Ronny’s Market Is Sold; Smile Doesn’t Go Away

Daily customers who stopped by for coffee, sandwiches and neighborhood news at Ronny’s Market in Marquez Knolls were surprised to learn that after 14 years, Ronny Naidoo and his wife Debi had sold their business to Jerry and William Durghalli. Last Thursday, the Pacific Palisades couple talked to the Palisadian-Post about the sale, their store and their future plans. The first thing one notices about Ronny Naidoo is his smile, the kind of smile that welcomes everyone from familiar customers to people he’s meeting for the first time. Debi is equally affable. A private conversation with the couple in front of the market is impossible because Ronny is constantly stopped by neighbors wanting to chat, and even motorists who drive by and roll down their windows and yell out to him. ‘He should run for mayor,’ Debi said as she watched the interactions. Back at the Naidoos’ condo, which they moved to five years ago from Calabasas, a five-foot poster covered with signatures and good wishes from all their customers, neighbors, babysitters and housekeepers hangs on their living-room wall. It has been a long time since Ronny wasn’t behind his market’s counter in the afternoon. He worked seven days a week: Monday through Saturday he was at the store from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Perhaps no one was more astonished at the sale than his wife of 33 years. ‘When Ronny told me, I was surprised and shocked because he loved his customers so much and he loved being there,’ she said. Naidoo started working in the Palisades in 1988 at Hughes Market (now Ralphs), where he was a manager in the liquor department, which was ironic because he doesn’t drink. Five years later he and Debi bought the Marquez Liquor Store. At first they sold only liquor, but after two years, they opened a deli and started selling groceries. ‘I hired Olga [Garcia] and trained her,’ Debi said. Garcia still works in the deli. They also hired Patima Lopez, who works part-time and fills in when Garcia is out. A third employee, Melvin Arfaro, helps with stock and Marcelino Ruelas worked part-time on the weekend as a cashier. The store became a popular stopping place for kids after school, although Debi said Ronny was insistent on politeness. ‘The kids had to say ‘Hi, Ronny’ before they looked for candy,’ she said. Every child who came through the door knew about the gummy worms and how Ronny would dangle them in front of the child and it was up to the child to ‘catch’ the worm. ‘I could see the joy on their faces,’ he said. His wife added in wonderment, ‘Yes, from just one little worm.’ Neighborhood mothers also depended on Ronny in a way that was beyond most store owners. ‘He knew my kids, he practically raised them,’ said Patti Brockman, who moved into Marquez Terrace when she was pregnant with her daughter, now 21. ‘For as long as I can remember, he’s been there.’ She also has a son, 19. Ronny would occasionally get calls from moms asking if their kids were at the store and then telling him, ‘Keep them behind the counter until I can get there.’ He cheerfully did. ‘Moms felt their kids were safe with Ronny,’ Debi said. ‘I saw kids grow up, graduate and marry,’ Ronny added. Candy Hynes, an employee at Knolls Pharmacy next door, bought a blank book and invited Ronny’s customers to sign it. The thick book is full of remembrances and good wishes for the couple. It turns out that not only did Ronny know all of the neighborhood children’s names and let them catch ‘gummy worms,’ he also knew all the dogs. One of the entries in the book was from the owner of a white dog named Bull (aka ‘the brat’). ‘Only one question, Ronny: Who will give me biscuits now?’ Sentiments from former customers were heartfelt. ‘I’m envious and sad,’ said one. ‘I hope the new guys also give hugs and advice and listen to my gripes, too,’ said another. Yet another wrote, ‘Ronny was the shoulder for everyone who had a problem; he listened to them.’ Although their customers were obviously appreciative, that appreciation went both ways. ‘We’d like to thank our customers from the bottom of our hearts for their love, support and kindness over the years,’ the Naidoos said. ‘It sustained us.’ With their newfound time, the couple are planning a 10-day trip to Hawaii this month, and in December they will travel to South Africa for six weeks. Both were born in that country and still have relatives living there. They also hope to spend more time with their grandchildren, Amanda (12), Matthew (7) and Kaitlin (2), who live in Aliso Viejo with Naidoo’s daughter Samantha and son-in-law David Bates. Ronny is a notary public and plans to continue as a mobile notary in the Palisades. ‘Maybe we’ll get tired of traveling and we’ll come back and do something else,’ Debi said. ‘We’ll leave it open,’ Ronny said with a smile.