By Doug Hare EBS STAFF WRITER
During
summers as a teenager in Telluride, Colorado, Josh Treasure worked alongside
his father Kurt at a store called the Market that was partially-owned by Mike
and Roxy Lawler. A Utah native, Treasure returned to his home state to study
finance in college and after graduation, he went to work flipping homes with
his father, who was partially retired and considering full retirement.
Treasure
also began running an in-home personal training business after passing the NASM
certification. At the time, Mike and Roxy had begun building a store in Big Sky
and reached out to Josh and his dad for help. The Treasures quickly fell for
the Montana ski town, and with Utah becoming overdeveloped with over 3 million
people through the Wasatch front, decided to make Big Sky home.
When
Roxy’s Market first opened, Kurt was the general manager, his mother helped in
the deli and meat department, and he managed the produce department combining
his passion for business, fitness and nutrition. In the fall of 2017 when his
dad retired to focus on his health and overall well-being, Josh took the reins
as manager. Currently, Roxy’s employs 20 year-round full-time employees, 19
part-time year-round employees and hires an additional 15-20 seasonal employees
during busier times.
Explore Big Sky: What has been the key to your success?
Josh
Treasure: Mike
and Roxy Lawler have been more than mentors to not only myself but the staff
members. We are a Roxy’s family; we work together and stick together. When we
opened we worked side by side, taking the garbage out, sweeping the floors and
still continue to talk multiple times a day exploring different avenues to
improve our business. Mike and Roxy strongly believe in taking care of their
staff and family.
My father was in the
grocery industry for over 40 years. He taught me how to butcher and manage a
meat department in Telluride, manage a produce department in Big Sky and
eventually taught me the grocery department before retiring. Mike Lawler is a
mastermind of business and finances and teaches me new skills everyday. Roxy is
amazing at product selection and dealing with people to create relationships
with businesses and communities. She also teaches me new skills everyday. I
have had wise and seasoned mentors guide me to get where I am.
EBS: Do you remember your first customer?
J.T.: Yes, the first
customer that sticks out when we first opened was Paul Cronin. He was an older
man dressed in overalls full of punchline jokes and stories of Big Sky. He
invited Caitlin and I over for dinner one evening which kindled a great
relationship.
EBS: What are the biggest obstacles to
operating a grocery store in Big Sky?
J.T.: Housing is an issue in
all of Big Sky which also has an impact on us. Our biggest obstacle is shoulder
season, but not due to lack of business. It is due to the general demographic
change in summer and winter causing us to reevaluate product selection and do
store resets. Fresh produce in the winter is an issue due to the cold
temperatures. We see product come in frozen at times and have to send it to YES
COMPOST to be broken down into fertilizer. Lastly, keeping costs affordable for
the customer. We are working hard to find a solution but have high operating
costs and are seeing an increase in our cost from distributors nationwide.
EBS: How has the business landscape changed
since you started out?
J.T.: More businesses and
more people. It’s very exciting to see more businesses creating more options
for visitors. It seems we have been discovered and more people from all over
the world are visiting Big Sky allowing for great conversations with customers.
EBS: How well are you able to predict the ebb
and flow of seasonal traffic in a Big Sky?
J.T.: I don’t have a crystal
ball but I do yearly predictions and was nearly on point for all our goals and
predictions in 2018. At the rate we are going my predictions will be correct
for 2019 as well.
EBS: What is one of the most memorable
moments you have had as a resident/business owner in Big Sky?
J.T.: [As a resident,]Tuesday night bike rides. This is
where I met most of the current friends I have when I moved here six years ago
including Phil Hess, Mason Young (aka: salty-long time locals will get this),
Darrel from GAS, Matt Jennings and that group of guys.
[As a business
proprietor,] I have had numerous parents approach me and thank me for giving
their sons or daughters an opportunity to work at Roxy’s Market. Not only do we
employ them but we as managers try to give them steps they can use to later be
successful in life. As mentioned previously, I was mentored and I take great pride
in mentoring others to see them succeed. Great teams make great businesses.
EBS: What was a business idea that didn’t
work?
J.T.: We decided to put a
bulk mochi ice cream freezer near our registers. The product was great but we
already sold it in retail packs, and we found out customers preferred this.
Customers who used the bulk section seemed to always drop some, leaving it on
the floor causing a mess near the registers.
EBS: What’s the best piece of business advice
you’ve received?
J.T.: “Sleep on it” meaning
that if you are ever upset, frustrated or dwelling on something that isn’t in
your control at 11 p.m. just get a good night’s rest and reevaluate the
situation in the morning.
EBS: What advice would you give to small
business owners just starting out in Big Sky?
J.T.: First off, never forget
that the customer always comes
first—they are paying your bills. Have capital on hand, make sure you are
getting into a space you can currently afford for at least three years. Run
slim on labor to find out who your true ‘troopers’ are while getting an idea of
what revenue your business will have and not sacrificing good customer service.
Never evaluate your numbers until after the first year and when you evaluate be
extremely detailed and realistic for future predictions to make adjustments as
needed.
EBS: Where do you see your business in 10
years?
J.T.: As an entire business,
we will continue to grow. Mike and Roxy Lawler always say they are ready to
settle down and retire but it is in their blood. As a Big Sky business, I want
to capture the entire local and tourist audience, be a leader in sustainable
and environmental practices (becoming plastic free which is an option we are
finding is feasible within ten years), and be heavily involved with community
events.
Regarding the store, I personally would love to see a
second story added with a deli and seating/lounge area for customers. We will
likely have our same management team and continue to improve every aspect of
our business as we do every year.
