MaryBeth Bachman grew up working in her father’s family business – a restaurant and marina – and was inspired to one day run her own. She pursued that dream a year ago when she purchased Falmouth’s Town Landing Market, a convenience store selling groceries, sandwiches and lobster, from its longtime owners.
It’s the kind of place where community is paramount, where neighbors feel comfortable calling when they’re away on vacation and need someone to put out more food for their cat.
One way to foster that community feeling is to hire local teens to work at the store. Bachman “loves being around young people and the energy they have,” and since many of them have never worked before, she’s their first boss.
Bachman’s hands-on management philosophy means she takes on whatever needs to be done, whether it’s making sandwiches or doing the laundry, “just to show nobody’s above or below anything, and to show the importance of teamwork.”
Daisy Caxton-Smith, a junior at Falmouth High School, has worked at the market for about a year. It’s her first job. Caxton-Smith, who lives nearby, said it’s a fun place to work because of the friends and neighbors who stop by regularly.
She thinks Bachman is easy-going and knows the customers well. She’s also learned important skills from Bachman, including time management and customer service.
Bachman’s own first job “framed how I am as a worker. You had to be really responsible, and customer service was the most important. I feel like if I can do that for the people who work with us – give them a good work ethic and help them understand what it’s like to be a good worker – then they will be successful later in life.”
