THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 25, 1995 TAG: 9501240074
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
John Lee's idea of a convenience store goes beyond bread, milk and gas. He wants you to be able to buy T-shirts, pants, kitchen utensils - even, if you need one in a hurry, a tuxedo shirt.
In other words, Benn's Church Food Mart has changed. New owner, new merchandise. And the pool tables are about to be history, too.
Lee, a 40-year-old former sales representative for a clothing manufacturer, added to the inventory shortly after buying the small convenience store at 14526 Benn's Church Blvd. three months ago. He and his wife, Hyung, also 40, are running the small operation themselves.
Despite the increasing number of convenience stores that have opened in Isle of Wight County in recent years, Lee says he's confident his store will carve its own niche in the market because of its unusual inventory.
Before relocating to Hampton Roads, Lee worked as a salesman for a clothing manufacturer based in Miami. By tapping contacts made during his sales career, Lee says he is able to buy and resell a variety of clothing styles at discounted prices.
He plans to continue diversifying the store's inventory. In addition to more clothing, he wants to add basic kitchen utensils and other commonly used household items.
``I want to carry items that will take care of a variety of needs for a variety of people,'' he says.
``We are a small family store, and we want to build a relationship with our customers. If our customers are satisfied with my business, they will come back.''
For example, Lee says he often welcomes truckers by sending them inside for free coffee while he fuels their trucks.
This summer he plans to put a picnic table outside the store, and inside he plans to create a small rest area where customers can relax a few minutes before returning to the road.
So Lee needs more space, and that's the reason he is removing the pool tables. Although they are used regularly, Lee wants to make way for more clothing displays.
After leaving Miami, the Lees lived in Virginia Beach for a year before settling in Smithfield - led there by a desire to raise his family in a peaceful environment ``with a lot of churches,'' Lee says.
``We have lived in big cities, . . . but we did not feel real safe and the economy was not always too good. We were looking for a quiet place to settle and raise our kids.''
The Lees have two children, Daniel, 13, and Lora, 7, who attend Peninsula Christian School in Smithfield. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by ALLISON T. WILLIAMS
John Lee hopes to sell clothes at Benn's Church Food Mart.
by CNB