The Good Life Grocery, a beloved San Francisco natural food store on Potrero Hill (since 1974) and in Bernal Heights (since 1991), is entering a new era of leadership! Last year Lester Zeidman retired from the business after 40 years as co-owner. Long-time employee and General Manager Samantha Zuvella has joined Lester’s wife Kayren Hudiburgh as co-owner of the business. Small business ownership transitions can be difficult, yet through a gradual, step-by-step approach The Good Life Grocery made this transition comfortable and seamless for the owners, employees and customers alike.
We interviewed new co-owner Samantha Zuvella about her experience working with The Good Life Grocery and becoming an owner. (You can learn more about Lester Zeidman and his retirement in this article from the Potrero View.)
How long have you worked for The Good Life Grocery? I have worked at GLG for over 18 years. It was my first real job when I was a teenager in high school, besides babysitting. I was excited to work in the neighborhood where I lived and at a job where I could meet new people. I liked the everyday challenges and excitement of the grocery business and there were a lot of opportunities for growth. I wanted to be financially independent and live on my own, and I knew that I had to take on every opportunity to obtain more responsibility so that I could earn a higher hourly pay.
How has your role in the business changed over the years? I was hired in 2004 as a Courtesy Clerk (or “Bagger”) at the Potrero location. From there I become a Cashier, then a File Clerk for Accounts Payable, and then the Store Supervisor. Lester then trained me to become the Accounts Payable Manager for both stores. This role was a great fit with my education from San Francisco State in Business and Accounting, and I took over payroll and monthly financial reconciliations. From there I was promoted to Assistant General Manager at the Bernal Heights store and then Store Manager at the Potrero store, which involved managing both the Grocery and Deli Departments as well as Customer Service. In 2016, I become General Manager, overseeing the management at both locations while keeping all of my financial responsibilities. I became a minority owner/partner of the business in 2021 and 50% owner/partner in 2022. I continue to work as The Good Life Grocery’s General Manager and CFO.
What inspired you to want to be an owner of the business and when did you start to consider it? In 2013, I almost left the business to work for a much larger organization that was offering me higher pay and lifetime benefits. As much as I loved working at Good Life, I didn’t see the future in it for me at the time. I gave Kayren and Lester my resignation notice and told them I would be leaving in a few months. Their reaction to me wanting to leave made me reconsider, and I started looking at GLG as my lifelong career rather than a first job.
Since then I knew I wanted to become the owner of the business one day and I have worked towards that goal ever since. Kayren and Lester made it clear that they wanted the business to live on well past them. We started talking about how that could happen. I have also cared deeply about the employees that I work with every day. I knew that if I could become an owner, I could give others some of the opportunities that Kayren and Lester gave me. I could help employees become financially secure, feel connected to the business, and proud of themselves and their accomplishments.
Since becoming an owner, have your thoughts or intentions about small business ownership changed? No, because I’ve actually been thinking like an owner for several years. I have worked closely with Lester and Kayren to manage the business and I’ve seen the challenges that small business owners face. I have been fully committed to this job and the success of the company for many years prior to becoming an owner.
Ownership transitions can be a stressful time for any small business and a lot to figure out. What do you think made this transition successful? There is so much trust, respect, and patience between the three of us. Also, we’ve all had the same goal – for The Good Life to continue to thrive as a successful business for many years to come, bringing the community together with good food and good people. Becoming an owner was a business transaction but it felt personal and emotional. I’ve felt like I am making Kayren and Lester proud. I am honored to have their trust and to have been given this opportunity Also, Paul Terry was a major help with the ownership transition, too. He facilitated necessary meetings, kept records of agreements and kept us on track with deadlines and working towards our goal. Without Paul’s hard work and help keeping the wheels turning on this transition, it may not have happened! Ultimately, it was the combination of a solid relationship and the attention to all the details that made this transition a success.
How did the pandemic affect the business? The pandemic brought positive light to grocery stores as essential businesses and our customers were very appreciative that we were there for them every day without fail during some really scary times. The pandemic also brought us waves of employment applications and qualified candidates wanting lots of responsibilities. Supply chain issues are really what affected us the most. We weren’t able to get our everyday products easily so our buyers worked extra hard to find other options from other suppliers to keep food staples on the shelves for our customers.
On a personal level, how do you manage through these challenging times? I try to take it day by day when the job feels overwhelming. I have always been a person that likes a challenge. It is overcoming those challenges that is most rewarding. The feeling of getting through it, working with a team to find resolution, and then finally accomplishing the goal are worth all of it. I am a goal setter, and though it may take me longer than expected to accomplish the goal, one day, I know I will get there. Other than my family (I am married with two kids under 5 years old) and my close relationships, overcoming challenges at GLG is what brings me joy.
What should people know about managing a grocery store that you think they don’t? There are a million different pieces to the puzzle and sometimes the pieces change sizes. We are constantly trying to figure out how to rearrange the puzzle to keep it complete. Having a strong team and the ability to be flexible is extremely important. Every day there is something new. Our employees are our biggest asset. Investing in them helps them feel connected and committed to the business. Many employees may never see grocery as a career opportunity but there are some who find out along the way that this is their passion and they want to learn it all.
How is business doing now? The Good Life Grocery isn’t going anywhere! We are working hard to offer our customers the best shopping experience. We are proud to say that we will soon be offering online shopping options with pick-up or delivery service. I want our customers to know that we will go the extra mile to find the product they are looking for. If it is not in our stores, we can special order it. We welcome feedback and we encourage customers to request items that they would like to buy in our stores. Most customers don’t know that we also do special order catering. We can do anything from a pasta dinner for 100 people, to a beautiful charcuterie board cheese platter for the holiday table.
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