Diane Young

That’s Variety

As Told by Bobby McMullen to Jeff McMullen

Q: How did you start your store?

A: I started with a snack shop in my house.

Q: What did you sell in your snack shop?

A: I sold donuts, chips, candy, and pop.

Q: How long did you keep your snack shop in your house?

A: Till my wife came home and kicked me out! Then we moved into our shop. Opened it up as a small store. We carried a variety of items- Christmas items, toys, ice cream, and meat.

Q: Where did you move your store and how long were you in this particular spot?

A: In 1975 we built us a new 16’ by 24’ building and moved into it in the fall of November of 1075. We stayed there until the fall of 1978.

Q: Did you have more merchandise, or did you sell canned foods too?

A: I handled more merchandise, grocery items, clothing, traps, and guns.

Q: How did you order your groceries back then, when you ran a smaller business?

A: Case at a time!

Q: Do you have a special whole-sale house you order from?

A: I order from different whole sale houses.

Q: Did you move to a different place?

A: In 1978 we moved to the corporation building where we expanded our grocery line on out to a larger line of groceries.

Q: How long were you in that building?

A: We were in that building for about a year, then we bought out the cannery store merchandise and moved into there building. Now we have a full line of groceries getting into clothing items and variety of everything.

Q: Do you plan on ever getting a larger supply of clothing?
A: Yes, we will have a larger line of clothing as soon as we find room for it.

Q: Did you have any problems buying out the previous owner or any problems with the merchandise?
A: NO!!

Q: How long did you think you would run this store?
A: Till old age catches me!!

Q: What are your store hours?
A: Were open 6 days a week, winter time, 12 to 4 Monday thru Saturday and evenings 6 to 8.

Q: Who did you hire to work for you?
A: Mainly a family operation, unless we get into worries and need help, then we hire local help.

Q: How do you bring your groceries and merchandise over here?
A: Up until now they have been flown in. Were slowly getting them in by barge now!

Q: Do you plan on buying a lager building or are you going to stay here?
A: For now we are planning to stay here. It looks like we will have to build a warehouse in the near future.

Q: How large is this building here?
A: It’s 30’ x 80’ and we have about twice the floor space than what we had in the corporation.

Q: When you first started your business, was there very much merchandise sold?
A: Our business has increased a little every year we have been open.

Q: What made you want to get started?
A: I just wanted something to do at the time! Now it’s grown into a full time job.

Q: Do you have anything to say about your store?
A: We will appreciate all the business we get. We would like to pick more of the trade that goes into town. The more business we have the cheaper we can sell our products. Port Graham’s a bad place to get stuff cheap because the freight is so high to get it in here.

Q: Is there a time when it’s very hard to get your products on the airplane?
A: We have problems getting freight in all the time, but it all works out in the long run.

Bob McMullen working hard in the brush 1

A variety of canned foods 1

Where the Variety Store began

Second Place the Variety Store was located (Bob’s Shop)

Fourth Location (Corporation Building)

Third Location (Debbie's house)

Variety Store at the cannery

Volume 1