Driving from San Pedro to Redondo Beach today, via Rancho Palos Verdes Estates, I had a great “Market Moment”! First, I had never taken that route before and it turned out to be some of the most breathtaking California coastline that I’ve seen. Second, as I was driving along Palos Verdes Drive W., out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the word market on the side of a 50’s looking building so I made the first u-turn I could find and went back. What I walked into is a truly authentic neighborhood market that has been operated by four generations of the Moore family. Having started in the grocery business in Arizona in 1905, the Moore’s have been in business in Rancho Palos Verdes since 1932. Four generations devoting their entire working careers to serving the community through this market! I love that! That is the American Dream in a way that we don’t see or experience very often in today’s world.

The market was really clean and had everything you might need spur of the moment, like a greeting card, firewood on a cold night or oil for your car. In addition, it had everything you would need to throw a great dinner party, a full service meat department featuring Harris Ranch Beef, fresh and frozen fish, a deli (hot and cold), nice wine selection and a good sized produce department. I don’t know what it is that gives me good feelings when I walk into a store like this, but I think it’s what we lack in the shopping experience of the mega-stores. It’s the owners knowing your name and what your preferences are, it’s the care that goes into the day to day running of the business from an entrepreneurs perspective, it’s knowing that this family’s livelihood comes from serving the community.

I know I can be a bit of a sap, always mentioning the nostalgia of it all when it comes to small markets, but I still think it matters. While I was in the store today, one of the customers said she had been coming there her whole life. The lovely couple who was running the market, and gave me the information about it’s history, said that you’ll find fewer and fewer family owned markets because of cost. I hope the Moore’s stick around for at least four more generations and thrive. They don’t have a web site for me to link to, but you’ll find Moore’s Lunada Bay Market at 2201 Palos Verdes Drive West in Palos Verdes Estates. They did give me a brochure about the business and in it was a quote by John Forte: “Its better to compensate the grocer than the doctor.” I couldn’t agree more. Support your neighborhood market!