Ronnie Singh hopes to change the way people think about convenience stores.
Singh and his wife, Michelle, opened Kent Mini Mart, 402 W. Meeker St., about six months ago. The store had previously been Butchie’s Mini Mart.
With nearly 17 years in the convenience store business, Singh decided to purchase the store after seeing it was for sale. The Singhs live in Federal Way and own a gas station/convenience store in Puyallup, but Ronnie Singh said he has always wanted to open a business in Kent.
“I used to live in Kent a long time ago,” he said. “I used to manage a 7-Eleven at that time. … We saw it as a good area. It is a good spot to open a business.”
Singh hopes to make Kent Mini Mart a neighborhood grocery store that serves the downtown area.
“I am trying to build this grocery store as my customers like it, around the neighborhood,” he said.
Kent Mini Mart sells soft drinks and snack food that are typically found in a convenience store, but also offers health drinks, micro beers and wine.
The store carries a selection of frozen organic meats and plans to offer produce.
While the store is not an ethnic grocer, it does carry a variety of international products.
Singh tries to support small businesses, so he sells locally made sandwiches and naan, Indian flatbread.
He plans to create a spice wall in his store and educate customers about the health benefits of spices.
“I just want to let people know there are small, small things, benefits of turmeric, cardamon and anise leaves,” he said.
Growing up in a small Indian village, Singh learned about spices from his family.
“Knowledge is meant to be shared, and I want to share that knowledge with people,” he said.
In order to succeed, Singh said he takes customer feedback seriously and caters to his clientele.
“Big stores have taken so much,” he said. “Convenience stores have lost it because they are not carrying the right kind of products. They don’t do a survey. They don’t ask their customers.”
Kent Mini Mart is open 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the weekends. Singh said he plans to extend the hours to be opened until 10 p.m. during the summer.
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