Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 10-8-19

Feature
Family Grocery Store Gets New Owner And New Look
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
If you haven’t visited Family Meat & Groceries in a while, expect things to look a lot different.
After months of renovation, the spot – which operated for years at 4622 E. Hillsborough Ave. as a drop-in convenience store – now boasts a full line of groceries, a meat department, a fresh produce section, and a full kitchen serving up breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
It’s all part of veteran grocer, Rick Falah’s vision for the store, which he took over in July from a previous owner.
“I take pride in this,” he said. “This is my life, this is how I feed my family.” For more than 30 years, Falah has
operated grocery stores in various spots throughout the county. He’d been looking for yet another location when the venue on Hillsborough be- came available.
Eight full and part-time employees help operate the business. Fresh meat and produce are delivered to the store six days a week. Falah said he empha- sizes delivering excellent customer service to his staff.
“If you see something that’s bad and you wouldn’t sell it to your mother, don’t sell it to a customer,” he said.
Now, he gets to create what he hopes becomes another mecca for the community like his other stores.
The best part is establishing rela- tionships with longtime customers, Falah said.
“I’ve seen the young ladies come in with their kids and watch as their kids grow older,” he said.
Falah said his customers, includ- ing residents who live nearby and those who don’t, with some traveling from as far as Riverview.
The trip is long, but worth it for Lisa Davis, who lives in Seffner.
Davis said the store’s family-ori- ented atmosphere and customer serv- ice are tops with her.
“This is the best place to shop,” she said. “I don’t go anywhere else.”
Falah said he has plans for expan- sion, but isn’t ready to reveal details. In the meantime, he’s focused on mak- ing his customers part of his extended family.
“I’m a family guy,” he said. “I want to see the families.”
Rick Falah and his brother, Chris- tian Falah.
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