Osgoode storeowner making his mark
Posted Feb 26, 2010 By Charelle Evelyn
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Tweet ThisEMC Business In the Village of Osgoode, the names Andy and Kathryn Duff generally elicit smiles and proclamations of goodwill.
However, when the Duffs first came to town, that wasn't necessarily the case.
"I think people thought we were changing too much, too fast," said Mr. Duff, co-owner of the community's Foodland.
When Mr. Duff took over as manager of the grocery store in October 2005, he immediately set about making changes, as he was unaccustomed to the half-hardware store setup.
"We were selling paints and stovepipes, which was strange for me," noted Mr. Duff, who had worked with food since he started in the retail grocery business in 1982 as a dairy helper.
By the time the Duffs took over the franchise as owners in September 2007, they had removed the hardware element, added new refrigeration units and brightened up the store.
In fact, during the renovations, Mr. Duff said customers were often just as excited about the new additions as he was and would often come by the store, not to shop but to see how things were coming along.
"It didn't take long for people to realize that we were doing what was necessary to be a nice place to buy groceries," Mr. Duff said.
Coming from Carleton Place, Mr. and Mrs. Duff didn't know much about their new community, having only come through once a year to visit family.
"Osgoode is a weird, little community," he said, referring to the two major roads that bring people past the village, instead of through it.
"We have to create our own excitement because it's very easy to drive by."
Once they became settled, Mr. Duff set about to support his new community in any way he could.
"It has always been a priority for me," he said. "You need to support the community to get support back."
To that end, Mr. Duff is always willing to be a part of local events and he tries to buy much of the store's produce locally.
Among his other contributions to the village, he makes a weekly food donation to the Osgoode Youth Association's dinner and movie night, handles the money for the Lions Club Christmas tree sales and sponsors a free skate during the community's winter carnival.
He also recently presented the Osgoode Emergency Food Cupboard with a cheque for just more than $2,000 that customers donated through the store.
"That's a good feeling," he said. "That's $2,000 they wouldn't have had without us."
With his wife taking care of the paperwork, a good portion of Mr. Duff's day is spent on the floor, communicating with customers. One of the most frequent comments he said he hears is gratitude for doing so much for the community.
Although he sees opportunity for growth in Osgoode and would like to see the community grow a bit more, Mr. Duff said he enjoys the small town feel that allows him to have a more personal touch with his customers, which is why they left Carleton Place despite having a similar franchise opportunity.
"I'm always trying to improve the community," he said. "A good community is good for me."
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