Sourcing For SF: When Buying Becomes Community Care
November in San Francisco means a lot of different things. Maybe you're planning a potluck Friendsgiving in your studio apartment. Maybe you're having a quiet dinner with your partner and pets. Maybe you're hosting twelve people in a space that barely fits six. Whatever your celebration looks like, I think about all of that when I’m deciding what to bring into our stores for the season. Not the traditional holiday playbook, but what people in this city actually need to create something meaningful around food and gratitude.
When I started my career working on a farm, I was in charge of farm operations, from managing farmers' markets and warehouse production to bottling hard cider and sorting apples and blueberries. You learn how much goes into scaling a product from the ground to the shelf. We even delivered to Luke’s Local, and I was the one who came in to do the apple deliveries. That experience shapes how I think about sourcing now. I know that behind every product is someone who poured that same care and effort into getting it to your table.
This is my first and only grocery job. I grew up working in the service industry, in places like restaurants and construction, where the tasks were very labor-focused. Being a grocery buyer is completely different. From the time I spot a product to when we decide whether it works can be a three-month process. Sometimes that’s frustrating for a guy who likes immediate results, but when a vendor calls and tells me I was their first account, and then I watch their business grow, that makes the longer timeline worth it. Especially when their products become part of your holiday traditions.
I also think about having options for every occasion. Take mustard, for example. We’ll always carry a basic one for when you just need mustard. But we'll also have a specialty one that makes you realize mustard could taste this good. Both serve a purpose. Sometimes you need a functional ingredient, and other times you want something that elevates everything you make.
The longer I'm in the grocery business, the more I realize how much there is to learn, and I've always been curious about how other retailers operate and what we can learn from them. For me, good sourcing starts with listening—not just to what people say they want, but to what they actually buy. During the holidays, that means paying close attention to the ingredients you reach for when you’re trying to make something special.
Ten years ago, I was loading apple crates into a delivery truck, hoping the buyer at Luke's would keep ordering from us. Now I'm the buyer, trying to give other people that same shot at being a part of someone's holiday table. Turns out, community care isn't complicated. You just do right by people, one product at a time.
Some of Paul's Favorites For The Season:
What the Flan - Pumpkin Spice
These little flans are super tasty any time of the year, but when she makes the pumpkin spice flan it’s just amazing! I am not a big pumpkin spice fan at all… Kidding, it is actually a little guilty pleasure but it gets very old as the season goes on because most pumpkin spice is very strong, but Terely does an amazing job of giving you just the right amount of spice. I could eat three of these things in a sitting and not regret a bite. She uses a Cuban flan recipe that she learned from her mother.
Shampa’s Pies
We decided this year to just focus on one pie vendor and as we get their personal pies year round it was a natural fit to choose Margaret’s pies. Our customers and staff love them so much all year round and when we expand the selection for Thanksgiving everyone’s excited to try all the different flavors. They are a great partner because they are thoughtful with their sourcing and buy directly from farms that they’ve been working with for years. One of the products that I’ll be personally taking home is her pumpkin cheesecake! Tangy, silky, not too sweet and spiced just right!
Sicilian Baking Co.
It’s a funny story of how we started to carry these little delights! Angelo actually brought in some of their ready to eat salads which were pretty tasty, but would compete with our Commissary salads. In that process Jason and Angelo got on the subject of his tiramisu and brought in some samples and they were and are amazing! This year they are doing yup, you guessed it a pumpkin tiramisu and a peppermint one. Both are tasty little treats and they are the perfect size to share or not feel guilty about eating one all to yourself.
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