A popular downtown Juneau restaurant is now up for sale — but it’s not closing any time soon.
Earlier this month, a listing for the sale of Spice Juneau Indian Cuisine went online. But according to Nimmy Philips, the restaurant’s owner, residents shouldn’t be worried.
“I want to stay open. No doors are closing. I have no plans for that at all,” she said. “I want new dreams. I’m ready for new dreams, new creation, new vision. That doesn’t mean we’re closing the door; employees are leaving. None of that.”
Philips originally moved to Juneau as an engineer in 2012, and in 2021 decided to pursue a longtime dream of opening a restaurant. She opened Spice during the COVID-19 pandemic after another Indian restaurant at the location, Saffron, went up for sale. It’s located on North Franklin Street, across from the Baranof Hotel.
Spice found a place in Juneau residents’ hearts — and bellies — with family recipes and spices sourced from India. Philips has also grown as a prominent figure in the community as well, hosting annual Holi Festivals outside the restaurant each spring and other community and art events. Philips said she is now selling the restaurant to pursue new personal goals and opportunities – though wouldn’t specify what those are.
The restaurant is selling for $300,000. The sale is for the restaurant, but not the building it is located in. The listing notes a five-year renewable lease.
Philips said she hopes to see the business continue as Spice, but the door is open for a buyer to convert it into a different cuisine.
“Spice is my family. So that is hard for me to say what is next,” she said. “But at the same time, I don’t want to be the person stopping something bigger to happen either. So maybe this is the time that something good to happen for this location.”
She said the business is in a stable position for a new owner to take over, and she wants to help ensure it can thrive moving forward. Philips said running a restaurant in Juneau has unique challenges, but it pushed her to grow and adapt for the better.
“A lot of people were very worried about our tariffs and things, and I was too. I was very worried, and then that only changed how I see it,” she said. “We narrowed our menu down to what we can get and what we can make without compromising anything with the recipes at all.”
Philips thanked the community for supporting her and her team of employees for the past five years and said she’s excited for what’s to come.
