The next generation of owners, like the first, is a tale of friendship and hard work. In 1969, Ed's son Kevin joined the business, starting out as a clean-up kid in the meat department. In 1983, Danny Johnson walked into Taylor's, looking for work as a butcher. He was 19 years old, and Ed hired him on the spot. "I knew he would fit right in with our family. He was a darn good butcher, too."
Danny and Kevin became fast friends. Danny ran the meat department and Kevin handled groceries. As they stocked the shelves, they tossed ideas back and forth. Where could they get the best local produce? What specialty items did their customers want? How could they make their service even better? Ed and Roy liked what they saw, and gave them more leeway to make decisions about the future of the market.
In 1987, Roy retired, and sold his share of the market to Ed, Kevin and Danny. The partners closed the store for four days in 1988, and completely remodeled. When the market re-opened, customers were treated to beautiful displays of specialty items, local produce, fine wines, and of course, the best meats and seafood in town.
 In 1988, Aki Kushida and his son, Bruce, brought their fresh local produce to Taylor's, delighting customers who had patronized Aki's produce stand on Fair Oaks Boulevard. Aki retired in the mid 1990s, and Bruce continues to manage the produce department.
The tradition of family and friends includes employees, many of whom have worked for Taylor's for years. Dave Hunter, the store manager, was 17 when he first began working at Taylor's in 1990. Brian McNeil, who handles Taylor's Internet sales, displays, and gift baskets, first began in 1999. Jimmy Skellenger has been with the market for 15 years and is a meat department manager. Paul Carras grew up in the neighborhood and started at Taylor's when he was 15 as a clean-up kid. Eleven years later, he is also a meat department manager.
In early 2007 the Schells retired and Danny Johnson and his wife, Kathy, took over the helm.
Danny and Kathy have a long history with Taylor's. Kathy has been the market's bookkeeper since 1991, and the couple has been married for 23 years. They feel strongly about keeping the market's focus on quality, service and unique specialty items. After 44 years, Taylor's is still all about service: special-ordering items for customers, carrying bags to customer's cars, home delivery to seniors, and much more.
"We know our customers... their names, their faces, and how they like their meat trimmed." says Danny Johnson. "They know us, too," he adds. "And thats how it's going to stay.". |
