Tags
Calgary, community, customer service, Diana Schwenk, Hump Day Chronicles, Kalamata, pricing, Supporting local business
Kalamata’s on 11th Street and 15th Avenue SW, Calgary Alberta
I’m a big believer in supporting local businesses and I am extremely loyal to businesses that treat me well and have quality products at decent prices.
One of my favourite local businesses is a family run grocery/convenience store called Kalamata’s.
Every time I go there, there’s a snake-like line-up of customers; often coiling through their impossibly small aisles.
At the same time, they are forever carrying in new inventory squeezing past the line – yes it goes off the shelves that fast – from crates of supplies stacked on pallets on the sidewalk. Their food is mouth-watering in the old traditions of Greece, especially their olives!
Somehow they manage the line of customers quickly, seemingly knowing the price of everything by heart. As an extra personal touch, I’ve seen them give kids a free treat when their parents are paying for their groceries; it reminds me of the good old days when I was a kid.
The building is not attractive. It doesn’t have the sleek modern lines of other grocery stores. Their employees are down-to-earth real people. And Kalamata’s has been voted the best Corner Store for over 15 years by Fast Forward. They don’t do any marketing as far as I know, I personally learned about them from word-of-mouth.
Their pricing is unbelievable – they have the best prices in town, often beating out large grocery chains. In a world that is largely concerned with making the biggest profit possible, Kalamata’s stands out as a business with fair prices and great customer service. They may not make as much money per item as other businesses, but my guess is that their bottom line blows the competition out of the water – a phenomenon I now call the Kalamata Effect.
~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~
Do you have a favourite local business that you support?
