José Mari fruits and cold meats of Pamplona It has been open for 32 years, since José Mari Elizondo Echeguia and his wife Pilar Lanz Leoz, They moved to work in the Navarrese capital.
This store is located Miguel Astráin Street, 10, ground floor, in full Azpilagaña neighborhood. very close to other establishments that we have known in this section of local commerce.
As is the case, for example, of the delicious EretzSol pastry shop with its cakes, rolls and savory dishes with Bolivian flavors, either the Peñas perfumery headed by the Nieves sisters and Mari Jose Mendoza.
José Mari Elizondo and Pilar Lanz come from northern Navarre, Beintza Labaien and Olagüe respectively: “We came directly to work from the city to Pamplona. First at Piensos Unzué, then delivering and selling with a van, and later we blindly entered the store where we have been for 27 years.
They are both 63 years old, an age at which they are already in the home stretch of their professional lives: “Now we have to look for relief. It’s difficult. Nobody wants to work on these things. Neither do the two children because they have already done their studies, their work and they don’t want to know anything,” explains José Luis.
“Now let’s see if anyone comes to transfer.”. We would like to retire because I already have my contribution years. I spoke to social security and they told me that whenever I want, I can retire,” he explains.
The couple are in very good health “and are looking forward to enjoying retirement now that we are well.” What is most striking about the store is that it is both a fruit shop and a delicatessen: “We do everything and the delicatessen suits us very well. We work a lot. “We have a very good genre that we have selected after so many years.”
Regarding customers, they emphasize: “The people in the neighborhood are very good. Good customers and it’s like a town where we all know each other.”. We worked hard and made our lives here. We had a saleswoman, the pandemic came and went. Now we both get there and that’s it,” they say.
It’s a fruit and delicatessen, but in reality they sell a little bit of everything: “It’s like a neighborhood store. Like a grocery store. Less household stuff, we sell everything. Beer, cans, canned goods, cookies. We are very happy. “There is business here with the same clients that we already have and work with.”
José Mari is ready to help people who wish to continue their activity: “I’m ready to teach them everything they need. If I have to spend a month with them, there’s no problem. It’s ideal, for example, for a couple like us.
Regarding the timetable they currently have, José Mari emphasizes: “In the morning we are both there and in the afternoon I am alone on Mondays and Thursdays because it’s a lot of work for me, I get up every day at five in the morning to go to Merca-Iruña to look for fresh produce.”
Despite the daily “beats” of working hours, they are happy: “We are very happy. We have no regrets. We worked a lot, very well and with pleasure. We became very attached to people. It makes us sad and people don’t want us to close. That’s why some relief would be nice.. Whoever wants to come, we are there,” concludes José Mari.
