Vellachamy & Sons

My father started this over at No. 348 on Avenue Road a long time ago. Now it’s just Vellachamy & Sons, and we still operate out of the same spot. Avenue Road is always crowded, as anyone who lives nearby knows. We spend our mornings opening up the shop and getting things organized for whoever walks in. It’s a family thing, so there’s always someone around who knows the history of the place. We don't have a big marketing team or anything like that. We just sell what we have and try to be fair about it. The building at 348 is old but it holds up. Sometimes the shelves get a bit cluttered because we have so much stock tucked away in the back. We do a lot of lifting and moving boxes throughout the day. It keeps us active, I guess. We aren’t trying to be the biggest place in town, just a steady one that stays open when people need us. There’s a lot of noise from the street, but you get used to it after a few years. We handle the orders as they come. It’s simple work, really. We just want to keep the name going and make sure things run smoothly at the shop every day. My sons are learning the ropes now, so they do a lot of the heavy lifting. We have some regular customers who have been coming to us for decades. It feels good to see a familiar face. We just keep the lights on and the door open.