Store Hopes to Go Over Big With Gourmets
By David Irvin, Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.
Feb. 14–From jalapeno pepper jelly to Napa Valley marinades, Dominic’s Fine Foods has a wide assortment of specialty products and services.
Eighty-employees strong, Dominic’s opened Monday just east of the intersection of Vaughn and Pike roads, a site chosen because of the rapid development of Montgomery’s east side.
Shoppers can snack on gourmet carrots at the deli or have their steak grilled while checking out the wine aisle.
“We felt the community would benefit from some of the different services we are used to in a larger metropolitan city,” said co-owner Anthony Dominic Jr., who came from Mesa, Ariz., and is also an anesthesiologist at Baptist Medical Center South.
The doctor and his father, Anthony Dominic Sr., hatched the idea in Arizona, where they shopped frequently at a store managed by veteran butcher Ed Rodriguez.
Before he took the post at the hospital, Dominic spoke with Rodriguez about opening a specialty food store. The three men stayed in contact and came up with a business model for Dominic’s Fine Foods.
The store’s niche, the owners believe, is their customer service and ability to cook and deliver gourmet foods to their clientele.
The menu shows a wide assortment of foods for pick-up — among them paninis, salads, clubs and wraps.
“I think this will go over pretty good,” said Walter Pierce, a retired police officer who lives near Taylor Road and was shopping at Dominic’s on Monday. “I like the way it is laid out.”
In the center of the store, shoppers have 1,000 wine selections, many usually found only in restaurants. In the back, a large meat cooler is stocked with specially prepared chicken and beef and another case is filled with fresh seafood.
The entire building — which includes the Dominic’s space and several other retail areas — cost about $8 million.
The first two tenants are a Crockmier’s restaurant and an ABC Store.
The partners plan to develop every part of the business aggressively. Rather than having a catering branch of the business, for instance, the owners want to create a Dominic’s catering company within the next decade.
“We’ve been approached by different people to franchise and this is our first store,” Dominic said. “Even when we just had blueprints, they were asking. Finally, we just said, the reason why this company will be successful is because the owners are in the building.”
Dominic’s Fine Foods is open from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
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