Dear Customer,
As some of you know I’ve decided it’s time for me to sell the store. It will be 10 years on March 17th. It is time to move on.

But that doesn’t mean this isn’t weird and a little sad- for all of us, me, you, the employees,maybe even some of our vendors. OK it is definitely sad for me. I remember Tim and I driving to Philly in December of 2006 and we stopped at the gas station in Krumsville (I can say that now since it’s been flattened for the new 78 interchange). I’d forgotten breakfast and was starving and so I bought a little pre-made turkey sandwich. It was horrible, uneatable, flabby, soggy and veggie-less. “I can make a better sandwich than this in my sleep, why can’t you get a decent sandwich in the Kempton area?” I mused… and somehow The Wanamakers General Store I’d worked in for two and half years while we dated came up. “I wonder if it is still for sale?” asked my husband. We called the former owners and within two weeks we’d hammered out a deal.

Over the next year we ripped up carpet, scraped paint and taste tested ice cream. We bulked pallet after pallet of grocery staples and lost sleep. Our three little boys (ages 4, 5 and 6) and numerous generous folks helped and encouraged us. Gas was almost $4.00 a gallon- I was thrilled to be offering the community a place with ripe avocados and good coffee with a round trip distance of a few miles instead of the 20-30 miles locals must drive to get to and from a conventional grocery store.

We opened Monday March 17th, 2008 (our oldest boy’s 8th birthday). I had two employees, Lisa and Lelayna, we didn’t know to write orders down, of the three of us Lala was the only one who’d ever made a wrap before. Needless to say at the end of the day I collapsed and cried and told Tim I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t pull this off. Then I woke up and did it again. I think we made maybe 30 sandwiches that day. For perspective today, on a busy weekend, we make 180 sandwiches, on a regular weekday, 80…

Since then I’ve had 39 employees, 5 sandwich prep tables and produced an estimated 24,850 sandwiches. Now it is time for me to hand it over, and I can’t think of a better person than Kyra.

If you are a regular you already know this is good news! Kyra has been an employee, then manager, then co-owner for 9 of my 10 years. She’s been here through power outages, refrigeration disasters, three renovation projects and about 4 missing dogs (people just show up with them). She’s rung you up and made you food and heard about your day almost as long as I have. With her capable leadership and impeccable taste I can’t wait to be her most loyal customer!

Love,
Arian