Don’s Market Offers More Than Groceries
Customer Service is in Front of the Line

Scott and Don Brown of Don’s Market today.

By Ruth Lepper

Don’s Market is more than a convenience store. It offers everything that’s found in a large supermarket, with a little extra thrown in. Don and Scott Brown take time to know their customers and provide the type of service that benefits the customers.

“It’s more than a job, it’s a fun place to be,” Scott said. “We’ve developed a clientele in a fun atmosphere, like ‘Cheers’ (television program). You really know your customers. It’s really a family-oriented business. I think the customers pick up on that.” We look forward to seeing our customers.”

Scott and Don when the store first opened.

Located in the heart of Santa Ysabel where state Routes 78 and 79 meet, Don’s Market is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the week. Don Brown started the store in 1991.

Don was manager of Alpha Beta in Ramona from 1981 to 1991. Prior to that, he was at the Alpha Beta in Poway for 10 years, having been the manager of each store when it first opened. Don and Scott are now co-owners, managing the Santa Ysabel store together.

Scott starts his workday at 4 a.m. and usually goes home around 1 or 2 o’clock.

“I basically make sure our prices and stock are in order,” he said. “What’s neat about it, everybody kind of does everything.”

Don and Scott work closely with their 12 employees, always keeping customer service in the forefront.

“We’re really into customer service,” Don said. “We have a little bit of everything. We carry what the customer wants. I think that’s what’s made us successful, paying more attention to the customers and what they want.”

Don doesn’t spend as much time in the store as Scott, but he keeps up with the business end of running the store.

“I’m here almost every day for a few hours,” he said, adding that he is semi-retired. “I don’t do much. I check on things. I do the books.” I’ve got an idea of how the store should run and Scott runs it that way.”

Scott relies on his father’s background in running a grocery store.

“He has that overall experience,” Scott said. “He can point out what I couldn’t see or somebody else didn’t see.”

While the store carries everything for the weekly shopper as well as for the weekenders going through town, the specialties are the meat and produce sections. Scott boasts that the butcher makes 40 different varieties of cuts of meat.

“Everything is from scratch,” he added. “Stuffed chicken breast, stuffed mushrooms, 10 different kinds of sausage. There are a lot of different things that he creates.”

Don estimates that about one-third of their business comes from tourists or people going to the desert while the rest of the customers are local residents, mostly from Santa Ysabel and Julian.

“I like to look at it as a partnership with the community,” Scott said.

Don and Scott live in Ramona; Don with his wife, Pat, and Scott with his wife, Michelle, and their three children Isaiah, 6, Helena, 3, and Josiah, 1.

And Scott is keeping the business in the family. He often brings Isaiah to work with him on weekends.

“He has his own little apron and name tag,” Scott said. “Hopefully, one day, Isaiah or one of my other kids will take over.” I used to go to work with my dad on Sundays.”

Don’s Market is located at 30250 Highway 78, Santa Ysabel. They are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and can be reached at (760) 765-3272.

Photo by Darrel Kinney

Photo Courtesy of don’s Market