Harvest-Health and Whole Foods

The New Year!

2012-01-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

Here we are again! In 2011 we increased 120% over 2010...but don't get too excited about it! 120 times nothing is still nothing. December 2011 was our biggest month in terms of sales; and the second week in January was our biggest single week ever. One of our successes has been organic produce; you asked for low-cost organics, and we listened. Since going 100% organic in the Fall, organic sales are up 400%. We have had to add a second fruit and veg delivery day. Another success has been the introduction of Indian frozen items, such as Jain Pizza, Aloo Paratas, chappatis and big samosas. While not organic, they do add a lot of variety to a vegetarian diet. We've also introduced the Uncle Harry's range of ayurvedic products. Our challenge now is to perfect our reordering and customer check-out procedures. Because we're a smaller store, we can only afford to buy products in smaller quantities and thus have to reorder frequently. Moving right along, in February we're going to introduce shopping carts. And finally...don't forget the vegan pet food, for your vegan pets!

Organic Produce Increase

2011-10-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

We now receive one pallet of organic fruit and veg every Tuesday afternoon. The quantity we now regularly buy now enables us to sell at lower prices. We've surveyed our customers and they tell us they want more organic products. We've listened, and we're actively increasing our organic lines, and thinning our conventional product lines. But, 70% of our customers (most recent written survey) are vegetarian or vegan. For these clients, we need to keep a variety of important non-meat products, even if they are not available organic. We've done this, and will continue to do so. We're proud that we're the only totally vegetarian shop in the county; we don't sell any meat, fish or egg products.

Coping with growth

2011-09-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

As you all must have noticed, we're growing. Some months are 300% up on the same month in 2010. This September will be our biggest month ever (a distinction formally held by March 2011). At the very least, 2011 will be double our 2010 sales. We project 2012 will double again. What this means to us managing the shop is we have to put in place the internal systems to handle the increased customer traffic and the higher order volumes. We're getting so much business we're scrambling to keep up. As my old Jewish grandmother used to say, "Irving, you should have such a problem!" She was a little near-sighted and never actually realized I wasn't Irving, and that I wasn't even Jewish. Anyway, after installing the new freezer/fridge, we'll have to paint the ceiling and put in more lighting. Then we'll remove and sell the existing True fridge and freezer. That room will then be turned into a stockroom and office (right now the office is behind the counter). After that we'll have to computerize the inventory and add a second cash register. Our family thanks all our loyal customers who have been rooting for us these past 18 months!

Fridge / Freezer Update

2011-09-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

You've all probably noticed the 16-door 40 foot freezer/fridge against the South wall. We're presently taking quotations for the installation. We hope it will be working in October. At that time, we'll increase our chilled and frozen lines significantly. We also have two chilled veg/fruit tables. We're using one now for the fruit and veg. They will both ultimately be running at 55 degrees to keep the produce crisp and fresh. We're also going to be switching to a permanant price lable system, instead of labeling each individual item.

Week of Sep 19

2011-09-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

Sami's Bakery items will be in on Tuesday and Thursday.
Maple Syrup Monday.
Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Monday.
Organic butter sometime this week.
We're promised Vegefarm fake chicken items late Wednesday.
Ice cream and soy ice cream Friday.
Main delivery day is Friday.

Gluten Free

2011-01-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

Our gluten free section is exploding! Cake, bread and pancake mixes, fresh bread, you name it, look for the Gluten Free tag. This is a specialty of ours, because one of our daughters is Gluten Free.

Par Baked Bread

2011-01-30T10:50:00.001-08:00

Now in stock! Partially cooked organic bread. Pick it up from out freezer section, take it home, thaw for one hour, then bake in 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, and presto, hot fresh bread! Priced from $2.65 to $4.80 per loaf, many varities available, including white, olive and whole wheat.

So Much Has Been Happening - Watch UsGrow

2011-01-30T10:48:00.000-08:00

I don't know where to begin! First, we're doubling the size of our shop! This is very exciting for us. More product, better selection, a better shopping experience, more room. We're even going to have shopping carts! Our revenue has doubled since the Summer, and we're now open Sunday. We're also going to have a smoothie and latte bar! A year ago I wouldn't have believed it. We're the only health food store in the county outside of Gainesville.

PRODUCE AND BREAD!

2010-11-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

WE HAVE PRODUCE: GOLD POTATOES $0.89 lb, SWEET POTATOES $0.83 lb, TOMATOES $1.75 lb, ORG PERSIMMONS $1.50 lb, PEPPERS $3.00 lb, MUNG BEAN SPROUTS $2.00 lb, BASIL $2.00 lb, BANANAS $0.59 lb, CARROTS $0.75 lb, BITTER MELON $1.35 lb, HONEYCRISP APPLES $1.94 lb, YUCCA $1.59 lb, NAVAL ORANGES $0.75 each, AVACODOS $1.48 each, MANGO $1.59 each, LEMONS $0.77 each, ZUCCINI $0.59 each, WATER MELONS $3.99 each, BROCCOLI $1.59 each, ORG CUCUMBER $0.35 each, YELLOW SQUASH $0.99 each, ORG EGGPLANT $1.69 each, ORG GIANT SQUASH $0.50 lb. ORG MUSTARD GREENS $2.00 bunch, ORG ARUGULA $2.00 bag, ORG BABY BOK CHOI $2.00 bunch, ORG ORIENTAL SPRING MIX $2.00 bunch, ORG CILANTRO $2.99 bunch, ORG YUKAMA SAVOY $2.00 bunch

FRESH ORGANIC BREAD: $3.00 LOAF. CAKES $2.00 SLICE. ORGANIC COFFEE BY THE CUP: $1.69.

NOW STOCKING FRESH FRUIT AND VEG!

2010-10-26T08:03:00.001-07:00

OK, healthy eating fans, here what’s happening! We now stock fresh fruit and produce, like mangoes, bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, avocados, lemons, limes, squash, sprouts. Fresh sliced bread from Village Bakery. Fresh organic bread every Thursday. Super cheap olive oil. Loma Linda veg franks on sale. Fresh muffins and cakes every other day. Dried cherries, cashew clusters, walnuts, pecans, almonds. Sami and Vegifarm in this week.

Back Again

2010-09-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

We're back. Hold your applause, blog fans! Lot's of new things at your favorite health food store. Rainbow Light vitamins are on their way. Vegan cat food is coming, great news for all those vegan cats out there. Sweetwater organic coffee arrives this week. Muffins and cinnamon rolls are a big hit. Sami's millet and gluten free arrives every week...the lavash and pizza crusts are big sellers. The ever popular Vegestar fake vegan meats are back in stock. We plan to introduce fresh fruit and veg in October, and also will introduce organic caf and decaf coffee by the cup. Just arrived: a whole load of Holistic brand all-natural herbal elixir drinks for $1.69. Coming soon: a big delivery of healthy chips and crisps and Virgil's micro-brew soft drinks. We now buy direct from Bob's red Mill. All Frontier spices are in stock. Fresh home-baked bread. Also, all sorts of beads. Lot's more to come - we're restocking the shop after the summer slow season!

August Update

2010-08-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

Greetings, blog fans and affectionados! July was an absolutely horrible month for sales. The summer blahs affected everyone, but that is small consolation. Now that August is here and the kids are back to school, some normalcy is returning to our retail lives. Still with the temperature in the 90's for 45 straight days (with no end in sight) things are still a bit sluggish, but less so. We've been running down our inventory over the slow summer, but now we are cranking it up again. Here's what we have now, or will have in the next few days:

We had a a shipment of Vegefarm vegan and vegetarian "meats" in two weeks ago, and another arrives on Friday, August 20th. This is a major product line for us.

We have good selection oy yogurt, large and small, including Greek yogurts.

New we carry Cabot Vermont Cheddar.

Bulk V-Dog arrives Friday, Aug 20th. Still waiting for cat food.

Boca vegan burgers are in.

kashi cereals are in.

Frontier spices in next week.

We are going to stark stocking our own organic bread, rolls, cupcakes and cookies.

Work on our snack bar starts in September.

Now stocking the PURE BLISS bars and granola (including their famous chocolate granola).

We're well stocked in rices, beans, sugar, flour and most nuts. We've been letting the bulk coffee run down, because frankly, we haven't been selling much coffee. Alachua doesn't seem to be a coffee place...it sura ani't no Seattle.

If you haven't been in for a while, drop by!

Big Vegestar Buddhist Fake Imitation "Meat" Delivery Today (Friday 30th)

2010-07-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Great news - the Vegestar warehouse in Miami has been closed, but it's open again, and we're getting a big delivery Friday, July 30th. All your favorites are back in stock. Hurry while stocks last! We're not joking.

More news: we'll have a microwave on Monday, so you can come in and heat up things like veggie burritos!

July has been a super slow (uber slow, as Moh says). We're told it's not us, it's the time of year. We hope!

Product Update

2010-07-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

Veggie fake meats are due in the week of July 26th. The importer is moving warehouses next week, so the earlier we can have a delivery is week after next. We have a good inventory, but we're out of some of the most popular items, like smoked drumsticks and buffalo wings. As a vegetarian since 1972, I can't believe I'm even using these words - the world is turning upside down. Plus, I didn't know buffaloes had wings. I guess evolution doesn't stop! We are fully stocked with yogurt and cheeses, as well as vegan alternatives. Golden Temple sauces are in, as are sweet ginger bulk pieces. Don't forget a new selection of vegan and milk ice cream and ice cream snacks, as well as cold drinks!

Kambucha Crisis

2010-07-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

Bad news for all you Kambucha fans. The fermented healthy drink has been pulled off the market because its alcohol content tends to be a little enthusiastic, often exceeding the legal limit of 0.05%. New batches have to be made using new equipment which removes more of the alcoholic byproduct of the fermentation process. Kambucha will be back, but we're not sure when. This is really bad for business - Kambucha has been a best seller!

More News

2010-05-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings blog and health food fans! This week we received another big shipment of goodies, including lots of Buddhist Vegan things like vegan wings and drumsticks. We have a lot of ready to heat and eat things, like pizza, pot pies, burritos and ice cream...well, you don't heat the ice cream, but you get the idea! Sugared ginger is back in stock...we're still out of the dried pineapple. More Rainbow light vitamins are trickling in, and Herbs of Light are selling very well. All in all, it's been a quiet week, down on the previous week...I wonder, could the weather have something to do with it? It does seem rather hot outside!

Buddhist Veggie Thingies

2010-05-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

Don't be put off by the names! OK, it's a little weird, but these foods are the most popular things in the shop! Go figure. They are pure veg and/or vegan. Great for a change of pace. Imported from Taiwan. These foods sell out quickly. Next delivery will be in June.

All Vegetarian Inc. Vegan King Prawn $5.69
All Vegetarian Inc. Vegan Bacon Slices $6.93
Au Lac Vegan Roasted Duck $8.32
Celebration Vegan Field Roast $7.79
Vegefarm Vege Shrimp $5.95
Vegefarm Vege Buffalo Wings $5.60
Vegefarm Vege BBQ Pork $4.90
Vegefarm Vege Chicken Nugget $5.60
Vegefarm Vege Bacon Ham $6.51
Vegefarm Vege Fish Sticks $4.99
Vegefarm Vege Tuna Salad Roll $6.30
Vegefarm Vege Half Chicken $3.43
Vegefarm Vege Smoked Drumstick $3.45
Vegefarm Vege Chicken Patty $3.78
Vegefarm Vege Fish Steak $4.16
Vegefarm Vege Chicken Nugget (box) $4.87
Vegefarm Vege Viennese Sausages $7.15
Vegefarm Vege Hot Dogs $3.44

New Deliveries

2010-05-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

Vegestar delivery arrived Friday - veggie wings and veggie drumsticks. A big UNFI order should also be in Monday - more bulk items, grocery items. Fresh Milk and cheese from Wainwright Dairy every Wednesday. Rainbow Light rep is visiting us next Weds, so we'll have an order in from them soon.

Big Delivery Just In

2010-05-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

We got a giant delivery from a supplier yesterday. Black and Green chocolate, Mrs Myers personal care and cleaning things, new flour, drinks, Barleens, Kombucha, millet and flax pizza base...lots of bulk items, such as almonds, sugared ginger and turtle beans. I know what you're thinking - turtle beans? I know it sounds strange, but turtles have to eat too. Once your turtle has had his beans and a wax, he is one happy turtle.

We've also started work on our snack bar...more on that soon!

END OF APRIL UPDATE

2010-04-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here we are again, blog fans! I feel your joy. April has been quieter than March, about 15% less business. That's probably our fault, because we've ran out of some popular items, and it's taken us a while to re-stock (we're still learning grocery store management 101). If we didn't have what you were looking for, please bare with us - we have tried to fill each and every request. Come in and check if we have it. Celine works very hard to honer each and every request - we listen to what you say (at least she does). We're also bringing in new lines, like Herbs of Light and Rainbow Light, and more supplements and personal care items. Also, some mentioned the shop was hot. That's because we share with the lighting company, and they were insisting on keeping the A/C off to save money, but now we have the A/C on all the time. Daughter Moh, who many of you have met when she is working the register, has been busy taking her finals and getting admitted to college (Mount Holyoke College in Mass - believe it or not, she wants to be a rain surgeon) so I've been here all by my lonesome each and every day, which is right and just, since I'm too cheap to hire any staff. Anyway, we're going to putting more effort into stocking quick meals and snack foods. Celine says she designed the shop for cooks, but not everyone likes to cook (yours truly included). So, look out for more frozen organic pizzas and stuff like that. Oh yeah, we've also acquired two round tables and four chairs which now happily live outside the shop, so customers can sit and enjoy a snack while they admire Main Street. We'll be putting is a snack bar with cakes, sandwiches, samosas, drinks, etc., sometime in May (that's suitably vague, isn't it?) so watch for that. I'm starting to give more news on the blog, so it will be more of a resource for you all. Check out the different informational blurbs on the side panel!

Week Ten? Or is it 11? How About 12?

2010-04-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

Lot's of activity again! It's been slower than usual for the last 10 days...must be the weather...it's getting hotter, and we're running the A/C full time now. Been thinking about putting some tables and chairs outside, and a microwave inside, so people can buy a snack and a drink and sit outside to enjoy it. No decision yet. Our tenants the lighting company are moving out by May 7th, so we've put that shop up for rent. We'd always thought that eventually when we had grown organically we could sort of naturally expand into that shop, but over a period of years. We don't have enough traffic yet to justify further expansion. A little cafe and juice bar would be nice, but Radhika's Cafe just opened up down the street, and we don't want to compete with them. So for now, that space is for rent and we're looking for a tenant! It's a very nice shop and we're sure someone will take it eventually! In the meantime, we've added the Herbs of Light supplements range, and increased our bulk bins section up to 120 bins. Fresh bread is Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Milk and cheese come Wednesday. Just had a big Vegestar veggie wings delivery, and a big Frontier spices shipment. Our main supplier, Tree of Life, delivers every Friday.

Week Eight

2010-03-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

We've now been open for eight weeks - but it seems longer. Mohini works half days Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while I do all the other times. I really only work about 40 hours a week (in the shop at least) but again, it seems longer! The freezer section is our most successful department, followed by bulk food bins and grocery. Drinks are always popular. We have difficulty keeping some popular items in stock. Dairy does well, as does fresh bread. We lost money on bread for a long time, but now it is selling out every time it comes in (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). We've learned it's better to buy less bread and run out than order too much and have it left over...I guess that's a no brainer, huh? We have herbal supplements coming next week. Our revenue is up to about $2000 each week. That doesn't sound like much, but when you consider our first two weeks in February were $400 each, this is a big improvement - like a 500% increase. Our range of Frontier bulk packaged spices is very popular. Because rapid growth is very difficult to fund, we can only buy so much inventory every week, and add new lines not as quickly as we would like. We've added an additional 20 scoop bins, bringing the total to over 120. I can't believe people buy salt and yeast in bulk, but they do. We start advertising next week in the local newspaper. Previously our advertising has consisted of a sign we stuck in the ground around town. It's now gone missing and we suspect the Baptist Church stole it!

Open For Business!

2010-03-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

Greetings fans! We have been up and running since opening on February 1st. We have our electronic cash register, credit and debit equipment, scale; and we even accept food stamps (called SNAP). Moh and I alternate working in the shop, Kesh comes in on Saturday's as bag boy (well, a pretty useless bag boy actually), and Celine does the ordering and restocking. More and more customers come every week. The bulk foods section is hugely popular, as is the Buddhist vegan fake meat products, vegan pet food, chilled items and fresh bread. We have weekly sales. Actually, we are overwhelmed by the response. Every week we restock and also add more product lines. We have to do this in a step-by-step manner, because growth is very difficult to fund on a tight budget!

Cash Register, Scale and all that good stuff!

2010-02-20T16:18:00.000-08:00

The cash register arrived (finally) on Wednesday. Mohini has been busy programing it and syncing it with the scale. Now we just place a bulk item on the scale, key in the four-number code and we instantly have the price on the bill! She has also been busy scanning each item in the shop and assigning a name and price, so by Tuesday we will be scanning everything - no more manual entry!

In other news, we slightly over-ordered from Tree of Life, so we have been saving our pennies so we can pay them on Monday, so they will ship our next order! The problem is, the promises us an extra 10% discount on our first order, but someone in the sales department forgot to apply it to most of the order, so we are waiting for them to rectify it.

It's Saturday night, Sara is outside waiting for me, so time to lock up!

So Far...So Good

2010-02-15T14:35:00.000-08:00

Sorry to be so late to writing to you all. We've been so busy since before the opening. The opening was on February 1st. Of course, we only had about one-third of our inventory then (mainly pasta, candy, chips and milk) but we opened anyway! On the Friday the Tree of Life delivery came: all two tons of it! We had four pallets parked on the curb. Of course it rained. Not just a mild rain, either: a torrential downpour (meaning it came down in torrents)(define torrent). It was also cold...cold and rain. We got it all moved inside and spent the rest of the day booking it into inventory and pricing it. It took an entire week for Mohini and Keshava and me to get the bulk bins filled and labeled! Moh comes in three days a week and is a big help. That was done by last Friday. Now, in order to sell by weight, which is what bulk sales are, you bed a scale. Using JIT (Just In Time) ordering, I carefully ordered the scale, timing it to arrive Just In Time. Unfortunately the biggest snowstorm in the history of the mid-Atlantic states arrived Just In Time to screw up all the deliveries east of the Mississippi. This affected our printed checks and new cash register as well. The register arrives Wednesday. Until then we can weigh things, but we have to calculate them on a hand calculator (it is supposed to link with the missing Samsung 630 Electronic Cash Register and hand scanner. It takes a little longer, but I think our customers enjoy laughing at our pathetic attempts at running a retail operation. To top it off, we got a cheap packet of reject pens, so we have trouble writing things down. But that doesn't matter much, because our cheap Chinese calculator doesn't calculate. Better yet, our credit card merchant processing company, Global Direct, had us on a 100% hold (that means they don't give us our money) because even though we were approved, the credit people at the risk department couldn't get to work because of the snow, so the 100% hold wasn't lifted until Wednesday, but they still have given us 9/10ths of the money they owe us! Some would call it luck, some karma: I call it Just In Time. Yesterday I went to take a walk on Paynes Prairie and see the Gators. There were hundreds of them basking on the banks. I felt like throwing myself in. But afraid to take the easy way out, I'm back at work today.

Grand Opening

2010-02-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

We opened the shop on Monday. People have been wandering in and out ever since. They ask, "Are you having a grand opening?" I reply, "This is about as grand as it gets." We've received about one third of our inventory, don't have a scale or a till, and don't have a credit card machine. But, I assure you all, faithful readers and blog fans, all will manifest over the next seven days. In a stroke of sheer genius, I moved the chips (taco, tortilla and soya) directly across from the cash desk where I sit. So I spend my days staring at the colorful display and also, when no one is looking, drooling. I find myself eating my inventory at an alarming rate. My beloved daughter Mohini (she calls herself Moh) has agreed to work Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You see, Mohini is in high school dual enrollment at Santa Fe College, and she has very intelligently arranged her schedule so that she attends school for only two days a week, leaving her free to work for no wages in the family shop. So from now on, I will work part-time. Oh, going back to our product, we get a big delivery on Friday and so we'll have our bulk bins filled by next week, Yahoo! Also, today a gentleman from a newspaper called the Observer came and took my photograph...he is doubtless planning a special "Jerry" edition, which will please my multitude of fans no end.

Latest Developments

2010-01-29T05:25:00.000-08:00

The sign lettering arrived from the company in Lake City - took four days to travel 35 miles. Thank you, Post Office. Next we have had the milk delivery and the first big delivery from a distributor (two more to come next week). Now we are pricing and shelving. One expert told me it would normally take a month to get everything priced and shelved. We'll be open on Monday, but we won't have a full shop until the end of the week. That's just as well, because we haven't got our POS terminal and scale yet, nor our credit card processing (I've been looking for the best deal) so next week will be strictly cash. But cash is king, right. By next weekend we'll be a fully functioning organic shop. So far, we've sold a gallon of milk and a box of crackers, and nine people have asked us for jobs. They'd have a better chance of getting a job if they bought something! Oh yeah, almost forgot, the local beekeeper came by and left some local honey. Local honey is the best honey..there is a whole science about that. Finally, got the stereo from the living room set up (no one was listening to it anyway) so we have music for the customers. I think a few Frank Zappa songs from the album Weasels Ripped my Flesh will put customers in a buying mood.

Health Department Issues Permit

2010-01-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

Today the inspector from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services gave us an overall rating of GOOD and issued our permit. When we receive our occupancy license from City of Alachua in a few days, we will be all set. Accordingly, we are planning on opening February 1st. Our first food and milk deliveries are arriving this week! I ordered a telephone line for the credit card machine and signed with a processing company. Tomorrow I'll get a till and a credit card machine. Soon....

Latest Progress Update

2010-01-22T06:11:00.000-08:00

All the new plumbing is "roughed is" and City of Alachua inspects that today, then the plumber finishes it off. To sell food we have to have a big three-compartment sink, a hand washing sink, a mop sink, and a sink in the bathroom. (I wanted to just use a hose out back the they only laughed at me.) That is five sinks! We also needed to install a new toilet seat to meet Department standards. Because the existing toilet is old and there is no proper seat available in that size, we had to get a completely new toilet, along with the required seat. Then, the inspector from the Department of Agriculture (yes, I'm not making this up) came by to inspect (Thursday). He's coming back Monday afternoon. If we have the fridges in and the plumbing done, he'll pass us and issue out permit to sell food. He said we had a high standard. Celine is paying for the three-door True Fridge and two-door True Freezer today, and they'll be delivered this afternoon. We had to wait for the credit card statement to cycle, so we have 55 days before we have to pay off the card, and today is the day! Now, once we have the Dept of Ag permit, then we can get the City of Alachua occupation license, and then we can trade - after we register for sales tax with the Department of Revenue. Oh yeah, we've also ordered pre-cut vinyl lettering (believe it or not, the typeface we picked is called "Christmas on Crack" - let us know what you think when you see it). Now we're moving into the phase of actually stocking the shop with product. We start doing this next week. We need to hear requests from people.

The Final Stretch

2010-01-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

Monday works in mysterious ways! The shelving is in, the sink room is almost ready (a three-compartment sink is a legal requirement in Florida if you sell food). Sara has finished with the entrance tiles, and the freezer and fridge are coming Friday. We are placing our first orders with distributors, so we can open February 1st. Still working about that pesky POS thingy and those pirate credit card processing companies. Now I know where used car salesmen go when they die! There is a lot of interest in the shop. People walk in off the street everyday and ask about it. Not much happens in Alachua!

Weekend Warriors

2010-01-16T14:35:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of progress now! The shelving is almost up. We were lucky to buy what is known as gondola shelving (it's what most supermarkets use) at an outrageously cheap price from a liquidation. Keshava and I have become expert at installing it. Today (Saturday) we dragooned Mohini. Boy, can that girl moan...that's why I named her Moan-hini. After a few hours she began to slave away without complaining. I don't know what those kids have to complain about; I promised they would get food and water eventually. There is one tee-shirt that says, "The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves." I think I want to get that tee-shirt.

Have been looking at what we want for a point of sale system (POS). There are a lot of all-singing, all-dancing POS products on the market, from $2500 to $5000. Sure, I would like a great computerized system, but the problem is, every penny we spend on POS is a penny we can't spend on product to stock the shelves. It's like, "Sorry, we don't have any food in our store, but would you like to see our new POS system?"

We are planning to open February 1st...we hope!

Work Continues Still!!!

2010-01-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

Floor is going down. Tile at doorway is done (still needs grouting). Paint and lights. Still have to install three-compartment sink, utility sink, new toilet and hot water (but have the permit). Main floor is halfway in - will be finished today. We'll move in the used shelving from Tuesday, and then mount the bins. The cashiers desk is done (hand-made by Celine) but we don't have a POS system or credit card processing yet. If you think used car salesmen are sharks, try dealing with credit card processing salesmen! I'm driving down to Leesburg today to pick up a used coffee grinder. Have used fridge and freezer (called glass-door merchandisers) lined up for the 19th, but am on the lookout for a better deal. Still need to make a sign. Had hoped to open by the 18th or so, but looks like Feb 1st is more likely.

Trip to Quakertown

2010-01-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

We needed bulk food bins. Now, for some reason, these things are hideously expensive. New, they are $80 and up, excluding accessories, freight and sales tax. We've had quotes for $10,000! So, ever resourceful, found a spice shop in Quakertown PA closing, and made a deal to buy their almost-new bins for $4000. The only catch; Quakertown is between 950 and 1050 miles away, depending on your route. Never one to take a short route when a long one would do, Mohini and I stripped the seats out of the Odyssey van and launched ourselves on the Shenandoah Valley I-77/I-81 route, longer but you avoid Washington DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia, and a lot of tolls. The only catch was it snowed int he mountains, which Mohini loved because she had only seen snow once in 2001 when she was 10. Naturally I didn't have a coat or gloves, so when Moh pelted me with snow I was defenseless. On the way back she made me stop in VA for an afternoon of shiing (and I have a massive bruise on my butt to prove it). Made it home asfe and sound Saturday night after a 12 hour drive from Richmond, a total of 2200 miles round trip. I hope it was worth it. Meanwhile, the floor in the shop has been repaired, new nights have gone in, and painting is going on. More to come!

Shelving

2009-12-15T14:49:00.000-08:00

Went to Orlando with the kids on Sunday to pick up liquidated shelving (30 4 foot sections 6 ft high) plus shopping baskets, signs and a lot of other stuff which I hauled back to Alachua in a 24-foot Budget truck (they're not called Budget for nothing). Believe it or not, the diesel for 195 miles cost us $73! Plus the rental was $118, and I also had to bring the Honda van, so add in another $30 for gas for that. Apparently it is not economical to rent trucks round trip; they are mostly one way. Now all the shelving is stored in the Florida room waiting for us to reno the shop.

Thursday Update

2009-12-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

We have found 800 sq ft of wood flooring for $200. The old lettering has been removed from the windows. Now we have to remove a partition, lay the floor, repair and paint. Then build a counter and set up a POS (point of sale) system. State regs require we have three sinks in the back, so we have to put those in too. Then we have to find some fridge and freezer units with glass doors. Then install used gondola shelving (that is the typical shelving you see in supermarkets - we've found some in Orlando for $30 per six foot section, which is very cheap). Our biggest challenge so far has been finding gravity and scoop bins for the bulk section. We need 16ft of bins. So far, quotes have been up to $9500 for the bins! I mean, they're only plastic bins, people! My God; our whole budget is $10,000. So now, we're looking at alternatives to the usual bins. We are committed to a bulk foods section, but we have to bring the price down. We're thinking of some type of five gallon plastic buckets. We've seen these in some health food stores. Oh yeah, we also need to have a sign made.

Harvest Health & Whole Food

2009-12-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

Harvest Health & Whole Food LLC is a new venture by Jerry and Celine MacDougall. Research shows there are approximately 1450 vegetarians and vegans located in the City of Alachua. The market is worth $2.7 million annually. At present, if they want to shop for healthy organic and whole food and cruelty free options, they either have to go to a local supermarket which has a token organic section, or drive to Gainesville, a minimum round trip of 30 miles. If you live in High Springs, Newberry or Union County, it is even worse. We think a there is room for a helpful, local family-owned outlet in Alachua. We plan to charge the same prices as, or lower than, our competitors in Gainesville and Alachua. We will have 10% discount Thursdays, and will offer a discount loyalty card. There will be one six-foot wide refrigerator for organic milk, cheese, yogurt, drinks, etc., and one six-foot freezer for frozen items. There will be 125 gravity and scoop bulk bins so you can buy commodities like rice, beans and flour by the pound. Spices. Gourmet free-trade organic coffee. Vermont maple syrup. Indian milk sweets. Fresh bread. Herbal medicines. The list goes on and on. Frozen pizzas. Locally prepared items. Our tentative opening date is January 15th. Watch this space!