Don Santa
Owner, Woodlands Market

Don Santa's ancestors arrived in San Francisco from Italy around the turn of the century, and by 1910 they had started a grocery store called the Hyde Street Market which continued to serve the Nob Hill neighborhood for 63 years.

However, during the 1960's, large grocery store chains swept the country and the independent grocers began to fall. Don's father, Larry, and his brother, moved across the Golden Gate to Marin County and opened an automotive repair business instead of continuing the family grocery business. They succeeded for 25 years until they retired in 1983.

After college, Don spent three years working as a stock broker, but was discontent. He wanted to run his own business. It was then that Don found what has become Woodlands Market. He managed to borrow the money to start a new business and eventually was able to convince his father to join him. Even though his father expressed strong doubts about the wisdom of owning a highly-competitive business like a grocery store in this continuing era of national chains, they worked doubly hard to succeed. They spent the first two years without a day off -- working the store by day and remodeling by night.

They soon recruited the rest of the family to work at the store as well and over the years family member employees have included Don's father, mother, three sisters, and his wife. Don's father died unexpectedly in 1990, but he spent the last three years of his life working in a family grocery store just like his ancestors before him.

Today, Woodlands Market continues to be a family owned, independent grocery store; it has overcome the odds through bold thinking, community support programs and the loyalty of its local customers.