T.C. Chicago jokes that her husband, Ace, bought her a feed store to support her habit. The couple own 10 acres populated by seven horses, a donkey, a mule, three dogs and a cat.
"Oh, we have a cow, too. I forgot about the cow," T.C. said casually as if she were mentioning something smaller, like a dog or a cat.
Habits aside, the couple's firsthand experience is essential to their new venture. Marana Feed and Supply reopened under their ownership last September.
The store is on North Casa Grande Highway west of Interstate 10, about two miles north of North Cortaro Road. If the location seems familiar, it probably is. The store operated under the same name for about two years under a different owner; before that it was called Bond's Feeds.
Customer Rose Hamilton, 60, has her own menagerie that includes six horses and several calves and sheep in Three Points. She and her husband, Floyd, 72, were at the store last Wednesday stocking up on hay.
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"He (Ace) has darn good feed," Rose Hamilton said. "We live out at Three Points but he has better prices on his hay" than stores closer to their home.
T.C., 38, has a real estate license and owned several other businesses. Ace, 41, worked at Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. for 20 years. Before the feed store, the two worked together for another company with an eye toward buying it but that did not work out.
The duo's office is in the kitchen of an old brick house on the lot. Customers can check out tack, dog food, clothing and other products displayed inside the house. A massive stone fireplace is the backdrop for the cash register and counter.
"We walked into a turnkey business but it's taken a lot of work to get it going," Ace said. "I'm the financial operations guy. T.C. does everything else."
The economy is tough but the Chicagos seem to be bucking the odds.
"We've increased our sales by about 40 percent in the last two months," Ace said.
"We have a great staff. We hired everyone who worked for the previous owner," T.C. said.
Part-time employee Rebecca Wyatt is a certified equine massage therapist and owns four horses.
"Ace and T.C. are really good people," Wyatt said. "They have awesome dreams behind them. They have a great work ethic."
Ken Clay, 50, owns four horses and goes to the store several times a month.
"For a small shop they have a good selection of saddles, blankets, reins and bits," Clay said. "The staff is very accommodating. If you need a product, they're willing to order it."
Darn good feed and a hearty welcome
What: Marana Feed and Supply.
Where: 9643 N. Casa Grande Highway.
Phone: 744-6147.
Hours: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 pm. Sunday.
Hay bales: They guarantee the quality of their hay.
