Romero and his brother, Pat, run the stores with an eye for premium produce and excellent service. "We treat our customers with honesty," Romero says. "Even if they want to return something after a period of time, we take it back."
This commitment to quality has earned The Fruit Basket a strong reputation and customer loyalty, drawing people from neighboring states for specialty products the Romeros keep stocked in their bodega-style stores. Chili is their signature item; they sell it retail, in up to five-pound bags, and wholesale, supplying many of the area restaurants.
"The chili is made with locally-grown pinto beans and comes from one of the highest quality companies in Las Cruses," Romero explains. In addition to chili, retail and wholesale customers rely on Romero to meet their demand for corn husks, a staple in Southwestern cuisine.
Romero recalls how they got started. He and his brothers had jobs as supermarket produce managers. When an opportunity came to buy an empty 7-Eleven building, Romero recognized his opportunity. "We were still working at the supermarkets," Romero recalls. "We used our paychecks to buy stock."
Profits were lean until they found the chili niche. "An old salesman liked our store and suggested we sell chili. He was retiring and gave us his sources." That was all it took for the business to take off. Now, at 65, Romero is ready to pass the reins and his success to his son-in-law and his teenage son.
We recommend:
Despite taking up a full third of our lives, sleeping habits are largely neglected by medical practi
Amos Knoll is envisioning a new social space that could combat a growing American problem.
A new study published in the journal “Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment” has found that mod
For those with a fear of needles, any insertion of an intravenous device, especially a central line
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
