This is Not How We Planned on Spending our 25th Anniversary Year
After 25 years in business, and 41 years as a grocer, I would have thought that we had experienced everything that could have possibly impacted a business. This past year has certainly proven me wrong. From the old standbys like employee issues and refrigeration failures that make food retailing so fun, to the impacts of recessions and increasing competition, nothing has impacted how Harvest Market conducts business as much as dealing with COVID-19 has since mid-March. The two major storms in August, power failure and the resulting two-day closure were a mere distraction compared to the daily grind that the pandemic brings.
And yet here we are. Harvest Market is still going strong after 25 years. Our staff of more than 50 continues to excel at what we were doing pre-COVID—providing our community with the most nutritious, sustainable and delicious foods we can find for our more than 2,000 customers each week. This has certainly not been an easy year. It takes far more effort—and expense—to keep our store as safe as possible and minimize the risk of virus transmission to both staff and customers. Thanks to the diligence of all of our staff following the recommended guidelines and taking precautions, we have managed to remain COVID-free.
The response to our efforts has been overwhelmingly positive. Sure, there have been a handful of shoppers who have been less than appreciative of our efforts, but we are heartened by the validation we get from the majority. Dana S. recently wrote to us after her first time in the store, “Customer service is excellent and the management of COVID is the best I’ve seen.” Thank you for your support and cooperation as we work to keep all of us as safe and healthy as possible.
2020 has not been without its high points. We won another Best of Delaware award from Delaware Today Magazine. And, after two years of planning, a complete renovation of our commercial kitchen was completed in October. Our kitchen manager, Megan, and her amazingly talented crew make everything in our open deli case from scratch with the same high-quality ingredients that we sell in our store. Check out our selection. Your taste buds will be glad you did.
As we look forward to 2021, we know that a more normal world without masks and physical distancing will return. It won’t happen right away. Maybe not until the end of the year after the majority of us have been vaccinated. But it will happen. In the meantime, let’s keep looking out for one another. We send our best wishes for the holiday season.
Bob Kleszics
Founder and Co-owner
