Tuesday, February 18, 2025

From Columbia Market to Dan’s Food Market: Celebrating 75 years of service

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LEAVENWORTH – As chains continue to dominate the grocery business, Dan’s Food Market has remained a preferred destination for locals and tourists alike. After 75 years, the market is busier than ever.

While the small market has a lot to offer – local produce and products, quality meats, sweets from Homefires Bakery, the deli’s ready made meal deals – it’s best known for the bond between its employees and the community.

“[It’s a] great staff…Just really friendly. It’s lot of people that worked here for a long time, and

they know everybody in town, so it's got that small town, homey feel,” said customer Mason Schuur.

Schuur has been shopping at Dan’s Market since the 1990s. Nowadays, he regularly comes in on his lunch break for a “Dan-wich,” a custom-made sandwich accompanied by a bag of chips for $6.99. According to Schuur, it’s “fresh every time, well-made, a good price, and it's a healthy option.”

“I think it's important and we will continue to offer a good quality, affordable lunch…I think it's one of my favorite items in the deli, the Dan-Wich, and to get a custom sandwich like that for that price, I think it's awesome,” said co-owner Kat Koncz.

The deli and bakery, tucked behind the main market, have served as a reliable ritual for a number of groups over the years. Each morning, the deli has hot coffee and ready-made burritos and sandwiches for its reliable 5 a.m. crowd. Around 11:30 a.m., high school students congregate in and around the store for a quick and cheap off-campus lunch. 

Before the pandemic, manager Jeremy Radach fondly remembers a group of retired regulars routinely meeting at the checkerboard tables for morning coffee. To Radach, Dan’s regulars are equally as important to the store’s success as are its dedicated employees. 

“To me, it makes it feel even more family oriented than just with co-workers, you know, because that feels like family too. When you get customers that come in, because you know each other's name and there's that connection, I think that goes a long way,” said Radach.

Over the years, Radach has witnessed the toddlers trailing their parents’ shopping carts grow old enough to get ID’ed. A photo of him and his daughter’s softball team hangs on the wall as one of the many Dan’s-sponsored teams. 

“Just having that unique relationship with your customers over time, it's special. It's really special,” said manager Cindy Puckett.

For Puckett, her fondest memories have been helping an elderly woman shop for her groceries and carry them to her car, or dropping groceries off to her neighbor. Over time, Puckett’s been able to pick up on who’s deceased or move away, just by noticing which items aren’t moving off the shelves.

“Tenureship I think really adds to just the store itself. It's a big part of what makes Dan’s what it is, and part of the draw of having the community come here,” said Koncz. “I haven't experienced anything like that coming from Bellingham, which is obviously a bigger town…It's really, I think, unique and special.”

Dedicated staff has been a strength of the market since 1996, when Dan Firth took over and renamed it to Dan’s Food Market, turning it into the local landmark it is today. 

"My employees. They keep the customers coming back. They are the ones who sell the market," Firth told the Echo in 2011. "They are good people and greet most people by name. I would have to hand all the kudos to the employees."

The market that stands today originally opened in the 1950s as Columbia Market. But the market has shapeshifted over the years, taking on different names and housing additional businesses, such as a laundromat and dentist office. Nowadays, the different eras are concealed by the market’s uneven flooring and additional walls.

“It housed a lot of different businesses back from the 60s to the 70s and then on. But it's always been a grocery store too, for as long as I can remember,” said Puckett. “There's still some existing windows behind walls.”

When Firth took ownership, town was slower and items didn’t move off the shelves as quickly. Yet, even with Safeway down the street, the market was still doing well, due to its emphasis on quality service. 

By 2011, Firth sold the market to Eric Worthen, who built upon his predecessor’s legacy. Under Worthen’s leadership, the market underwent key interior improvements and saw expanded offerings, such as the deli and bakery. Yet, his focus remained on fostering a welcoming atmosphere where employees and customers felt valued. 

Worthen took a hands-on approach, chatting with customers in the aisle or helping at the check stand, which made the grocer more accessible. Sports teams could ask for sponsorship, a local business owner could pitch their product, or a customer could request a specific item directly from Worthen. 

When Jonathan and Kat Koncz took over in 2023, they embraced this philosophy, ensuring that Dan’s remained as accessible and community-driven as ever.

“They're both out on the floor all the time, interacting with customers, interacting with employees, and just overall, it's to me, a much fuller experience for everybody,” said Radach.

Aside from minor building repairs, Dan’s has remained primarily the same since 2023. The Konczs have focused on preserving the market’s community-driven charm while also responding to customer requests for new products.

“It keeps improving. I mean, right now, I think we've been finding items that people have wanted for a long time, that we've never been able to really get. It kind of opened a lot of doors, as far as items that we could bring in,” said Radach.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media

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