2/4/2008 -
rrizzuto@post-journal.comIn the modern American business landscape, it seems to be getting harder to find small businesses which are not only economically viable, but still going as strong as when they began. Lighthouse Point Grocery in Mayville is proudly one of those rare exceptions.
On January 25, the business and its owner Bob Barnes celebrated 40 successful years of serving the public.
''It went by in a heartbeat,'' said Barnes. ''It's scary when you're hiring kids that are grandchildren of people you grew up with.''
That ''scary situation'' is a mathematical destiny when you've owned a small business in the same small community you were born and raised, as is the situation with Barnes.
His grocery store is but a fraction of the size of his larger competitors, but as Barnes will tell you, size isn't where he's been one-upping the competition for years.
Barnes said service and quality are the two things that keep them strong despite the many options for grocery shopping in the area.
''We are open 365 days a year, even with a few hours on Christmas,'' Barnes said. ''When you're a service store you have to be open when people need you, no matter what day it is.''
He also explained how in the small community of Mayville and the surrounding towns, he and his crew know almost everybody who comes in to shop.
''Many of our customers are loyal, having come in from generation to generation,'' Barnes said. ''Knowing the people and talking to them makes all the difference in the world.''
Even though the seasonal residents of Chautauqua Institution come in for only a couple months each year, Barnes said he remembers them and looks forward to seeing them when the snow finally melts. And as one might expect, traffic from the Institution has included several celebrities over the years.
Sandra Day O'Connor, musicians Nick and Aaron Carter, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, television star Melissa Gilbert and Paul Newman are among the ''well-known'' customers Lighthouse Grocery has served over the years.
And Barnes explained that although it is sometimes exciting, the crew plays it cool and never makes a big deal out of the famous people who walk their aisles.
He did say, however, that when Goodell comes through, they joke with him about being in charge of the NFL and give him ''suggestions,'' about what he can do to help the Buffalo Bills out.
Barnes said that when he looks back on 40 years of business, the biggest changes he's seen have been within the shopping and buying habits of the public.
''When we first started, there was a lot more cooking at home,'' Barnes said. ''In the last decade or so, that changed as now there are so many things that keep people preoccupied other than what's to eat.''
He also explained that the frequency with which people shop has changed since he started.
''There was a time years ago when you would go grocery shopping about twice a week,'' Barnes said, ''But now it seems people are shopping for almost every meal.''
He explained that as people change, he has aimed to change along with them while still placing the businesses focus on quality and service.
''The biggest challenge over the years is always the changing times,'' he said. ''You have to feel the customers out and if something is not broken, don't fix it.''
He did say that some periods of time have been easier than others to run a business.
''I think that in the 1970s, it was easiest to make a living. The costs weren't crucial,'' he said. ''In this decade, you have to watch every penny and it's just not as easy.''
One aspect of the store that has been revered by the customers consistently over the years is the meat department.
''It's our biggest asset and makes about 50 percent of sales,'' Barnes said. ''We still buy swinging beef. If someone wants a t-bone steak, they stand at the counter and we cut it fresh.''
The meat department is also well known among area deer hunters. Barnes said that although he's been cleaning deer for most of his life, the service is huge at the store.
''We cleaned 525, no, 527 deer this year,'' Barnes meticulosity recalled.
The owner has always been in the food business, as has most of his family. Prior to working at the grocery store which he would one day own, he was a cook at the Peacock Inn, which was formerly owned by his grandfather.
''I was cooking for a living right out of high school, and thought that I was working too many hours,'' he said. ''Then I came to work here and partnered with the owner's son, and eventually bought him out. Now I'm working all the time.''
In the summers, Barnes is at the store around 5 a.m. to begin baking fresh bread and rolls. And although he arrives slightly later in the winter months, it's safe to say that at some point in the day he will be at Lighthouse Point Grocery working.
With 40 years of ownership under his belt, Barnes is modest about his accomplishments, calling the day of the anniversary ''another day of work.''
But it seems that more often than not, longevity is what defines success when it comes to small, independently owned businesses.
And if you ask Barnes when he is planning on retiring, you'll probably get the questionable response of ''any day now,'' along with a smile and a wink.
But Barnes did say that he's been grooming a young man to step up to the big chair of the business one day soon. But when he retires, will he leave Mayville? Barnes said he doesn't plan on it.
''I might stick my toe in the water of retirement, and give it a try,'' he said. ''But this is home, it's comfortable and you know everybody. I don't much like being around large groups of people. Mayville is home.''
