We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Greg Gandolfo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Greg, appreciate you joining us today. One of the toughest things about entrepreneurship is that there is almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

“When people ask about unexpected challenges in reopening Gandolfo Family Market & Deli, the biggest surprise wasn’t the work itself—it was discovering how selective and inconsistent Santa Barbara County can be. Our family has owned the building since 1983, but the deli and market have been there long before us. The original deli opened in 1978, in a building constructed in 1976. Over those four-plus decades, there have been multiple ownership changes and at least two full remodels of the deli and market space. And through all of that—new owners, new health permits, construction, remodels—the county never once raised a land-use problem. Every permit was issued without hesitation.

But in 2022, when we went to get the exact same health permit that has been issued continuously since the 1970s, the county suddenly claimed that the underlying land-use designation was not appropriate for a deli. They told us the property was zoned ‘general retail’ and that we now needed the word ‘café’ added to the land-use description. That’s it. Just a word—despite nearly 50 years of uninterrupted deli operations and despite two previous remodels that had never triggered a single land-use question.

That one word forced us into a full land-use application process as if we were opening a brand-new restaurant from scratch. We had to hire professional draftsmen, redraw the entire property, show parking, access, layout—basically rebuild the paperwork for a building that had already been functioning, inspected, and permitted since the late ’70s. That alone cost us over $40,000. And on top of that, the county red-tagged our remodel during the process, delaying us and creating even more unexpected expenses.

To us, it felt like selective enforcement. Nothing about the building changed. Nothing about the use changed. The deli didn’t suddenly become unsafe in 2022. Yet after nearly five decades—involving multiple owners, multiple remodels, and multiple health permits—we were the only ones ever told we needed to change the land-use designation. It didn’t feel like a community-safety measure. It felt like a money grab.

So the most unexpected challenge wasn’t the business itself. It was discovering that after almost 50 years of the deli operating in that exact space, the county decided the rules were suddenly different for us.”

Greg, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a teacher by trade, and that’s still a major part of who I am. But my brother David and I always knew that one day we wanted to run the market and deli. Our family has owned the building since 1983, and the deli itself has been a staple of Los Olivos since 1978. For decades we watched different owners operate the space, and we always felt that when the timing lined up—when the lease was ending and when our kids were older—we wanted to bring it back to its roots as a true family-run business.

The person who truly runs Gandolfo Family Market & Deli, though, is my niece, Carly. She is the driving force behind everything. She manages the day-to-day operations, handles all the purchasing, knows the customers, and puts in close to a hundred hours a week. David and I had the dream, but Carly is the one who turned that dream into a reality. She deserves all the credit for making the market what it is today.

What we offer is simple, honest, high-quality food: our tri-tip, handcrafted sandwiches, fresh sides, cold drinks, and local goods. We can do a bit of catering when people ask, but it’s not a major focus of the business.

What we really provide is a community space. People sit at the patio tables to have lunch, meet friends, catch up, or have a beer in the middle of town. Since 1978, the market has been more than a place to buy a sandwich. It has always been a meeting place, a hub, a spot woven into the everyday rhythm of Los Olivos.

We solve everyday problems for our customers by giving them a reliable place for a great lunch, offering fast but high-quality food, and providing a welcoming environment where familiar faces are part of the experience. In a small town, consistency and community matter.

What sets us apart is that we stay true to what this place has always been. We’re not a chain. We’re not a corporate concept. We’re a real family business rooted here for over 40 years. We’re hands-on, invested, and committed to keeping alive a piece of local history. And we pushed through challenges that previous owners never had to deal with, including unexpected county hurdles and red tags that cost us tens of thousands of dollars. A lot of people would have given up. We didn’t, because the deli means something—to us, to our family, and to the town.

What I’m most proud of is seeing the market come alive again. Seeing people sit on the patio with lunch, meeting up for a beer, talking with neighbors, or bringing their families. Hearing stories from locals who remember the market in the 80s and 90s. Watching Carly build real, lasting relationships with customers. Feeling the space regain its role as a community anchor.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about Gandolfo Family Market & Deli, it’s that everything we do is intentional. We care about the food, the service, the history, and the people who walk through the door. This isn’t just a business for us. It’s family. It’s community. And it’s a responsibility we’re proud to carry forward for the next generation.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think it comes down to having a clear vision, communicating it to the team, and then sticking to who you are. Staying true to yourself, true to your potential customers, and trusting the direction you’re going—even when things get a little sidewa

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When we were closed down longer than expected, I learned something the hard way: it doesn’t matter how long a business has been in one spot. If you shut the doors for a stretch or overhaul the look and feel, it takes time to earn your old customers back—even the ones who’ve been showing up for forty-plus years. Navigating that period and rebuilding our momentum took patience, consistency, and resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: gandolfofamilymarket
• Facebook: gandolfofamilymarket
• Twitter: GandolfoFM
• Youtube: @GandolfoFamilyMarket
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gandolfo-family-market-and-deli-los-olivos
• Other: https://live365.com/station/LOFM-LOS-OLIVOS-FREE-MUSIC-a60702 LOFM is a small, local low-power radio station here in Los Olivos. It’s powered and sponsored by Gandolfo Family Market & Deli and broadcasts from our property across the street—our event space known as The Lot. We use it to share local music, interviews, and community stories. It’s just a hometown station meant to highlight the valley and the people in it.

Image Credits

Not an image credit but needed to mention this:

I was the one who handled the demo, pushed the remodel, and fought our way through the permitting maze while we were shut down. But honestly, once those doors opened again, that’s where my part of the journey pretty much ended. From that point on, it was all Carly — my brother’s daughter.

She’s the one who made the place what it is now. She understood the new crowd coming into town, what they wanted, and how the store needed to feel. She took over everything: purchasing, vendors, daily operations, hiring — the whole list. And she’s been putting in 80-plus hours a week, doing it all with a smile. She deserves the credit for making it all work.