Local cult fave keeps getting bigger and better
An eclectic market that can fill almost any need, AJ’s Market and Natural Foods rivals those fancy gas stations of Italy or France, where you can munch on a grilled panini or croque monsieur while you fuel up your car. There is often a line at the deli restaurant ordering AJ’s beloved burgers, chicken gyros and fresh-caught salmon. If it’s produce you want, Live Earth Farms offers theirs alongside organic flowers. Champagne and a bouquet on the way to a party, anyone? To stock his two markets and gas stations in Soquel and Capitola, owner AJ Javed scours the Bay Area to find fun and interesting foods and specialty items. My favorite treat is a Middle Eastern dessert called Nory Candy, which I discovered on a shelf in aisle two, above 20-pound bags of jasmine and sushi rice. Javed spoke to us about how he’s built his business.
GT: I remember when you bought the gas station a long time ago. I can’t believe how it’s grown up!
AJ JAVED: Yes, I bought it in 1987. It was a really run-down gas station, but I knew the location was very good. I had this idea from the very start that a grocery store would do well here. The permit, however, was not easy. It took almost eight years to get the permit for the food. It is a labor of love. And I’ve had help along the way. My right-hand guy, Thyer Nofti, runs the kitchen. He brings an eclectic flavor to our restaurant. I was going to do hot dogs and he said, “No, no, no—gyros, hamburgers, salmon and salads.”
Where does the international flair and flavor come from?
I am the kind of person who encourages my employees to add their creativity. That’s why we have a lot of different flavors. We try things and see if they work; if not, we try something else. My wife and I love our neighborhood and I love my business, and so it is wonderful to find the things we sell here. But it is really involved and a lot of work to find interesting items. We go to different places in the Bay Area to bring different things to our store.
I notice a lot of spices, oils, and various things from India, including to-die-for samosas.
I am from Pakistan, so that’s where the Indian influence is coming from. We also have items from Syria and Pakistan. It is a very international store right here in the heart of Soquel. But we also focus on local businesses and products. We have local king salmon when it is in season, a lot of local specialty beers and probably one of the best selections in town of local wines.
What’s new at AJ’s?
We are putting in a brand new car wash that uses recycled water!
5955 Soquel Drive, Soquel, 479-0399, ajsmarket.com. PHOTO: AJ Javed and his wife Ellianna Javed have owned AJ’s Market since 1987, transforming the run-down gas station into an eclectic international market and deli. BRAD KAVA
