Beloved Kelowna Produce Store Celebrates 25 Years
Kelowna, BC (PRWEB) June 12, 2017 -- The walls look different, and the store front name is different, but almost everything else about Mike’s Produce is just the same as it has been for the last 25 years formerly as Paul’s Produce: the highest quality hand-picked produce brought to customers by a dedicated team. As the Kelowna food market celebrates its silver anniversary, the new owners are excited to don new branding and a new look that reflects both what Mike’s Produce has always been, and what it will become.
“It feels great to be at this place where we can now make this grocery store our own while maintaining what’s made it a favourite for our customers for so long,” says Mike Gomes. Three years ago, he and his wife, Juanita, bought Mike’s Produce, formerly known as Paul’s Produce.
Mike grew up on an orchard in Osoyoos and when attending college in Kelowna, he had worked for a few months at Paul’s Produce. Years later, while Mike was working as a realtor, he came across Paul’s 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 three years ago.
“We still love it as much as we did three years ago, so with the 25th anniversary now here, it seemed like the perfect time to launch the new name and draw a bit of attention to some of the changes we’ve made,” says Mike.
One of the biggest recent changes is to the store’s aesthetic. Where the food market used to have the look of a traditional '90s grocery store, it now has the feel of an old fashion farmers’ market stand, complete with faux brick walls and a wooden barn roof awning.
“We wanted to give it more of a real market kind of feel—something that speaks to the local farms we get out produce from,” says Juanita. “Our customers have really enjoyed watching the updates happen and we’ve had lots of positive feedback.”
Of course, what’s always kept customers coming to Mike’s Produce (formerly Paul’s Produce) is the high quality of the produce, sorted and inspected by hand, as their tagline states, “where you don’t have to dig for the good stuff.”
In addition to offering only the finest fruits and vegetables, the Gomes’s have expanded the store’s grocery selection to include items such as locally roasted coffee and locally brewed kombucha. They’re also actively growing their producer family to include more organic farmers.
“We’re responding to what we’re hearing from customers, and we’re really trying to be that local shop where you’re going to find everything you want, produce-wise, and always local when in season” says Juanita, adding local fruits and vegetable producers are welcome to visit the website and see if their foods might make a good fit.
ABOUT MIKE’S PRODUCE
For 25 years, Mike’s Produce (formerly Paul’s Produce) has been a one-stop, year-round indoor farmers’ market “where you don’t have to dig for the good stuff.” Thanks to a great team and strong relationships with outstanding producers, Mike’s Produce offers only the highest quality fruits and vegetables. As seasons permit, Mike’s Produce partners with local suppliers in the Okanagan to give customers the finest tastes of home. This local-focused Kelowna grocery store is conveniently located in Guisachan Village Centre.
http://www.mikesproduce.ca
For more information, please contact
Mike Gomes or Juanita Gomes
250-763-3131
mike[at]mikesproduce[dot]ca
http://www.mikesproduce.ca
Mike Gomes, Mike’s Produce, http://www.mikesproduce.ca, +1 (250) 763-3131, [email protected]
Share this article