Four types of Milk Pail shoppers

Which Are You ?

Grocery store shopping often rivals the DMV for entertainment value, but the kind of people who shop at the Milk Pail Market are usually looking for adventure, according to owner Steve Rasmussen. “Our customers are looking for something more out of life than long lines and prepackaged products. We think our customers fall into four groups: the Bon Vivant, the Thrillseeker, the Food Fiend, and the shopper who’s on a Food Quest.”

The Bon Vivant is one of the Milk Pail Market’s favorite customers. “These people love to cook and ‘make from scratch’ is their motto,” Rasmussen explains. “They come to us looking for the best ingredients in town. From European-style quark to yeast in bulk, we try to keep up with the needs of serious home chefs.”

Thrillseekers come to the Milk Pail Market looking for a good time. Each Saturday the market puts out a large table with samples so that Thrillseekers can learn about and “nosh” new and exciting arrivals. One week it may be low fat brie and the next a new biscotti from a local baker. Sometimes it’s a Danish-style havarti with dill from Wisconsin or ‘bake-your-own’ croissants.

Tight-fisted Food Fiends love looking for bargains. “And we’re just the place to graze for that herd,” says Rasmussen. “As a retailer, we keep our eyes peeled for bulk bargains and close-out items. And when we find them we often buy hundreds or even a couple of thousand pounds of the one-time offer. A while back, we found 1,000 pounds (450 kg!) of macadamia nut pieces that had been frozen in an ice cream manufacturer’s freezer. They didn’t need the product anymore, so we got all of it and sold wonderful macadamia nut butter until we ran out. We even had a customer come back with homemade macadamia cookies. We like to buy like that. It keeps us ahead of the big guys.”

And then there are customers who are on a Food Quest. These folks are looking for something they may have had in their childhood or may have seen in Europe or read about in a food article. “This is our stack of Special Requests,” says Rasmussen, thumbing through a pile of pink forms. “Here’s a request for cheese curds. This one is for ten pounds of almond paste. And here’s one for Israeli goat feta. Can we fill all these? We try and we have a good time looking. It’s our adventure, too.”

Over the past thirty-three years the Milk Pail Market — which began as a simple drive-thru dairy store — has transformed itself into a European-style open air market. Located near the corner of California Street and San Antonio Road in Mountain View, California, the Milk Pail features over 300 cheeses; breads from Berkeley; rolled oats from Oregon; and produce from local farmers. “If you can’t find it anywhere else, we’ve got it,” Rasmussen says, “and if we haven’t got it, we’ll try to locate it through our many food contacts.”

People still come to the Milk Pail Market for the simple things like hand-cut butter and refreshing milk in an old fashioned glass milk bottle. “But the truth is, you can come for so much more,” laughs Rasmussen. “It’s a culinary Disneyland and people who really enjoy food like to come for the adventure.”

The Milk Pail Market
2585 California Street
Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 941-2505
fax: (650) 941-2103