‘Big Enough to Serve, Small Enough to Care’

Carlin residents excited to have new grocery store

By Dianna Troyer

Two men standing outside of a supermarket. Sign reads: Khoury's Fresh Market
Store owner Gus Khoury (left) and his nephew and store manager Jehad Khoury outside their new market in Carlin. Photos by CarolLee Egbert

For Carlin residents, having a grocery store is a luxury they lost a few years ago and only recently regained.

With a collective sigh of relief, they have been shopping at Khoury’s Fresh Market since it opened in October.

“We love it,” says Carlin resident Mary Anderson of the new store at 730 10th St. “When I’m cooking and don’t have an ingredient, it’s so convenient to drive to Khoury’s instead of leaving it out or having to ask a neighbor.”

The town’s previous grocery, Scott’s Market, closed nearly two years ago. To shop for food, residents drove 20 miles to Elko.

Last March, two brothers, Sam and Gus Khoury of Elko, broke ground in Carlin, opening their fourth grocery store in Nevada. They run two stores in Spring Creek and one in Winnemucca.

The stores share the motto, Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

“They found a lot for sale and knew a store was needed here because people were tired of driving to Elko for groceries,” says Jehad Khoury, Sam’s son.

Jehad and his cousin, Jamil (Gus’ son), manage the 16,000-square-foot store and 30 employees.

The store also rents movies and sells wine, and staff post updates and specials on the market’s Facebook page.

Mary’s husband, Roger, says the deli has become a gathering place for a lot of locals.

“It’s clean, bright and has great food,” Roger says. “If you ask for something they don’t have, they’ll try to get it.”

A women smiling while wearing a black apron labeled Khoury's
Khoury’s cashier Randi Smith.

Several times a week, Roger meets his brothers, Rick and Danny, and their spouses at the store’s deli and dining area where a dozen tables and chairs are set up for customers.

“We’re retired, so in our spare time we’ll have coffee or a sandwich here and visit,” Roger says. “I see people here I haven’t seen for years.”

Retirees like the Andersons are not the only regular customers. Gold mine employees heading to their early shifts north of town stop in for breakfast at the deli after it opens at 4 a.m.

From 3 to 10 a.m. every morning, a deli employee makes breakfast sandwiches, burritos, bagels, croissants and English muffins.

“They usually sell out,” says LaTeasha Anderson, who works in the deli. “People can call in orders too.”

Carlin Mayor Dana Holbrook often drops in around 5 a.m. for breakfast on his way to work at Barrick Nevada, a local mining company.

“People who work at the mines are glad it’s open early for breakfast,” Dana says. “Contractors coming in to work at the mines for a few months live in their camper trailers and like having a nearby grocery store.”

Dana says his family is grateful the store fills custom orders.

“Our family tradition is to have turkey on Thanksgiving and prime rib the night before or after,” he says. “We preordered it, and they cut it to the size we needed.”

The store is among the 10 largest employers in the town of 2,300.

Along with customers, employees are grateful the store opened.

Produce aisle
The produce section at Khoury’s Fresh Market.

“I love working here because the Khourys treat employees well,” says cashier Becky Ray.

Jehad points out the store’s energy-efficient features, which include lighting, windows and cooler shades that cover produce at night. The shades keep produce fresh and reduce the amount of energy needed to maintain ideal temperatures in refrigerated display cases.

“The employees are helpful and friendly, and the produce is really fresh,” Mary says.

The store has become not only a place to buy food but a destination for retirees and families.

“Besides seniors coming in regularly to have coffee, families with children stop by for lunch or snacks,” Jehad says. “The cheeseburgers and fried chicken are a favorite. The school and businesses have bought our meat and cheese trays for staff meetings too.”

“It always seems busy when we’re here,” Roger says. “They’re off to a good start.