What’s On My Plate

In 1986, I set out to start a tiny store. It was called Healthy Living, but no one could figure out if that meant it was a doctor’s office or WHAT!?!  So, when I finally had a sign made, I called it A STORE CALLED HEALTHY LIVING. That way, people would know it was a store, and hopefully, they’d put it together that I sold food.   I got started with maybe six customers a day (were you one of them?). I had no experience running a business and figured that loving food was enough. Very soon, I discovered that there was a LOT more to it than just the passion for deliciousness.  One thing I did realize early on was that I had a love for people, community, and connection, and I wondered how it might show up at my tiny Healthy Living. When (rarely) someone would be shopping and meet a friend by chance in my cramped space, I’d feel a rush of something. What was it?   I realized that what was as important to me as the food was creating a place where people would feel more than just an opportunity to shop. It would be an event where people felt a happy vibe, met friends, discovered new products, and experienced hospitality where they least expected it: in a grocery store!   Recently, I sat down with my daughter and business partner, Nina, to discuss how hospitality is at the very CORE of Healthy Living. This time, I was the interviewee!

In The Beginning

NINA: I always hear you tell people that when you started Healthy Living, you didn't know much about business, but you knew that if you were good to people, they’d come back. What did you mean by that, and where did that intuition come from? And what were some of the ways you were good to people in the beginning?  KATY: So, it’s true that I knew zero about business. I knew food, but the intricacies of business (finances, staffing, buying, pricing, and so much more) were not in my toolbox.  But people … having fun with them, teaching them, serving them … came naturally to me.  In 1986, I was busy selling products few people understood. Back then, as I always say, “No one knew what tofu was.” I also inherited an interesting mix of products from the previous store: chinese bicycles, brewing supplies, shakti shoes, cuckoo clocks, and more. So when guests wandered into my small, somewhat disorganized store, I took the time to be with them, to talk, and explain, and little by little, people started to trust me.    

Customer Service vs. Hospitality 

NINA: In your words, what was your original vision for the guest experience at Healthy Living? When did you start talking about and learning about the concept of hospitality, and how is it different from Customer Service?  KATY: When I closed up shop in the early days after being there for 10 hours, I’d shut off the lights and stand at the door, alone. I remember saying to myself each night, “I think people want me to be here … so I'm going to come back tomorrow and do it again.”  When I thought about what, exactly, I was doing, I saw that first, I was selling a totally different kind of food and second, I was offering an experience that people liked. I started to meet and befriend people. After staying home for eight years with kids, this felt great!    I didn’t call this “hospitality” until I worked with Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group and learned the difference between hospitality and service. Service is how we deliver the goods to our customers; how meticulously, quickly, and correctly we make it happen. Hospitality is how we make people feel … and that is exactly what I’ve been up to ever since! 

Connecting the Dots

NINA: When we train our staff about hospitality, we talk about "connecting dots." I'd love to hear you explain this concept in your own words and tell us why it's of such high value here at Healthy Living.  KATY: When we “connect dots,” we’re collecting bits of info from a guest as we’re taking them to a product or checking them out at the register—what they like, what they’re making for dinner, how their day’s going—and we connect those things into our conversation. That makes their experience more personal and ours more fun and surprisingly satisfying.  It’s one of those things that makes Healthy Living a “third place” (home is the first, work is the second, and Healthy Living is the third place), a place where people like to be, feel recognized, included, and comfortable. It’s a place that infuses a community with joy! 

Taking Care of Our Community

NINA: I've always heard you talk about how the hospitality we give goes beyond the guests; that we deliver hospitality to our vendors, truck drivers, and staff. Where did those values come from, and what are some of the things that we do for staff and trade partners that make you most proud?  KATY: Yes, we’re here to take care of not only our guests, but everyone who comes through our doors. Our truck drivers, farmers, local producers, vendors, brokers, electricians, and plumbers ... these are the folks who make our business GO, and they’ve given me the opportunity to know, appreciate, and respect a wide range of talented, industrious people.  Behind the scenes at Healthy Living a lot goes on that Guests aren’t aware of. Without truck drivers we wouldn’t have food on the shelves. And a supermarket depends heavily on the skills of highly trained electricians and plumbers to keep the lights on, the coolers cold, and all the systems running smoothly. As for our staff at Healthy Living, what can I say? They’re the energy, the brains, and the creativity that make the vibe here so special. They’re the heroes that I try to take the best care of every day!  

Collective Energy

NINA: You're famous for talking about the "collective energy" of a place and how you want people to feel different/good/joyful/energized when they walk into Healthy Living. Where did you learn that concept, and what do you think contributes to our ability to create that good buzzing energy in our stores day after day?    KATY: Our staff is that collective energy. We hire for hospitality, looking for what we call “51%-ers.” By that, we mean we look for people who come by hospitality naturally. The other 49% of what they do we train for.  We believe that we can’t teach hospitality—you either have it deep inside or not. With that in mind, together our staff of 51%-ers create an energy in our stores that makes things buzz. Everyone from the truck drivers in Receiving, to farmers delivering produce, to our guests, remarks that “something feels different and better here!” 

Creative Vibes

NINA: Something I'm personally really proud of is that we allow our staff to let their unique personalities shine, and I think it adds to the experience in the store. Was this part of your vision for the kind of vibe you were trying to create, or was it more of an organic evolution? How do you think it has affected the guest and staff experience over the years?  KATY: Yes, a “be who you are” vibe permeates what we’re up to. We don’t have a dress code. Our staff is a great, wonderful group of people who are happy to come to work and express themselves in lots of ways.  There’s creativity in how a cashier relates to someone checking out, how a baker decorates a fantastic cake, and how a Category Manager chooses new products. The options and choices are endless because we’re happy we have a “be yourself” attitude about the workplace.   —------------- Hey, Nina, great questions!  Answering them brought me back to those early days when I really knew nothing about the intricacies of business, but what I did know was that I had an innate feeling about people and place and vibe. I’ve been at it for almost 40  years, and it continues to inspire me.   And I’m still learning every day!  Katy 

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