Making Local Work 2015

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Making Local Work

Help Alaska and buy local The following editorial first appeared in the Ketchikan Daily News: Alaskans want a way out of the state’s current deficit spending situation, and one will be forthcoming; it has to be.

But, in the meantime, there’s something that every Alaskan can do immediately to help the state and the communities — buy local.

Gov. Bill Walker says he intends to begin a “buy local” campaign in the state. It isn’t an original idea, as Walker acknowledges, but it’s one that can be effective in Alaskans supporting Alaskans and Alaska.

Ketchikan periodically pushes “buy local,” often during the Christmas giftbuying-and-giving season. It will come up at other times, too; for example, when the Alaska Permanent Fund checks are distributed by the state to Alaskans annually in October.

The biggest competition for many Alaska businesses is Internet shopping.

Internet-based companies make it easy; it isn’t necessary to go out in the rain, burn automobile fuel, wait in lines or re-

CONTENTS help Alaska and buy local — page 2

Tlingit carver Wayne Price of Haines is seen adding a traditional textured finish to western red cedar planks through a masked formline glass panel waiting to be sandblasted by Haines artist Rob Goldberg during construction on the Walter Soboleff Center.

Alpaca International: Creating business from culture — page 3 Rent hikes force small businesses to move, revamp — page 4 Pet Nanny’s Place: Where four-legged friends frolic — page 5 Rookery/Taqueria: Evolving menu with Alaska flair — page 6

MICHAEL PENN | JUNEAU EMPIRE

ally move more than one’s fingers. To get from store to store is a matter of a few key strokes.

That’s convenience. But, it has its down

El Sombrero: Experiencia de la familia — page 7

sides. First, it burns next to no calories. Second, and more seriously, it sends Alaska’s dollars to support jobs and economies in other states, which undoubtedly they appreciate.

But, it’s our state and our community economies in need of the money. Our communities have bills to pay — public safety, infrastructure such as water and sewer lines, highway and road maintenance, providing utilities. It all costs, and every time we buy local, we support our own services.

Businesses can pay their share for these community necessities, too, when we do business with them.

Certainly, many items are available and are purchased locally. But some items or services simply aren’t available in smaller towns and cities.

But they might be in larger Alaska cities. And, of course, they are in other states.

But making every effort to buy local is like putting savings into our own account instead of into someone else’s. That’s what Alaska needs to do now more than ever.

Rainbow Foods: ‘How Good’ to be organic — page 8 Annie Kaill’s celebrates 40 years of local artistry — page 10 Foodland’s re-opening showcases growth, improvements — page 11

Liquor Barrel • Sandbar • Wingnut Auto Salon • Baranof Westmark Hotel Observatory Bookstore • Wells Fargo Dimond Park Field House • Thibb’s Coffee Subway of Juneau • V’s Cellar Door • Silverbow Bakery & Winebar • Sequence Board Shop • Vintage Fare Cafe • Ron’s Apothocary • Red Dog Saloon • Pie In The Sky • Pavitt’s Health & Fitness • Juno FroYo • Goldbelt Mt. Robert’s Tramway Marie’s Pretties • Papa Murphy’s • Juneau Pizza • AK Fudge Co. ER Home Liquor & Deli • Foggy Mountain Shop CRIB UBS S E R El Sombrero • Domino’s Pizza MPI AU E ting The Broiler • Debbie’s Hair Studio icipa .

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Making Local Work

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Alpaca Intl.: Creating business from culture

By REBECCA SALSMAN FOR THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

Alpaca wool might not be considered a staple wardrobe accessory amongst XtraTuf and Carhartt wearers in Juneau. But one business owner, Zia Boccaccio, is hoping that will soon change.

“When I opened Alpaca International in Juneau, I thought Alpaca needed to be introduced as a staple to Alaskans,” Boccaccio said. “The hollow core of the wool warrants it to be one of the most natural insulating wools on the planet. I thought Alaskan’s would like its insulating properties. Little did I know that I would find myself in the midst of a cruise ship industry.”

Boccaccio opened her Juneau location four seasons ago in the heart of downtown near the Red Dog Saloon. She has multiple locations across the country.

“The most important thing to me is that people know I am Peru-

vian,” Boccaccio said. “I am passionate about my business, my culture and getting involved in the community of Juneau. I do not believe in owning a business and not being a part of what is going on in the city.”

Boccaccio is currently working on a project with the Glory Hole, Juneau’s homeless shelter and soup kitchen. She plans on hosting a high-end fashion show in the winter to raise funds for the Glory Hole. She’s also an active member of Juneau Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and other local groups.

When Boccaccio opened the Juneau store, she intended to keep it running year round. However, she found that after the tourism season was over, business dropped off. After two seasons she made the decision to keep the store open only during tourism season.

MICHAEL PENN | JUNEAU EMPIRE

Zia Boccaccio, owner of Alpaca International, helps a customer at her downtown clothing shop July 9.

“When I do live here, I love it,” Boccaccio said. “It reminds me of

the mountains of Peru. Juneau is a wonderful community. The first

day I stepped foot here it was like coming home.”

Boccaccio places an emphasis on giving her best and ensuring her products are genuine.

“I hate to see unscrupulous merchants who take advantage by mixing (Alpaca wool) with acrylics and displaying false labels,” she said. “As a Peruvian, I see that and it really bothers me. Alpaca mixed with acrylics (doesn’t) have the same quality.”

All of the items at Alpaca International are 100 percent natural Alpaca and are exclusively manufactured in Peru. The items are created by Boccaccio and a design team in Peru, and are then finished by hand.

The Alpaca products range from Alaskan accessories like shawls with Forget Me Not flowers, to their well-known outerwear selection for men and women.

Gloves, hats and other accessories

SEE ALPACA, Page 9

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Making Local Work In this July 1 photo, Keli Faw smiles as she poses for a photo in her shop, Drygoods Design, which she moved from the Ballard section of Seattle, to the Pioneer Square neighborhood.

Elaine Thompson | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rent hikes force businesses to move, revamp

By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG the associated press

NEW YORK — Rising commercial rents in newly trendy areas are forcing some small companies to change not only where they do business, but how they do it.

When Turchin Jewelry’s owners decided to leave Miami’s Design District rather than absorb a rent increase of $18,000 — more than triple what they were currently paying — they couldn’t find affordable retail space. They ended up in a suite in a building near a marina with far less pedestrian traffic. Now, instead of relying on retail customers they are becoming more of a wholesaler, marketing their artisan jewelry to other stores.

“We went from a mom-andpop store to, how can we grow a brand and how long is it going to take,” Theresa Turchin says.

The average annual rent for a 2,000 square-foot store has climbed more than $18,000, or more than 4 percent, nationally since the third quarter of 2011, when rents hit bottom following the recession, according to Reis

Inc., which compiles real estate statistics. In Miami, the rent for a 2,000 square-foot store is up $43,200, or 8 percent, from the third quarter of 2009, when rents bottomed in the city.

As neighborhoods across the country transform from shabby to trendy, rising rents have forced independent retailers and other small businesses to move and in some cases remake their businesses to fit their new locales.

Once they get settled in, owners are left with the concern that the whole cycle could happen all over again if their new neighborhood gentrifies, too.

Priced out of the retail business Turchin Jewelry opened in the Design District in 2007, when the area was known for muggings and purse snatchings. Theresa Turchin and her husband Tommy found space near a popular restaurant that drew affluent people. Their

jewelry, priced from the low hundreds into the thousands of dollars, sold well.

In 2012, luxury stores like Louis Vuitton and Cartier began moving in. When the Turchins’ lease was up for renewal last year, the landlord wanted $18,000 a month; they had been paying $5,000.

“Your rent should be 10 percent of your expenses per month.

We were doing our numbers and it just didn’t make sense,” Theresa Turchin says.

They settled into a suite, not a storefront, five miles away in Miami Beach, paying $3,000 for half their previous space. They knew the new location wouldn’t bring them sales from passers-by, so they decided to become wholesalers. They learned how to appeal to retailers; for example, by creating displays for storeowners to show off the merchandise. They targeted retailers like opticians with a necklace that doubles as an eyeglass holder.

liamsburg, then a run-down neighborhood in New York’s borough of Brooklyn. Commercial rents were about $3 per square foot per year, making the annual rent for the warehouse $90,000, says Steve Hindy, a co-owner of the brewery.

Now Williamsburg is one of the city’s trendiest sections, and rents are at least $30 a square foot — which means a lease signed today would cost more than $900,000.

“The prices are way beyond what any manufacturer could afford to pay,” Hindy says.

Although Brooklyn Brewery has 10 years to go on its lease, it’s already looking for space in other parts of Brooklyn, some of which may also become expensive, Hindy says. This time, the company will protect itself from soaring rents.

“We are insisting on buying any place where we’d build a brewery,” Hindy says.

Advance planning

The rent was going to double to $6,000 a month for Keli Faw’s fabric store in Seattle’s Ballard area.

She operated Drygoods Design in

Brooklyn Brewery found warehouse space in 1990 in Wil-

Deja vu ahead?

the once run-down neighborhood for two years, selling in the back of a coffee shop. She wanted a storefront, but couldn’t afford $3,000 more a month.

Faw found a store six miles away in Pioneer Square. For years the area was known for having homeless people and drug activity. Today, it’s turning around. Restaurants and hotels are opening, and paper producer Weyerhaeuser Inc. is moving its headquarters there.

Because her store is more visible and larger than the Ballard location, Faw’s focus isn’t only selling fabric. At least 50 percent of her merchandise is different; she stocks tote bags and other merchandise that appeal to passing tourists. She turned part of the store into an art gallery. Her rent is 30 percent higher than in Ballard.

Faw’s concerned that when her five-year lease is up, she’ll need to move again because Pioneer Square may attract other merchants who can afford even higher rents.

“We may be contributing to the same thing,” she says.

Making Local Work

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MICHAEL PENN | JUNEAU EMPIRE

Shawna Else, left, Briana Wharton, center, and Elyssa Kelley visit with brothers Sketch and Scout, one-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, at Pet Nanny’s Place on Thursday.

Pet Nanny’s Place: Where four-legged friends go to frolic

By REBECCA SALSMAN FOR THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

Pet Nanny’s Place was started in 1988 as Juneau’s first commercial in-home pet care business. Travelling on an established route, they delivered individualized attention to pet patrons from hamsters to horses. A decade later, the business expanded into southeast Alaska’s first and largest pet lodging facility.

A stay at Pet Nanny’s Place includes healthy meals, toys, bedding, indoor/outdoor runs with heated floors and covered patios, gourmet treats during “yappy hour” and playtime. Overnight guests may also participate in K-9 camp activities for a discounted price.

Feline guests relax in

glass-front, double-decked dens during their stay with individual climbing posts and state-of-the-art air climate control. Cool cats can lap up fresh brewed cat-nip tea, prowl around, or relax in a private Krinkle-Sack.

The facility’s largest cliental comes from vacationing families who need someone to watch over their furry friends while they are out of town. In other instances, owners may be in the process of a move, have allergic company, or have a pet convalescing from veterinary care.

Pet Nanny’s Place is currently offering K-9 Summer Camp. Pet participants unleash their creativity and frolic with other canine

companions. A typical day consists of art projects, contests, snack time, and recess, all designed to safely poop-out a pup! Photos of the fun are posted on their Facebook page.

These pet-care pros’ top priority is to keep pets healthy, happy, and active in a safe, clean environment. Shawna Else, Operations Manager of Pet Nanny’s Place, stated “It’s always wonderful to see the relationship between pets and our team and how it translates to happy cats and dogs, and happy owners.”

Striving to deliver first-class service, Pet Nanny’s Place’s team provides the extra TLC pets and owners crave.

Location: 5450 Bent Court Established: 1988 Phone: (907) 780-5450

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Making Local Work

Rookery/Taqueria: Evolving menu with Alaska flair

By REBECCA SALSMAN FOR THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

The Rookery is well known in Juneau for a being a restaurant that provides quality food and a constantly changing menu. The Taqueria, a new Juneau restaurant, is also under the same ownership and is quickly becoming another local favorite.

“We serve $3 tacos, what’s not to love?” said Travis Smith, one of the owners. “We are trying to do as much as we can from scratch. We serve a variety of enchiladas, tacos and tostadas with a homemade salsa. We also have king crab on the menu. Our goal is to serve fresh food fast. We want people to be

able to walk away with their food in 10 minutes.”

The Rookery co-owners Smith, Beau Schooler and Luke Metcalfe wanted to cater to the locals, as well as tourists, with a prime location downtown. They opened Taqueria in February.

“We originally weren’t sure what our summer menu plans would be,” Smith said. “We acquired the business from a place that had been selling Russian dumplings and tacos. We wanted the locals to like it. So we scraped a seafood idea and kept with the Mexican influence. We kept a lot of the staff and

reorganized the menu to produce larger quantities of food. The menu stayed small so we could focus on a few dishes people would like that could be served quickly.”

The location has some unique dining features like northwest red and white wine on tap. Takeout is available or people can sit down and enjoy the atmosphere.

The owners are also pushing toward taking the Rookery new places.

“We try to be the catalyst for improvement to the food scene in Juneau,” Smith said. “We want to support the community and provide quality. We spend time foraging and

SEE ROOKERY, Page 9

Luke Metcalfe, manager and coowner of the Taqueria, serves customers at their downtown restaurant July 9.

MICHAEL PENN | JUNEAU EMPIRE

Making Local Work

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El Sombrero: Experiencia de la familia

By REBECCA SALSMAN FOR THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

Locals can walk into El Sombrero and hear laughter and friendly voices amid the aroma of homemade enchiladas. Some of the voices have been around since the El Sombrero’s start.

Liz Lehrbach and her brother, Fritz Moser, co-owned El Sombrero from 1994 to 2014. Lehrbach often embraced people with loud conversations, hugs and kisses on the cheek.

Since her move back to Las Vegas the ownership has changed, but the welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere has stayed the same.

When Lehrbach left, Fritz took on Ryan Fagerstrom, his nephew, as the new co-owner of El Sombrero.

“It’s cool to meet everybody,” Ryan

said. “We have established cliental that have been coming here since I was little, some before I was even born. People have come to introduce themselves, which is awesome because I want to know everyone like my Aunt Liz did.

Ryan enjoys the family connection at the restaurant.

“It’s great working with family, I am learning a lot,” he said.

The family business was started in 1979 when Fagerstrom’s grandfather, Papa Juan, daughter Estella, and Clayton Swetland opened the busiMICHAEL PENN | JUNEAU EMPIRE

SEE SOMBRERO, Page 7

Ryan Fagerstrom and Miguel Hidalgo serve up hot dishes at El Sombrero on July 8.

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Making Local Work

Rainbow Foods: ‘How Good’ to be organic

By REBECCA SALSMAN FOR THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

Rainbow Foods, a store many locals know as the “go to” for quality organic products, is upping its quality control by participating in a new program called “How Good.”

David Ottoson, the owner of Rainbow Foods, is excited about participating in the program.

“When our store was started it was little, and we knew the products and the people who sold them,” Ottoson said. “As our company has grown, keeping up with companies has become more complicated and harder to research. Using this program, we can provide information about where products come from and take the guess work out for our customers.”

The program How Good rates products on a scale of 1-4, using indicators such as “Best,” “Great” and “Good” to assist customers. The program How Good looks at over 60 different criteria to rate products

and companies. The company digs deeper than USDA regulations by looking at fair trade, environmental impact, sustainability, how employees are treated and other factors, which combine into an overall rating for the companies How Good researches.

Rainbow Foods started small in 1980 and has expanded to carry the largest selection of organic produce in Southeast Alaska. The company carries over 100 different produce items, as well as refrigerated and dairy products, bulk foods and frozen foods. Rainbow Foods also carries vitamins and herbs along with organic skincare products and a variety of products used in skincare like raw cocoa butter and essential oils. The business can also special order products if a customer cannot find what they are looking for.

Rainbow Foods is a favorite among downtown locals because

MICHAEL PENN | JUNEAU EMPIRE

Rainbow Foods Market and Deli owner David Ottoson puts out fresh organic produce at his downtown store July 9. during the week they offer a healthy lunch alternative. The store’s lunch bar serves pizza, soup, salads, hot entrees and sandwiches every

weekday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It also bakes fresh scones, muffins and cookies during the week.

Ottoson believes in the products

he sells and he shows that to customers by having a 100 percent store guarantee policy. As stated on Rainbow Foods website, if a consumer is not satisfied with a purchase for any reason, the store will replace the product, give store credit or refund the original purchase price with no questions asked.

“People have a high level of trust in the products we sell because we have fairly rigorous standards about what we will and will not sell,” Ottoson said. “ For example, we are trying to phase out anything genetically modified or that has genetically modified ingredients. Products that we still have in the store containing those items are labeled so that customers know. We like to be transparent with the community and to provide the cleanest, most ethically-sourced natural products available.”

Location: 224 Fourth St. Established: 1980 Phone: (907) 586-6476 vv

Making Local Work

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ROOKERY: Continued from Page 6 buying locally as much as we can.”

Smith added: “Right now, as far as I know, we are the only place selling Alaskan-grown pork. We have a lot of seafood on the menu because it is plentiful. We offer reindeer on the menu from outside of Fairbanks and in August we are hoping to serve beef coming from the Anchorage area. We really want to be a benefit to the

SOMBRERO: Continued from Page 7 ness. Papa Juan was an executive chef in Las Vegas before moving to Juneau. He worked at a location that had an El Sombrero Room. Juan brought the menus from his previous work location for inspiration. The restaurant started as Fernando’s Restaurant and was then sold in 1979, when it became El Sombrero.

Ryan loves what his family has done with the business, but he does see some small changes on the horizon.

“We have added some ongoing daily specials,” he said. “We have also started offering some lower priced lunch items. Newer menu items will hopefully be added to our current menu after the summer has ended to spice things up.”

Ryan added: “We are going to give

ABOVE:

Cassandra Suryan walks dogs for the Gastineau Humane Society rain or shine.

RIGHT: Simoné Vetrano works the espresso machine at the Foodland IGA in 2013.

are also sold. All of the products are dyed with the hollow core center of the wool, which results in the colors never fading.

The wool is eco friendly and also animal friendly. Alpaca’s are not killed for their wool, just

the restaurant a little face lift by getting some new flooring, booths, tables, buying local and hiring local. That kind of stuff helps other Juneau businesses” Don’t worry folks; the Enchilada sauce is going to stay the same, along with other menu favorites. Ryan was born and raised in Juneau and wants to keep the tradition running strong with his uncle.

“We want to keep it having a great family atmosphere where people can come in and feel welcome,” he said.

“People bring their kids in to pass something on from when they were little, and we love being an atmosphere where that can happen.

“Thank you to the community for supporting us during our transition,” he added. “If we haven’t met you yet, come on by and introduce yourself.”

Location: 157 S. Franklin Street (downtown) Established: 1979 Phone: (907) 586-6670

Continued from Page 10

NEAU EMPIRE

Continued from Page 3

Location: 111 Seward St (Rookery); 245 Marine Way (Taqueria) Established: Rookery, 2010; Taqueria, 2015 Phone: (907) 463-3013 (Rookery); (907) 789-3474 (Taqueria)

kaill’s:

MELISSA GRIFFITHS; MICHAEL PENN | JU-

ALPACA:

community by sourcing what we can locally.”

Smith invites the community to come check out the Rookery and Taqueria for themselves.

“Come try something new,” he said. “We price reasonably and offer small plates. Our menu is constantly changing and we would like to see even more new faces.”

sheered once a year.

Boccaccio’s shawls are currently being sold at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage because of the recent Peruvian festival held there. She also has won multiple awards including the 2014 Most Successful Peruvian Business Woman in America by the Embassy of Peru.

But Boccaccio isn’t about the awards.

“I do this as a passion, not for the awards. It’s what I love, “ she said. “The awards are a side

result. The main thing is I love what I do and I am lucky to have been rewarded. It is my cultural heritage that has been created into a business and brought into my new country, America.

I want to offer very high quality and timeless pieces to my customers without compromising the essence of Alpaca.”

Location: 210 Admiral Way Established: 2011 Phone: (907) 796-3877

semi-precious gems, vintage buttons, bone, coral, fossilized ivory, used guitar and mandolin strings, and more.

Annie Kaill’s offers great customer

service, shipping, wedding registry and complimentary gift-wrapping.

Goldrich warmly invites people into her shop. “We are open year round, have the most amazing employees and are always happy to see you! Come on in!”

Location: 244 Front Street Established: 1975 Phone: (907) 586-2880

Liquor Barrel • Sandbar • Wingnut Auto Salon • Baranof Westmark Hotel Observatory Bookstore • Wells Fargo Dimond Park Field House • Thibb’s Coffee Subway of Juneau • V’s Cellar Door • Silverbow Bakery & Winebar • Sequence Board Shop • Vintage Fare Cafe • Ron’s Apothocary • Red Dog Saloon • Pie In The Sky • Pavitt’s Health & Fitness • Juno FroYo • Goldbelt Mt. Robert’s Tramway Marie’s Pretties • Papa Murphy’s • Juneau Pizza • AK Fudge Co. Home Liquor & Deli • Foggy Mountain Shop IBER BSCR E SU El Sombrero • Domino’s Pizza MPIR E U A ting The Broiler • Debbie’s Hair Studio rticipa JUNE s. at pa discount ounts or d disc her sales ot als an Coastie Cutters Barber Shop ply. to de with any ay ap you ns m valid titles tio ic ot en str Re card esess. N em BIKO Restaurant • Asiana Gift Shop day.

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Making Local Work

Annie Kaill’s: 40 years of local artistry

By REBECCA SALSMAN FOR THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

When Annie Kaill opened her store in 1975, with an inventory of $1,500, she had no idea of what a great place she had just started. The store began as a showcase of Alaskan and American arts and crafts, and has continued to expand on that vision.

Today, Annie Kaill’s carries everything from artwork by well-known artists to hand crafted jewelry, pottery, and specialty items.

Colleen Goldrich bought Annie Kaill’s in 2013 and wants customers to know that her business is community driven.

“We have a connection to what we sell,” Goldrich said.

“We know the artists and companies whose work we sell. Almost everything in Annie Kaill’s is made by hand in Alaska, in America or is Fair Trade certified. We believe strongly in sup-

porting artists and other small businesses.”

Goldrich said she employs 12 full- and part-time employees in all, and the store is in a position to give back to the community thanks to local patronage.

“We are able to contribute to Juneau non-profit organizations and fundraisers because of the great support the community gives to us by shopping locally,” she said. “ We host at least one event each month, like First Friday, and often have other special events as well.”

One of this month’s special events is a trunk show with Leah Sturgis, a longtime Juneau resident who moved to Washington, D.C. a few years ago. Sturgis creates her jewelry out of natural materials like porcupine quills,

SEE KAILL’S, Page 9

Lindsay Smith, left, and Riley Goldrich deliver finished packages to customer Krisi Selvig at Annie Kaill’s on July 8.

MICHAEL PENN | JUNEAU EMPIRE

Making Local Work

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MICHAEL PENN | JUNEAU EMPIRE

Foodland IGA produce manager Jonathan Cristobal puts out fresh celery July 9. Through four different owners, Cristobal has worked at the downtown grocery store for 26 years.

Foodland’s re-opening showcases growth

By Paula Ann Solis Juneau Empire

When Myers Group CEO Tyler Myers first got the call in 2012 about an Alaskan store available for purchase, his first thought was “Sounds like fun.”

Now, three years later, that fun is in full motion.

Foodland IGA, formerly Alaskan and Proud, will celebrate its grand re-opening Wednesday, July 15, to showcase recently finished renovations. This sevenmonth remodeling project is the start of the Foodland that Myers envisioned from the beginning.

“What you see today is really what we were trying to accomplish when we got there,” Myers said. “We wanted to put together the best store in Juneau. We didn’t try to put together a store we thought we wanted, we put together, hopefully, the needs of the community.”

New additions to the store so

far include an expanded deli selection, an ACE Hardware store, 400 new natural grocery items and a pharmacy department set to open in August.

Mark Graham, Foodland’s director of operations, said everyday at the store he hears at least one customer comment on the new look and feel of the place.

Some customers even call to let him know about their enhanced experience since the renovations.

“Everyone is just excited about the increase in selection,” Graham said. “Downtown really needed a store, and when we took over, that was our focus. We really wanted to imbed ourselves into downtown Juneau, and now that we’re almost done, I think we’ve done that.”

Despite Foodland being the first expansion into Alaska for the Myers Group, Myers said he

hasn’t come across any shipping or buying barriers that might prevent him from stocking shelves how he would like. The produce section, Myers said, is an example of the stores determination to stay ahead of the game.

“The level of produce meat, the level of meat at the deli, our perishables — we’re quite proud of it all,” Myers said. “We said all along we will have the best perishables in all of Juneau.”

Despite having its face and name changed by a Washingtonbased corporation, the feeling of community hasn’t shifted, according to Graham and customers.

Juneauite Kami Clark said she remembers shopping at the store back when it opened as Alaska and Proud. Today, she still knows several of the employees by name and greets them when she passes them by around town. The only thing that’s changed in her opinion is what’s on the shelves.

“Everything is bigger, there’s more variety, more items are in stock all the time,” Clark said, adding that everyone on staff remains personable.

Graham said he estimates 80 to 85 percent of the original staff, some spanning a 30-year work history, are still at Foodland, which adds to the feeling of community. Although originally from Washington, Graham said he already considers some customers to be friends.

However, Myers and Graham know there is still room for improvement. The two said they take customer feedback seriously, whether it’s from a Facebook comment or a reply to the survey found on the bottom of a receipt.

Myers said customers aren’t bashful about stating what they think is missing, and he works quickly to see that necessary changes are made.

Saturday, customers were introduced to the new smoked

meats department. Myers said it will be open for business during all of Foodland’s normal operating hours.

These changes seen at Foodland will soon be replicated up the road in Mendenhall Valley at the recently acquired Super Bear Supermarket. Continuing the growth of Myers Group businesses in the area is part of a bigger plan Myers had when he first arrived three years ago.

“Our intention when coming to any community is that we’re going to be there for a very, very long time,” Myers said. “We don’t stay a few years, sell and get on.

We plan on being part of that community, and we hope that we can make the community proud with what we do. If we’re not doing that, by all means we want to know.”