Friday, July 13, 2018 Page 13
MANOTICK MESSENGER
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Community draws McDonoughs to Manotick Frank McDonough looks around his new store and has a flashback. “I remember when this store was converted from a Loeb IGA to a Your Independent Grocer,” said the new co-owner of the grocery store in the Manotick Mews. “It must have been about 20 years ago. I was doing the conversions of the Loeb stores into Your Independent Grocer stores. I did the renovation for this store.” McDonough, like the store’s longtime owner and his former colleague Jamie Robinson, grew up in the grocery business. “I started working in my father’s store when I was eight,” said McDonough. “I was cleaning the washrooms and sorting out pop bottles. His store was at Bank and Heron, where the Shoppers Drug Mart is now.” That is not the only connection that McDonough has with Robinson. Their fathers were among the original Your Independent Grocer franchise owners. McDonough grew up working for his father, and then spent time as the dairy manager at the Bayshore store, working on the transition renovation team, and then as the store manager at Brown’s Your Independent Grocer in Stittsville. He and his wife, Andrea, also spent time in Kitchener, where Frank was working for Valumart, another Loblaw company. Frank and Andrea took over as owners of the Manotick store last month. They moved to the Manotick store from the Billing Bridge Your Independent Grocer. “There is such a different feel to this store,” McDonough said. “It’s a real community store. There are always conversations going on between friends in the aisles. We didn’t have
that at Billings because the customer-base was so transient, and everyone always seemed to be in a rush to catch a bus.” On Canada Day, Frank and Andrea made it a true family business, putting their three children to work handing out free ice cream cones to customers coming in from the hot weather. “We are meeting people every day,” said Andrea, who was an elementary school teacher before transitioning her career to join her husband in the grocery business. “The store is a real meeting place in the community.” Being a part of the community is something Andrea is focusing on. “It will take a while and we understand that, but we want to be involved in the community,” she said. “Being a part of the community is one of the things that drew us to Manotick and to this store.” One of the things that impressed the McDonoughs was the relationships the staff have with the customers. “You only get this in a community store,” said Frank. “The staff are part of the community, and they have friendships and relationships with the customers. For example, a customer will come into the meat department and the meat manager will know exactly what they want and the cut they are looking for. You
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Frank and Andrea McDonough are the new owners of the Your Independent Grocer in Manotick.
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Jeff Morris photo
don’t get those kind of relationships in the city stores.” With a staff of more than 130, the McDonoughs immediately became Manotick’s largest employers when they bought the store. “The staff has definitely made the transition easier for us,” Frank said. “There is a lot of continuity, and Jamie’s brother and sister are still here, too.” The McDonoughs are still working on a plan to make some subtle changes and upgrades to the store. While they are looking for ways to improve the instore shopping experience, their industry is changing. On Wednesday of last week, they completed their first online order. “We see this as some-
thing that is going to grow,” Frank said. “People with families are busy, and the convenience of online orders is important. Some do their entire orders online, and some do just their dry goods because they like to come in for the produce and meat. Either way, it’s something we are ready for as it gains in popularity.” So whether you are picking up an online order or coming in to do your shopping the old fashioned way, be sure to say hi to Frank and Andrea McDonough. They may not have an ice cream cone to give you, but you will get a welcoming smile and a handshake.
Scott.Moffatt@Ottawa.ca | (613) 580-2491 RideauGoulbourn.ca | @RideauGoulbourn
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