The walls look different, and the store front name is different, but almost everything else about Mike鈥檚 Produce is just the same as it has been for the last 25 years.
Formally Paul鈥檚 Produce, the new owners are excited to don a new look that reflects both what Mike鈥檚 Produce has always been, and what it will become.
鈥淚t feels great to be at this place where we can now make this grocery store our own while maintaining what鈥檚 made it a favourite for our customers for so long,鈥� said owner Mike Gomes. Three years ago, he and his wife Juanita bought Mike鈥檚 Produce.
Mike grew up on an orchard in Osoyoos and when attending college in 麻豆精选, he worked for a few months at Paul鈥檚 Produce. Years later, while Mike was working as a realtor, he came across Paul鈥檚 Produce for sale and decided it was time for a career change.
With a history of farm fresh produce, being a people person, and having a wife who comes from a local orchard family as well, it was easy to know what Mike and his wife would do when the store went up for sale.
鈥淲e still love it as much as we did three years ago so with the 25th anniversary it seemed like the perfect time to launch the new name and draw a bit of attention to some of the changes we鈥檝e made,鈥� said Mike.
One of the biggest recent changes is to the store鈥檚 aesthetic. Where the food market used to have the look of a traditional 90鈥榮 grocery store, it now has the feel of an old fashion farmers鈥� market stand, complete with faux brick walls and a wooden barn roof awning.
鈥淲e wanted to give it more of a real market kind of feel鈥攕omething that speaks to the local farms we get our produce from,鈥� said Juanita. 鈥淥ur customers have really enjoyed watching the updates happen and we鈥檝e had lots of positive feedback.鈥�
