Meet Heidi Kruger | Retail Store Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Heidi Kruger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heidi, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am from Flagstaff, Az. This is my hometown and my favorite town. I feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place, surrounded by awesome people and an easy going lifestyle.

My mom, dad, & grandfather were loggers, here in Flagstaff. I grew up in the woods surrounded by hard working people, I guess you could say it was in my blood – there wasn’t really any other option.
My parents we instrumental in teaching me work ethic, great examples of what was possible with determination and some elbow grease. They also were great role models, making sure I knew that success wasn’t a skill achieved without support and humble beginnings – we all start somewhere and never forget who supported and helped you along the way, especially your team members, colleagues, friends and family.
My parents were both very successful although they were not afforded the opportunity to go to college, they worked hard for what they had and even though they fell upon hard times, they rebuilt and continued to push through whatever they were confronted with – always providing for our family. I was the first in my family to earn a college degree, my mom worked two jobs to help pay for my college tuition, I worked two jobs throughout college to support myself and have the things I wanted – I am so glad that I knew then to start young!
I knew, from watching my parents (and grandparents), that work was part of the equation and although not always pleasant, it would eventually pay off. I am so grateful for my family, my role models. The helped shape me and always believed in me. What an extraordinary gift.!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I love to talk about the store, I am so proud of this place and I love to share my story and guide others whenever I can. I can say, without a doubt, it is not for the faint of heart, running a business is not easy and it is not always rewarding. There are so many sacrifices and it is never a sure bet, ever.

I own the Flagstaff General Store in downtown Flagstaff. We first opened our doors in 2014 – a small dream started with my mom, husband and myself. We were quite the team – I was a maker/creator/designer, my mom, also a maker/creator, made all natural bath and body products (and lets be honest, she was the brains behind the original business plan and concept for the company) and my husband wrote our custom POS software which made it possible to make sales and track inventory. We started out small, very small – with a plan and a dream. We talked about opening a local store with local artists and handmade, local goods, supporting our town and offering products that were not available on line. We bought used furniture pieces, restored them little by little, my mom made batches and batches of products and kept everything in our barn, for a long time, waiting until we could find the perfect (or almost perfect) place to start our brick & mortar. In October of 2014, we moved in to our fist building. Not the most perfect location, just outside the city limits on the east side of town, a little hard to get to… quirky and perfectly imperfect. We put a lot of sweat equity into that place, looking back it really was the perfect start and starting small was the best thing we could have done (thanks mom, you always know best). Those first years were so exciting, they were also hard, we made a lot of sacrifices – no employees, working long days and every weekend – it was exhausting, but we were building something and that was super excited…. did I mention, we all had full time jobs.

We were a newish concept in retail but with an old-school name. We wanted a business name that would allow us to evolve, change, grow over the years and with the times. We have done just that, a lot of evolving. In 2015, my mom signed over her share of the business and I became the sole proprietor. It was exhausting running a business, raising a young family and keeping our full time jobs to support ourselves and the business. We had a lot of doubts and obstacles but somehow we kept chugging along. In 2017 we moved our location downtown, it was so exciting and we were sure that a better location would put us over the top – when in reality, it nearly killed us. A bigger space and better location came with moving expenses, higher rent, larger payroll, and so on. We took a personal loan, ran up our credit card and kept the faith. I look back at this first two years downtown and I’m still a little surprised we made it. Customers kept showing up and our town continued to support us and we made it! I may not have taken a day off for a really long time, but we stayed open and we finally started to see a profit again. We moved to our current location in 2021 – I never thought we’d be here, in this amazing location & space – it’s surreal and I am so grateful.

We pride ourselves in having a unique, local shopping experience. We aren’t just a locally owned business, we support other local artists/makers/creators. It feels so good to say that and to truly do it… we are more than a local business, we are locals supporting locals and that has been our goal since day one. We have evolved, changed a bit here and there and adjusted to our customers and location but our original plan and idea is still the drive behind our business and what sets us apart. We are not a consignment shop, or a traditional vintage/handmade store – we are different and we stay on top of our products to be sure that our customers will not see what they are buying at our store anywhere else. Less than 20% of our products are mass produced, 80% of our products are made by people we’ve actually met or talked to on the phone, we know them and have a relationship with them – it’s awesome. We also offer experiences at our store – think painting furniture or a jewlery stamping class and even making all natural bath products – we will teach you how to do things and we make it fun and a space that encourages creativity and confidence. We are always evolving, learning and looking for ways to be different and stay on top of our game.

I truly believe that nothing good is ever easy, but I know from experience that hard work and perseverance usually result in a reward. I love my job, who I work with and being part of this team and business. It is such a great feeling to open the door to the store each morning and feel all the feels, I am so proud of how far we’ve come! Really, it was not easy but damn, it’s been worth it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my friend was visiting Flagstaff and I wanted to show them a good time here, it would be so easy! Flagstaff is full of so many great things to do and places to see & visit.

I would most definitely take my friends downtown because our downtown is such a gem – almost every shop and restaurant is a small, locally owned business and most likely, when we walk in, we will see the owner of the business – that’s pretty cool in itself – I love where I work and I love shopping downtown, supporting the downtown.

We’d have to grab a coffee at Late for the Train each morning (the best neighbors ever), and then we’d go shopping! Favorite stores are … ALL OF THEM, I love my neighbors and fellow business owners, we are all friends and love to support each other, everyone has something great to offer.
……..
We’d eat so good…

Breakfast – Mart Annes (my personal favorite), Foret (such a treat), Josephines (brunch on the patio), Mike & Rhondas (oldie but goodie)

Great lunch spots: Proper Meats, Pato Thai, Diablo Burger, Pizza & beer at Dark Sky Brewery, or an easy dinner at Los Altos (so good)

Dinner Favorites: Atria is a must, Shift, Tinderbox, Brix – all favorites!

Cocktails and an appetizer at Annex (so yummy)

…….
We definitely need to check out the beautiful dark sky and star gaze, because we have some amazing night views here in Flagstaff! Go up to Lowell observatory for even better views & take a quick stop on the way down to get some pictures of the city lights off mars hill.

There are so many great hikes here too, I’d love to go on a mountain bike ride or take a hike with my friend: Schultz Creek Trailhead is a must. Drive out to Red Mountain trail for a beautiful hike and maybe a picnic, take the dogs too. I’d also love to go paddle boarding on Lake Mary one afternoon or early morning.

Taking a beach cruiser, riding it around historic downtown on a summer night is always fun, maybe see a “Concert in the Park” first and cruise around on our bikes before and after – that would be a perfect end to any day.

No trip is complete without a visit to Snowbowl (winter or summer), it’s a beautiful place with incredible views. I was married there 22 years ago, so I love to show it to friends. If it’s summertime, a hike in the meadow would be a must. Or see the aspen trees changing in early fall – a sight to see! Without a doubt, a trip to inner basin would be a must as well (weather permitting).

Sunset Crater, Fatmans Loop, the lava tubes, Walnut Canyon, Wupatki – all places I will be sure to take my friends – I never get tired of these amazing sites around town – we live in a beautiful, diverse area – and there are many more!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have SO many shoutouts to give! I will narrow it down to these two but I have to say that it takes a village and I wouldn’t be where I’m at without a solid group of good friends & family – I have strong, successful, encouraging friends, family and business colleagues who’ve been so generous over the years, all of you have helped me or supported me along the way and I know how lucky I am to be surrounded by such wonderful people.

I would certainly not be where I am today without the strength and wisdom of my parents, especially my mother. She is the smartest woman I know, she’s not only taught me how to be confident and take risks but also how to work hard and has continually shown me that I can can do anything I put my mind too. She has persevered through hard times, taken what she knows and made an empire out of it and never lets failure get in her way. She has lost so much only to build it up again and better than it was before. She is a fighter and the hardest working person I have ever met. She is never not learning or pushing herself to grow. She is an amazing business woman and the most humble person I know – I really admire her and I have learned so much from her example and her wisdom – things that I could never learn from a school; invaluable lessons in life and business.

My husband is the most amazing, supportive man alive. Without him, the store would most certainly not be as successful as it is. He is a very smart man with his own, successful company but he always makes time to help me out and has always believed in this dream – without his love & patience I would not have made it this far, we are a good team, he is our solid foundation. And I shouldn’t forget my kids who’ve endured a lot of screen time and pizza nights when we were starting out, and are still quick to forgive me when I have to work last minute or I am stressed about work, they have sacrificed a lot for this business as well – I love you guys!

Website: https://www.flagstaffgeneralstore.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/flagstaffgeneralstore

Facebook: www.facebook.com/flagenstore

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/flagstaff-general-store-flagstaff

Image Credits
I own the images