Nelson: Filipino flavors accent Baxter Street retailer
Small Business
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Gee Bird holds a tub of Halo-Halo, ice cream from the Philippines, at her new store on Baxter Street next to American Tattoo. The grocery and general store offers a wide variety of fresh and dry goods focusing on items from the Philippines.
David Walter Banks/Staff A decorative dragon sits on a display table built by Gee Bird at her store.
David Walter Banks/Staff Jon Bird and Gee Bird, owners of Orange Farmers Market Etc., pose for a portrait in their new store on Baxter Street next to American Tattoo.
David Walter Banks/Staff
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Story updated at 3:35 AM on Sunday, September 17, 2006
Don
Nelson
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Americans don't necessarily associate flavors such as three-bean and yam with ice cream, but ice cream from the Philippines with those tastes have moved briskly at Jon and Gee Bird's new Athens grocery and general store, Orange Farmers Market Etc.
The Birds opened the Filipino-American store Sept. 1 on Baxter Street next to Atlantis Hydroponics, and they sell fresh produce, grocery items from the Philippines and various international exports and novelties.
"People in Athens are very open minded to different foods," said Jon Bird about his store's uniquely flavored ice cream. "(The ice cream has) been very popular."
The ice cream bars sell for about $1 each or by the quart for $4.50.
Bird said he and his wife are hoping to tap into a niche market that includes the Filipino families in Athens combined with adventuresome residents - "people who are foodies" - who want to try unique foods such as the oddly flavored ice cream from the Philippines. Among the choices are mango and three-bean and yam, Bird said.
All the ice cream and meats such as longanesa (Filipino sausage), picino (cured pork) and pre-marinated shish kabobs are imported from the Philippines, Bird said.
The store also carries lumpia (Filipino egg rolls) and breads. Other imported grocery items include shrimp paste, Sky Flakes crackers, Lucky Me! Pancit Canton and Mang Tomas sauce.
Fresh produce comes from local sources, Bird said.
But Orange Farmers Market Etc. is not limited to grocery stock, Bird said. The merchandise includes international phone cards, Asian imports and novelties, dollar items, ropes and collectible knives.
In addition, the Birds offer the "BalikBayan box" a cultural staple of Filipino families who want to ship goods to their loved ones back home or elsewhere. Many Filipinos who are living as immigrants in the United States utilize the BalikBayan box to send canned goods, art, keepsakes and other material to their families and friends. Bird said he understands that about 10 percent of the population of the Philippines live either in the United States, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Singapore or Hong Kong, and sending goody boxes back to the islands is a long-standing tradition.
The Birds carry two BalikBayan box sizes, and the simple, brown cardboard boxes measure between six cubic feet and approximately 15 cubic feet. The prices are $100 and $110 respectively for shipping, regardless of the weight in the box. The Birds will deliver an empty box to homes within Clarke County, and pick it up for shipping after its packed.
Originally from Lake City, Fla., Jon Bird lived in Athens for a couple of years previously, and he always held an affinity for the town. In 1995, he went to the Philippines to tutor Koreans in English.
While there he met his wife, Gee, who was a student at the University of Philippines. After marrying, they moved to Pensacola, Fla., but quickly grew tired of hurricane weather, so Bird suggested they move to Athens and open a store selling imports from the Philippines.
Check it out
Name: Orange Farmers Market Etc.
Owners: Jon and Gee Bird
Type: Grocery and general store
Address: 1037B Baxter St.
Phone: (706) 215-1134
Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday
