CHUNG and JUDY LEE

Manzanita Grocery & Deli

193 Laneda Ave.

Manzanita

Travelers on U.S. Highway 101 who turn into the little coastal town of Manzanita soon discover what local residents already know – “The Little Apple,” as it’s known, has everything you need. Open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. (503) 368-5362.

What do you do?

“This is a grocery store for a small community but it is a lot more than a grocery store. This is also a deli, an information center and a meeting place. Our deli crew is great and our food is homemade from scratch. We have an old-fashioned style meat case and our meat cutter has over 50 years’ experience. We offer a large variety of cheeses and a lot of people come here for the great wine selection and our large selection of imported and microbrew beers. We also serve as the local video store.”

How did you get started with this business?

“We were living in Beaverton where I had a dry cleaning business and Judy had a restaurant. We came down here 11 years ago with friends who were interested in buying the business, to help them look it over. They decided they didn’t like it but we really did, and since I grew up in the grocery business we decided to give it a shot.”

What is your volume of business?

“We have been pretty lucky and have gotten a lot of local support. There are not a lot of motels in the area, but many people have second homes here. This is a small town that is very family oriented. It has a population of around 500 year-round, with up to 800 in the summer, so most of our business is in the summer. We don’t see a lot of tourists coming in from Highway 101, so our business depends on a lot of repeat customers.”

Are you doing anything special to cope with the recession?

“We pay a lot more attention to the needs of the local people. We all help each other more and give a lot of support in bad times. We learn which families need help. We offer charge accounts and give 10 percent off for seniors. We give support and help with the local food bank and participate in three local fundraising events. We help raise $80,000 to $90,000 for the Rinehart Health Clinic in Wheeler, for example. More people are staying close to home, so I don’t think the poor economy has had much of an impact when it comes to the number of visitors. They just don’t spend as much.”