C Stores

My workplace’s local corner store. We call it «Circle C». Run by a lovely group of Korean ladies. They are all very nice. There is a good selection of drinks and pre-​packaged food (like chips and chocolate bars) and every once in a while I’ll find something I’ve never seen/​tried before.
What separates Circle C from most other corner stores is that they have a kitchen in the back. There are always two or three woman who can be seen working away in the back, getting food ready. And the food is pretty good. There is a selection of breakfast and lunch options, in addition to some Korean dishes like Bim-​bop. They do something with a BLT that I can’t quite put my finger on. Ancient Korean secret, I suppose. The meat-​to-​bread ratio on some of their pre-​made sandwiches is off-​putting sometimes and their pizza burrito never quite cooks all the way through, but everything else is quite nice. And the prices are right.
The thing I love the most? The lady behind the counter bows as she presents (not hands) the food to you. It’s very nice.

Nestled amid some of Corktown’s extraordinary furniture shops and the Little Trinity Anglican Church historic redevelopment project is this small, unassuming convenience store.
You know, the type that offers your coffee in the morning. A sandwich. Newspapers and magazines. A small number of grocery items. Gum. Pop. Milk.
So why does this place turn me on? Because, behind their stacks of pop cases and unkempt shelves, I sense a subtle vibe here that tells me that these people are doing The Best They Can With The Tools They Have in such a way where subtle, elegant grace helps supercede the limitations of their space.
They could have served coffee from a single, scarred, greasy pot, like so many other convenience stores. But no, they’ve taken the extra step to offer five varieties of really good joe. They’re not a Starbucks either, but that doesn’t stop them from keeping some store-​brand cinnamon next to the coffee. Pour and stir and enjoy the classical or light jazz they’ve tuned the sound system to.
They have virtually no space to speak of, but that doesn’t stop them from fitting two dining tables inside the place. (Although, if I were them, I’d use the rustic ambience of the historic building next door to make an outside patio enclosure.)
They could offer pre-​packaged sandwiches at high mark-​up. But, again, no. They offer full deli services with everything from BLTs to breakfasty sandwiches to bulgogi wraps to a variety of salads. For the weight-​conscious and quick-​protein-​seeking, they even offer simple, plain hardboiled eggs.
Run by a very friendly Asian family, they even go an extra mile and offer bi bim bop (Wednesdays), miso soup, and dumplings. You run a business? They cater breakfast and lunch.
Ok, it’s cramped and not terribly aesthetic. But sometimes you have to just appreciate it when you can easily see that someone is trying very hard to be the best with what they have, and that’s reason enough to offer your patronage.