Great food, people at LaSalle stand (con't)
But they decided to take up the stand only after Paco lost his factory job seven years ago when the Windsor plant he worked at closed.
Mona, who also worked in a factory, lost her job last year. The couple are from Lebanon and came to Canada in 1990. Realizing how uncertain factory work is they decided to start a produce stand in front of their house and farm at 2637 Front Rd. “I didn’t want to work in factory anymore because I see what happened to me,” he said. So he borrowed some money “from my brother from overseas” and started the business. The stand also sells a huge array of flowers and virtually any type of local produce including tomatoes, asparagus, cucumbers, peppers, onions, corn, root crops and of course fresh fruit. Paco says “eighty per cent” of the goods come from Essex County, mostly Leamington, though he also brings food in from as far away as Toronto. When he started out he didn’t know anything about the food business. But after he and Mona decided this would be their new life they set out to learn all about it. Now, he says, he has connections with growers throughout southwestern Ontario. When Paco is on the road Mona holds fort at the stand. The couple are known for making sure customers have quality produce at a fair price, even occasionally adding one or two items to a bag at no additional charge. With such service and high visibility you might think their stand gets at least 100 customers a day. “No, no,” Paco laughs. “I wish.” They sell year-round, closing the stand only during the coldest weather and then selling from a barn in the back. Their working hours basically are from 4 am to 9 or 10 at night. To what does he attribute his produce quality? It’s a no brainer. “You have to have quality if you want to open business.” WindsorOntarioNews.com
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