George's Market celebrates with 'never-give-up attitude'
What began in 1961 as a small neighbourhood store called Midway Grocery has grown into George's Market, a full-service greenhouse and grocery store that has supplied people for 65 years. A celebration, which included 65-cent hotdogs, free popcorn and treats, took place on June 1 in the Thunder Bay store's parking lot, where the next chapter of George's Market was unveiled.
The family introduced Snacks & Scoops, a new retro-vintage food trailer from which a classic menu of hard and soft serve ice cream, sundaes, and milkshakes will be served to patrons.
Danny Thompson, George's son, who has been running the business with his wife Charmaine and daughter Graysen, said they know the names of their customers and their families and have even watched their children grow up.
"We have loyal customers whose parents shopped here, whose grandparents shopped here, and now they're coming in with their own little ones," he said. "We're a multigenerational family business serving multiple generations."
Thompson was born exactly three months to the day that Midway Grocery opened its doors, and he said he was quite literally born into the business.
"With borrowed money to put a float in the till and a prayer, George made $120 in first-day sales, which made them feel like millionaires," Thompson said. "The 65 years of doing this have taught me one thing above everything else, tenacity and resilience."
George's Market has outlasted trends, big box competition and a global pandemic over the past six decades.
"The one thing that's constant with us is really constant change; we will adapt and change," he said. "That's been our secret tenacity, with the change and the never-give-up attitude."
Charmaine, who began working at the market when she was 16 years old, said both of their daughters grew up in the family business.
They sacrificed much while growing up by being born into an entrepreneurial family, she said.
"I think most of our family worked here at one point, and they helped build us to where we are today, and I'm really grateful for all of them," Charmaine said.
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Graysen, who has been groomed to one day take over the business, says she couldn't have learned better from anybody else but her parents.
"Some days are amazing, some days are wild, some days are chaos, but I wouldn't trade it for anything else," Graysen said.
Joe Zeman, who has worked at George's Market for 48 years, said he remembers how the family had a vision of opening up George's Market with good produce and service.
"That's what they've tried to do for 48 years, and I was lucky enough to be here with them," Zeman said. "I started with Danny and Charmaine's mom and dad and have stayed here ever since, and they haven't kicked me out the door."
He said what stands out for him is the people they serve, many of whom have become personal friends, with whom he enjoys baseball games or family events.
