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The Corner Store, June 2022. Click to enlarge. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

On January 14, 2022, Peggy Lindquist took one final stroll around The Corner Store, the neighborhood market and café she and her husband Bruce have owned for the past 16 years, and smiled. It was a Friday. Her personal belongings were already home. New owners John Bagakis (of Big Nick’s Pizza fame) and his mother, Nancy, had already worked in the store for a few months and were now running things. There was nothing left for her to do anymore, which was a good thing. She could finally rest.

“I didn’t want any big deal. I just kind of wanted to ride off into the sunset because I wanted everything to go smoothly for John and Nancy,” remembers Lindquist. “So, it was just, ‘Here are the keys, and call me when you need me.’ That was it. And then me, my best friend, her husband, and Bruce, we all went out to dinner.”

And just like that, one chapter ends and another begins in the long saga of the beloved neighborhood market, which celebrates its 75th anniversary on July 3.

THE SEARCH
For John Bagakis, becoming a co-owner of The Corner Store wasn’t the original plan. 

“This started with me coming into the store a couple of times [in 2019] and chitchatting with Peggy, and her saying, ‘I’m ready to retire. Can you help me find a buyer?’” he recalls.

John Bagakis and his mother, Nancy Bagakis, the new owners of The Corner Store. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

After recovering from a traumatic horse accident on New Year’s Day in 2019 that left her with 22 bone fractures and a punctured lung, Lindquist soon discovered that she couldn’t physically handle the day-to-day operations at the store anymore. She realized it was time to call it a day.

“I was home convalescing in a chair, unable to move anything, for two and a half months,” she recalls. “When I got back to the store, I realized that this was going to be difficult. I was in constant pain and had to go home and lie down every couple hours. That’s when I realized it was time to sell.”

According to Lindquist, she had “six serious people” eyeing The Corner Store, but none of them had the ownership qualities she was hoping to find. That’s when she thought Bagakis and his partners would make the perfect new owners.

“In early 2021, I came back in, and Peggy asked if I had any luck finding a buyer, which I had none,” says Bagakis. “Then she asked me, ‘Why don’t you just buy it?’” 

A principal partner and the face of Big Nick’s Pizza, the 39-year-old’s profile has risen in recent years. He’s been heavily involved with several local organizations like the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce (his term as chairman of the board ended last month) and the board of directors for Little Italy of Los Angeles and Encore Theatre Group. Also, his energy and affable personality have made him the go-to for emceeing local events.

Still, taking over another business in San Pedro, even one as well-established as The Corner Store, would be an undertaking no matter who took ownership. 

CLOSING THE DEAL
“John was the guy,” says Lindquist. “He was the guy we wanted. He has a connection with the community and knows The Corner Store’s history. He also assured me that he would keep The Corner Store as The Corner Store and not tear it down and turn it into condos. That was important to me.”

John’s mother, Nancy Bagakis, who’s also a partner in the business, thought it could work. “I thought it was a really good idea,” she says. “So, I just moved forward with it.”

Bagakis, his mom, and a friend who became the third partner crunched the numbers, talked to the Lindquists, saw the untapped potential that The Corner Store still offered, and decided it was in their best interest to purchase the business and building. 

“We looked at the whole scope of [the business] and thought there’s potential here in its history,” recalls Bagakis, a first-generation San Pedran. “Also, there’s a lot of underused space. We felt there was a chance for growth, so we started to pursue it.”

While financial details were not disclosed, the deal took a full year to complete. One of Bagakis’ original partners dropped out during negotiations, nearly killing the deal. But the partnership was adjusted, and the sale of The Corner Store was completed in mid-January 2022. 

“We felt it could be a successful project for us, and it keeps us all local,” says Bagakis. “[My mom] has had jobs where she’s [driven] 45-minute commutes to work. Now, her commute is five minutes, and it’s eight blocks. It made sense to push forward.”

Lindquist couldn’t be happier having Bagakis and his partners take over the market.

“We waited a long time to make sure that it went through with John, and it did,” recalls Lindquist. “I’m so happy because he’s the guy. He’s the guy that’s going to take it to the next level.”

BACK TO ITS ROOTS
Originally called the Ideal Palisades Market in its early years, the advertisement for the market’s grand opening on July 3, 1947, declared, “Foods stacked high at lowest prices!” Bacon was 59 cents a pound. Two gallons of milk cost you a quarter. You could even buy two toilet paper rolls for 11 cents. 

Times have changed, of course. 

While prices are vastly different today, bringing the market back to its roots by offering essential grocery-type items is one of the many ideas Bagakis has been incorporating into the store since taking over.

“When I look at the original advertisement when it opened as the Ideal Palisades Market, what stood out to me is [the word] market,” explains Bagakis. “I have cousins who live in this neighborhood that have said to me, ‘We love The Corner Store, but we would also love it more if it were more of a [grocery-type] store. Bring that market feel back to it.’”

The store features a refreshed side patio with new pavers and outdoor furniture. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

In addition to new grocery items, one of the first significant changes was installing wireless internet for customers, which the store had never offered until now. Also, the side patio floor has recently been redone with new pavers and furnished with new outdoor furniture. Bagakis also changed the coffee brand and installed a new coffee/espresso machine, which has received approval from the regulars that come in for their morning newspaper and coffee.

“I upgraded the coffee after talking to a few local coffee vendors,” explains Bagakis. “I remember walking in one morning, and this table was full of about eight or ten of our regulars, older folks, sitting here. I asked, ‘Coffee?’ They looked at me and said, ‘We like the coffee.’ If you can keep them happy, that’s the start. They’re the longest-tenured customers of this store.”

Even though Bagakis promises more changes are coming, some of the things The Corner Store is known for will remain. They still plan on carrying a large assortment of fun and exciting sodas, and seasonal events like Miracle on 37th Street are currently still on the calendar. In addition, the store has also become the home for several outdoor pop-up shop events, including a monthly one sponsored by this magazine.

While Bagakis bounces between Big Nick’s Pizza and The Corner Store, Nancy handles the kitchen and helps prepare the many sandwiches, salads, burgers, and breakfast orders. She began working at The Corner Store five months before the sale was finalized to help take the load off Lindquist and learn the ropes of managing the store. 

“Which was good too, because I got to know a lot of the customers during that time,” says Nancy, who came to San Pedro from Sicily, Italy, as a child. “I got to know how Peggy ran the store and what changes I wanted to make. It was good for me to be here during those five months.”

CELEBRATING 75 ON 7/3
“It still hasn’t set in. This is 75 years,” says Bagakis. “My mother’s family wasn’t in this country yet when The Corner Store opened. You’re talking about World War II ending, and two years later, the store opened.”

Even though The Corner Store has changed hands several times over its 75-year history, it has never stopped operating. It’s one of the few businesses in San Pedro that’s managed to survive multiple owners, which is a fantastic feat for a market tucked in the middle of a neighborhood with more drive-by traffic from peacocks than people. 

Bruce and Peggy Lindquist, former owners of The Corner Store. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

“The regulars compliment and critique us,” Bagakis says, laughing. “They’ve given us some ideas, so it’s been nice. It’s fun to come in here and just chitchat with them. They’re just wonderful people. It’s fun.”

The culmination of new ownership and the store’s diamond jubilee happens on Sunday, July 3, with The Corner Store’s 75th Anniversary mini block party. Bagakis is pulling out all the stops to mark this special occasion by serving barbecue, beer, wine, and live music. There will also be an anniversary ribbon cutting by the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce at noon. The party runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front of the store on the corner of 37th and Barbara.

“The plan is to have a one-day beer and wine license so we can serve on-site that day,” says Bagakis. “We’ll barbecue in the back and just have a mini block party with a little bit of live entertainment and a couple of pop-up vendors. Some elected officials will be here, too.”

To own The Corner Store is to become its steward, and Bagakis and his partners understand that. It might just be a neighborhood store to some, but to those who live near or grew up around it, it’s a special place. Bagakis hopes to continue that legacy.

“To me, it’s about keeping the current charm and essence of the store but adding to it. How do you add to it without disturbing what it has been for so many people for so long? That’s the challenge.” spt

The Corner Store is located at 1118 W. 37th St., San Pedro. For more info, call (310) 832-2424.

Joshua Stecker

Joshua Stecker is the publisher and editor-in-chief of San Pedro Today.

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