Thinking fondly of his first days at the store’s original location on South Tyler Street, Gary M. Gluckman, the founder and owner, recalls, “I was a young, single, long-haired immigrant from South Africa, eager to live the ‘American Dream’. I opened the store with nothing but a big idea, a half dozen used shelves, one home-style freezer and maybe $5,000 in inventory.”
“In ’93, most people had never heard of a salvage grocery store. I literally gave away food to prove its quality to my first skeptical walk-ins. Steadily word of the food’s wholesomeness and the deep discounts spread, and we developed a large and fiercely-loyal customer base.”
