Ryan Smith has realized his dream.
For those who know Smith and his wife, Kim, as the owners of the Cowichan Bay Liquor Store, that statement may seem strange.
But with a liquor operation now established and their new market, Great Greens Farm Market, entering its fourth month of service, Smith has managed to cross an item off his bucket list.
“Believe it or not, this is something I’ve wanted to do since I was quite young. I wanted to own a liquor store and a grocery store,” Smith said. “I really enjoy retail and I like every aspect of it.”
Great Greens, which opened for business June 1, is the manifestation of the Smith family’s desire to eat healthy and help build the community.
The 5,000-square-foot grocery, at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Koksilah Road midway between Mill Bay and Duncan, sells mainly locally produced food. Of 1,400 items, nearly 900 are Island grown or produced.
“My wife and I are passionate about cooking and providing healthy choices for our family and we like supporting the variety of locally farmed and produced food in the community,” Smith said.
It’s had the added benefit of pushing sales at the liquor outlet, which they opened in 2012. “It does complement the liquor store pretty well. In fact, we have had a bump of about 25 per cent in sales [since opening Great Greens],” he said, adding the liquor store also sells plenty of locally brewed and distilled products.
The market likes to think of itself as a one-stop shop offering produce, meat, dairy, frozen food, grocery and a nursery department. A café and prepared meals are also available.
Smith said their edge over tough competition in the grocery business is the focus on the local grower.
“We are carving out our own little niche. There’s a big trend in people choosing local products over the products being imported and that’s been demonstrated to us since we opened,” he said.
“A lot of people are making choices that make an impact on their local community.”
The Smiths have also felt the impact of a long hot summer, and have been busy every day with locals, Victoria residents and tourists stopping in.
Smith believes the location and the increase in local farmers producing a variety of produce year-round should mean they will still do well in the colder months when there’s less highway traffic.
The Smiths have been in the retail business since 2002, when they opened the first Island Lululemon Athletica location on Johnson Street in Victoria, but these days they have their eyes set on stretching their influence on the Cowichan Bay area.
Smith said they hope to double their staff numbers to about 60 over the next two years while adding new products, though he stressed they will remain focused on locally made items.
