In this bigger-is-better era of supermarkets, it’s easy to imagine the time of the old-fashioned mom-and-pop grocery stores has gone the way of the dodo.
However, for the past year, Jim Hoffman and his wife Gail have sought to keep the tradition of the hometown grocer alive in the heart of downtown Nipomo, in the form of the Pantry.
“It’s a discount store that’s run like an upscale store, and that was our concept from the beginning,” Jim said.
With a background in public works, he had never had any grocery experience, but after a friend started a similar discount market in Atascadero, Jim felt the time was right to open his own discount store close to home.
“With the economy as bad as it is, we really thought we’d be filling a niche,” he explained. “A lot of people literally say, ‘Thank God you’re here. We couldn’t make our grocery budget without it.’”
The Pantry has managed to make it through its first year primarily on word-of-mouth advertising from its intensely loyal customers. Unique among most discount stores, the Pantry offers name brand and private label products, from fresh local produce to gourmet and organic foods and artisan breads. There are even bulk food and spice sections.
Jim said his customers like to refer to their shopping experience as a “treasure hunt” because they never know what they might find on their next visit.
“Because of the way we buy things, what we have in here is changing a lot,” he said. “To some people that’s a little frustrating, but a lot of people really like to come in and look around.”
To offer his products at a fraction of the price of other stores, Jim bids on truckloads of liquidated, damaged and “banana box” items pulled from the shelves of major chains, such as Trader Joe’s and Costco.
“We like to call ourselves a store with a conscience, because we get some incredible buys sometimes, and I get pressure put on me to put the pricing closer to normal retail value,” Jim said. “I don’t, because the whole point of this store is to pass that value on.”
On May 30, Memorial Day, Hoffman will be throwing the Pantry’s first birthday party, complete with a barbecue, children’s entertainment, and gifts for shoppers.
Open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, the Pantry is located at 551 Tefft St. in Nipomo.
For more information, visit thepantrygrocers.com or call 929-0800.
Highlights
• The Santa Ynez Valley Visitors Association will celebrate its first decade as an organization at a mixer on May 11 at the Ballard Inn and Restaurant.
The mixer is open to the public and will run from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and complimentary hors d’oeuvres, created by Ballard Inn chef and owner Budi Kazali, will be served. Baehner Fournier, Kaena and Kenneth Crawford, and others will provide wine tasting.
The Ballard Inn and Restaurant is at 2436 Baseline Ave., one block east of Alamo Pintado Road, in Ballard.
For more information, go to visitthesantaynezvalley.com or call 686-0053.
• Students will have the opportunity to learn what it takes to get a job at the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and Workforce Investment Board’s Job Connection event on May 24.
In addition to meeting with employers, attendees will be offered free pizza and drinks, as well as the chance to win an iPad. The event will run from 4 to 6 p.m. at Allan Hancock College’s Student Center. Attendees must e-mail srobb@hancockcollege.edu for a parking pass.
For more information, visit santabarbaracountywib.org.
Biz Spotlight/Highlights are written and compiled by Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in May 5-12, 2011.
