By Jian Di Liang
“Our store is family-oriented, and we are dedicated to help customers and serve the best food,” says Kirk Watkins, owner of The Food Mill in Upper Dimond.
“We have been here for 80 years and I would like the store to stay old fashioned while everyone else is moving on. ”
The Food Mill was first opened in 1933 by John Denis. And Kirk Watkins started working part-time at the retail store in 1969 and became the owner of Food Mill in 1993 after Denis died.
Even though the store is small, it is really neat and well organized. The historical room is one of the store features.
Mr. Watkins has loved machines since he was young. He keeps all the machines in the historical room and on each of them, there is a tag describing its name and function. I did not know what a manual book press, meat choppers and other machines were. The machines have historical value and they are the real evidences of industrial progress.
“Having this historical room with all the machines and magazines from the old days help our new customers know the history and the long existence of the store,” Mr. Watkins says proudly.
Another feature of the store is the bulk food. The store pays attention to customers’ health. Foods are organic and fresh.
Mr. Watkins is really considerate. There are free handouts about health on the shelf.
Jian Di Liang (Charlotte) is from China. She is enthusiastic, friendly and outgoing. Meeting new people and traveling are her biggest interests.
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