Author: Deleted author
Title: Building a Nest
Category: Diversity and Inclusion
Description: Bida Manda rests in an existing historic storefront lining one of downtown Raleigh’s oldest parks, Moore Square. Postured on the outskirts of the main city bustle, Moore Square was never really a destination for locals or travelers, and it cultivated an apprehensive environment. Siblings Vansana and Vanvisa knew that an idea bigger than a restaurant alone was needed to till up positive change in the community.
Bida Manda, Sanskrit for “father” and “mother,” is about much more than food. It’s a museum of family relics, a place to sit and read, a sacred space, and a dining venue. A meditation of generosity welcomes visitors as the tapestries just past the vestibule greet newcomers with images of Van’s parents. Sticks salvaged from the mountains of North Carolina shroud the walls of the dining area and fold over the bar, individually tied back by the hands of many friends, local artists, and community members--woven together like a nest.
And like a bird’s nest, Bida Manda represents the individual pieces that craft a whole and the small changes that reciprocate greater change in a city.
Moore Square is a place Van now calls his home.
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