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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
Is there still a place for a small, neighborhood grocery store? Well, I know one Salt Lake City store that has not only survived but flourishes and has gained a great deal of respect and loyalty because of its small size, friendliness and desire to serve.
The Eighth Avenue Meat and Grocery at 378 Eighth Avenue has got to be one of the very last neighborhood grocery stores in the city. It has been in operation for well over 80 years and has been under the leadership and management of the Spencer family since 1922. Bill Spencer, the son of Bud Spencer, now presides over this great little gem located just east of the LDS Hospital. You can usually find Bill behind the meat counter handling the special needs and requests from customers who come from all over the valley.
I became a customer of Bill's and the Eighth Avenue Meat and Grocery many years ago when we moved onto the Avenues. There was a major supermarket just down the street, but I discovered early that my neighbors were touting this little store with the great meat and Bill Spencer. Well, I moved from the Avenues years ago, but still delight in ordering the special bone-in hams and other special cuts from Eighth Avenue.
How does David compete with Goliath? Well, it's no secret. Bill knows his customers by name and takes very good care of them. He selects the finest of produce each morning and makes sure his shelves contain most things a customer needs, granted with a much smaller variety of items. No, you won't find mountains of melons or huge displays of soft drinks. You won't hear piped in elevator music and there isn't an in-house deli or bakery. In fact, there are a lot of things you won't see in Bill Spencer's store that you would find in the giant markets. What you will find is Bill Spencer. That's enough to make Eighth Avenue Meat and Grocery a hot spot for people who want a little bit of yesterday when they start thinking and preparing for tonight's dinner.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
