More of a local community institution than a business, North Saanich’s Deep Cove Market is up for sale.
Owner Rosemary Scott confirmed that she selling the business – listed at $1.785 million – for reasons around family and travel.
“I now have a little granddaughter, who is 11 months old, and I would like to spend a little bit more time with her,” she said.
Scott would also like to do some travelling. “I’m pushing 60 next year, and I want to go to Greece for three weeks and I cannot go to Greece when I’m running this business. I can only go away for a week a year.”
But while Scott looks forward to a change in pace, her decision to put the store on the market did not come easy.
“It’s going to be bittersweet, part of me wants to stay,” she said. “So I’m hopeful that whoever buys the business is happy for me to still come and help them out just for fun.”
Scott said it will be bitter-sweet for her, because she loves the business. “I love being here and I am not one to sit around. I don’t want to be bored. I like to be busy. But it could take a couple of years to sell the store and I want to sort of prepare for the future.”
Scott said she has not yet received any offers, likely because it has only gone onto the market recently.
“It actually, I think, officially went on the commercial listing yesterday,” she said. “They sort of have had a soft opening with it. They had it on the residential listing for the last week, I think. But as of yesterday, it is now live on the commercial listing.”
So what is the sales pitch? “Well, it is a great deal to start with, because the property is included, all the business and all the inventory,” said Scott. “But it is just a fun place to be. It’s exciting. It’s rewarding. I have given so many kids their first jobs. It’s wonderful to be so close to the community, and if you want to be busy, and if you are a foodie, it’s great opportunity.”
Scott’s decision to put the business up for sale falls close to her 15th anniversary of having taking ownership on Feb. 28. The store itself has been operating at its current location since 1942.
“So there is a lot of history here,” said Scott. “But it was a real mess when I first bought it. So I cleaned and made a lot of renovations to it, and now it is just a little, busy place.”
It is also a place for the community to gather, exchange the latest news, and make, if necessary, a statement to the larger world, as it was the case earlier this year, when Scott put up a sign that told the international media reporting on Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, to well, back off.
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News of Scott’s decision to list the business is still filtering through.
“I don’t know how many [customers] are aware,” said Scott. “It’s just new. I’m not sure that they will be happy about it. Hopefully, they will understand.”
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