In 1986, Marin native Don Santa, his parents and three sisters returned to their family’s roots in the grocery business by opening a charming, family-run market in Kentfield, located in the beautiful Ross Valley area. The Santa Family’s mission was to provide its customers with high-quality products, top-notch service and a level of care and interest normally exclusive between members of family. This tradition carries on, and over the years, Woodlands Market has also been recognized locally and nationally for being an industry innovator by focusing on natural and sustainable products, supporting local suppliers, and by keeping its steadfast commitment and involvement with surrounding communities alive.
To its customers, Woodlands has always been a community meeting place, a place to make food discoveries and one to receive service not offered by other grocery store chains. Woodlands Market customers also understand the value of Woodlands’ contributions to local non-profit organizations, particularly those supporting education and schools—a portion of its revenues that grocery stores traditionally spend on advertising.
Woodlands Market is as much a product of Marin as the morning fog that gently rolls down the sides of Mt. Tam. That its sense of gratitude toward Marin is not unrequited gives Woodlands employees and owners a deep sense of fulfillment, pleasure and an obligation it will never betray.
Since opening its first store, Woodlands has humbly grown to Woodlands Stores, Inc., expanding to include Woodlands Foundation (supporting schools and education), an additional Woodlands full-service market at the Boardwalk shopping center in Tiburon and San Francisco Store in the Lumina Tower which includes Woodlands Pet Shop.
However, during the 1960s, large grocery store chains swept the country and independent, neighborhood grocers began to disappear. Larry Santa (father of Woodlands Market founder, Don Santa) and his brother moved across the Golden Gate to Marin County, opening an automotive repair business instead of continuing the family grocery business. They ran a successful business for 25 years until they retired in 1983.
After college, Don Santa spent three years working as a stock broker but was discontented. He wanted to run his own business. It was then that Don found what was to become Woodlands Market. Don borrowed money to start a new business. Eventually, he convinced his father to join him. Larry expressed doubts about the wisdom of owning a highly competitive business like a grocery store in this era of national chains; they knew they had to work twice as hard to succeed. Larry and Don spend 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. Over the years, Woodlands Market employees have also included Don’s mother and three sisters. In 1990, Don’s father died unexpectedly, but he spent the last three years of his life working in a family grocery store just like his ancestors.
Since 1986, Woodlands Market has operated successfully and continuously as a local, family-owned, independent grocery store. Managing its operation with a sense of innovation and creativity has been a key to it’s longevity. Run by a leadership team that truly cares, Woodlands has a history of making business decisions that bring out the best in the company for the sake of it’s customers, it’s employees, and it’s community.
