from as far away as Tableland and Reform Village. As locals stop to collect mail or fill their vehicle tanks, they often browse the surrounding shops, picking up fresh produce from street vendors or grabbing a quick meal from one of the junction’s many food vendors. The crossroads has even gained regional fame for its local street food scene, with multiple popular doubles stands drawing customers from across the area.
“ It is interesting because it is right there; it’s closer than going to Princes Town to San Fernando, and in my opinion, you get more value for some things. In particular, Persad’s grocery always has an offer or a sale, and it is like they consider the people who may not be able to buy in bulk or who need some more economic options, so I like it for that reason,” one resident explained.
### Persad’s D Food King: The Heartbeat of the Junction
No business has shaped New Grant Junction’s growth and identity more than the original Persad’s D Food King location. Local residents say if the junction has a heartbeat, it has been sustained by the supermarket, alongside core community staples like the gas station and hardware store. Today, Persad’s Wholesale operates as an international direct importer, carrying everything from fresh produce, dried fruit, dairy, grains and cooking oils to frozen and processed meats, canned goods, cleaning supplies, personal care products, home goods, electrical fixtures, appliances and seasonal merchandise. Its logistics network reaches more than 30 countries worldwide, but company leaders say the entire business model traces back to this humble New Grant location.
Ishvani Persad, marketing development executive and granddaughter of founders Mohan and Shirley Persad, explained that the founders started small decades before opening the New Grant location. By the 1970s, Mohan and Shirley were already running a small shop where prices were handwritten on brown paper bags, and sugar and chickpeas were scooped by hand for customers. That community-focused spirit shaped the New Grant location, which quickly grew into more than just a place to shop.
“Generations have walked those aisles. Stories have been shared at the counters. Trust has been built, day by day, year by year. And that is why New Grant is not just one of our locations. It is the original blueprint of what we know to be Persad’s D Food King,” Ishvani Persad said.
The founders chose the New Grant location for its strategic position between the east and south of Trinidad, a daily passage point for families commuting to San Fernando for work and school. It was also a deeply personal choice: the Persad family has deep roots in nearby Hindustan, and they understood the needs of the hard-working local community.
“They knew what it meant to build from nothing, to stretch every dollar, and to rely on trust above all else. At the time, New Grant was a growing community filled with hard-working families who needed access—not just to goods, but to reliability, fairness, and care. There was a gap, and more importantly, there was an opportunity to serve,” she said.
Built on a foundation of faith and community devotion, the business opened with prayers to Hindu deities Ganesha and Bhandi Mata, and was blessed by the founders’ parents. Today, the company embraces diversity, with a multi-faith staff and ongoing support for cultural and religious events across Trinidad and Tobago.
As the community continues to grow, Persad’s Group is moving forward with an ambitious new development project called “Legacy Plaza—the Gateway to the south-east,” currently in the planning and permitting phase. Built on the successful model of the company’s Grand Market in Barrackpore, the new development will create a one-stop shopping destination for the entire southeast region. It will combine retail space with an incubation hub for small and medium-sized local entrepreneurs, bringing national brand-name products closer to local residents and eliminating the need for long out-of-region trips for quality goods. The multilevel facility will also address long-standing infrastructure concerns, while honoring the Persad family’s New Grant roots, its founders, employees and generations of loyal customers.
### Unresolved Challenges Hold Back Further Growth
While residents and business owners agree that New Grant Junction’s greatest strength is its convenient, low-key alternative to crowded urban shopping centers, the crossroads still faces significant challenges that limit its growth. The most commonly cited need is a functional on-site ATM: currently, the nearest cash machine is far from the community, and many local businesses only accept cash payments.
Sharlene, a local resident who requested her last name not be published, said an on-site ATM would cut costs for working people. “There would be no need to spend extra money on taxis/maxis just to access basic banking services. People won’t have to carry large amounts of cash from Princes Town back to New Grant,” she explained.
Residents have also raised consistent concerns about road safety, traffic congestion and public safety in the area. Many noted that the junction’s pedestrian crosswalk is so faded that drivers no longer notice it, and most pedestrians have stopped using it entirely. Unregulated street vending has created unpleasant odors in the area, and the presence of three nearby bars means there is often no safe pavement for pedestrians to use, due to crowds and unruly behavior from occasionally intoxicated visitors.
“You have to be constantly on high alert. Where are the traffic wardens and police when you need them?” one local resident lamented.