This specialty market, which manages to survive in the shadow of the Hannafords next door, isn't resting on its laurels.
It’s about 3 p.m. on Dec. 20, and J.R. Jacobs of Yankee Food Market in Raymond is expecting to wrap Christmas presents the next day. Something muddles her plans - more than 300 holiday orders to fill. When she and her husband, Tom Jacobs, bought the business three years ago, they made a pact to continue the tradition of supplying fresh turkeys, prime rib, and other holiday staples to local customers.Posted by jackhodgson at December 27, 2004 10:05 AM"That’s one thing we really wanted to keep going," Jacobs says. So Dec. 21 brings the first day of winter and a stampede of hungry customers.
The husband-and-wife team is employing a host of strategies to offset the customary post-holiday lull in store traffic.
"The business is fairly seasonal," Jacobs says, adding the Fourth of July and Christmas compete for the title of busiest day at Yankee. Periodically, the couple huddles to review their playbook. The introduction of low carbohydrate items, homemade heat-and-eat entrees, customized gift baskets, and wine tastings result.