Milk Pail vs. the Chain Stores

We buy with our Nose, not the Phone!

One of the Bigshots at the Produce Market said to me recently that the difference between small markets and Supermarkets is this: the Chain Store buyer sits behind their desk wheeling and dealing long term contracts on the telephone, while the Milk Pail produce man is up early in the morning sniffing the oranges, taking a bite out of the watermelon, and squeezing a tomato as he buys with his eyes & nose!

Bigness isn’t Betterness!

Think back to your childhood. Remember the man behind the meat counter? The owner of the nearby gas station who looked at the oil level? These people gave you a sense of local community!

Think about some Local small businesses… and the people behind them. José at Jose’s Restaurant in Palo Alto, Dittmer at Dittmer’s Meats, the Kozy brothers at De Martini’s, Jesse Cool at the Flea St. Café, the Vargas family at Palo Alto Joe’s.

These community businesses give vitality to all of us. Next time you’re shopping, remember the independent business. Our prices aren’t always the lowest, but the personal service, the extra flavor, the “charm” all add up to value that chain stores will never match.