ORANGEBURG, S.C. — For Orangeburg grocery shoppers, there a food market staple that’s existed for over half of a century.
“It’s one of the great loves of my life” says Timothy Hutto, as he describes his families business Hutto's Grocery, which has been serving the Orangeburg community since 1952.
Timothy Hutto, now 61 years old, took over the business from his father, but he still remembers what it was like growing up in the grocery store.
Hutto says, “It was like home and me and my brother would spend days just running around and playing hide and go seek.” He goes on to recall a time in his childhood, “When we would get out of school we would help my mom and the young lady who worked for my dad used to fix us tomato sandwiches.”
The business began with his father in charge nearly 67 year ago. Hutto says his father "was a leader and he just loved being here.”
The most important aspect of the business back then, and still today, are the customers.
“He loved his customers and this business he didn't retire from here till he was in his 70's and the customers was what he would've missed this most if anything happened to him (during that time) but when he retired he missed them so much” says Hutto.
Over the past six decades, the store has withstood hurricanes and floods, as well as changing shopping habits. But, the secret to success through the years has been treating everyone with love.
“Everybody wants to be treated special when you go into a business to purchase things you should be appreciated and that's what we do,” he said.