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Peter grew up at 1502 Burrstone Rd. in Utica, New York, with his French-German and Irish-German parents and attended Utica schools. Peter was at the youngest end of seven brothers and sisters. As a teenager, Peter spent a lot of time working for his two brothers-in-law, who were also business owners and entrepreneurs.
In fact, one of his brothers-in-law was an early pioneer in the health food industry. He also remembers that this was a time when health food stores and vendors were not yet part of the mainstream of American life and business. This was an extremely innovative idea and, in a way, is exactly why Peter Corn was successful in the industry. It came almost at the right time when it was new enough that there weren’t a lot of competitors, but not so soon that it took people a decade to be ready for it. This was Peter’s first exposure to entrepreneurship.
After working in the new health food industry with his brother-in-law in the 1970s, Peter eventually created his own business, Peter’s Cornucopia in 1985, in the Village of New Hartford, in the building now occupied by Georgio’s restaurant. In approximately 1,000 square feet, with a shoestring budget from a small loan, a little savings, and a lot of hope, Peter launched his fledgling business.
Peter explained that much of their success is due to the great locations, industry knowledge, step-by-step growth, passion for this industry, and the look and feel of their stores. Often times, a company will spend many years building a business before turning a profit. Peter’s new business only spent about two years in this mode, but even then they were breaking even and slowly building a following.
Also, as an indication of growth in baby steps, in addition to purchasing inventory on demand, he kept overhead costs as low as possible. Peter is the type of person who is positive, but also realistic. He plans the worst while he hopes for the best.
When asked what else helped him become a successful entrepreneur, he explained that it’s an even mix between presentation combined with a great product. Peter said: “(The) appearance (of a business) means a lot, but it’s also about the community and how you support the community that drives the business forward.”
Peter continues to support local businesses when he finds one that fits his theme, industry, and corporate mission. Two of these local businesses are Whirled Peas, owned by Denise Sachs-Michalanie of New Hartford, and Sammy and Annie Foods, owned by Christopher Giruzzi of Barneveld. Both businesses will be in the future CyberVillage SpotLight. Others include Toma’s, Owen’s Farm, Chesterfields, Juanita’s Soul Classics, Heidelberg, and Daniele’s Foods.
Peter explains that his evolution was slow and deliberate, but it was always based on momentum. He didn’t try to rush him. He grew the business in existing office space until he was about to burst. Only then would he justify the cost of expanding into a new space. This kept the momentum going while the overload was kept as low as possible. Peter moved from the first location after about six years, just down the street to 52 Genesee Street, also in the town of New Hartford. It then grew to 1,800 square feet, but Peter’s Cornucopia was still going and profitable.
A few years later, they expanded to the entire ground floor of about 2,500 square feet. So they might offer a free standing juice bar.
In 2004, once again on the verge of exploding, it was time to move again. With an office and warehouse in a basement, and parking in the Village becoming an issue, Peter moved to the New Hartford shopping center. Now with 10,300 square feet of prime real estate, Peter has his own office, a real inventory area, the health food store, a juice bar, and a very nice coffee shop with a WI-FI hotspot. One important note is that the juice bar uses all organic and real fruit juices. This is also one of those little details that Peter believes helped him grow the business. Quality ingredients are very important to his regular customers. The general population is unaware of the fact that many juice bars use sweeteners and syrups instead of just fruit.
Peter spent a lot of time using local friends/consultants, such as Carl Cuccaro, to ensure that the look and feel of the new Peter’s Cornucopia in New Hartford Mall maintained its quality, welcoming and natural feel. The way Peter described the look he didn’t want was like a grocery store with checkout counters. The store resembles popular bookstores with a cozy atmosphere and a central area/desk where friendly people check you out.
We asked Peter what the future holds for his industry and the broader economy. Peter plans to stay in his family business environment and doesn’t see himself retiring. He is very happy with his current location, but if there were to be an expansion in the future, he would probably be in a bigger city and would keep his headquarters in Utica, New York. Peter feels that he has achieved what he set out to do, with a large and successful store in a great location.
Peter’s view of the economy is that we either hit bottom or we are close to it. Peter admits that it may still be a while before trust returns, but he trusts that he will. Peter isn’t sure that bailing out bankrupt big companies while ignoring small, poised-for-growth companies is the best strategy.
No matter which president he voted for, Republican or Democrat, he believes we went in the wrong direction, but we will still bounce back as a nation, we always do. Peter explained: “Despite claims that increased government spending will speed up economic recovery, I don’t buy it. It will take longer with government involvement, but we will recover.”