Best Prices Storable
Foods was started by Bruce Hopkins
in February, 1994. In daily
discussions with two
conservative-minded friends at work,
they decided it would be an
excellent idea to set back some food
in case Bill Clinton did something
really crazy....
....Bruce began his food-selling
adventure by placing a few
classified ads in magazines, and
called his business, Bruce
Hopkins, Bonded Storable Foods
Distributor. He took out a
"performance bond" that would
guarantee that he would deliver what
he said he'd deliver. If he
didn't, customers could put in a
claim with the bonding company and
get their money back. Since he was
new in the business, he thought this
was only fair for the customer. At
the time, the vendor from which he
was buying the storable foods was
scheduled to be in a Preparedness
Expo in Mesquite, Texas, where he
lived at the time. Bruce asked if he
could help with the booth but
unfortunately, another distributor
from South Texas had already
arranged to be there.
However, at the last minute they
pulled out, so Bruce was able to
attend the show and help run the
vendors booth. At that Expo, in
addition to some smaller sales, a
man from Lubbock, Texas, placed an
order totaling $9,300! The
Bonded Storable Foods Distributor
was in the BLACK after only a few
months in business!
From that one Trade Show, Bruce soon
had a mailing list of over a
thousand new prospects and
customers, to whom he mailed every
month, and every month brought in
more orders. In early 1996, he had
a Yellow Pages rep call on him to
place an ad in the Dallas phone
book. He was added to the category
of "Dehydrated Foods" and asked if
it could say "Best Prices”? The rep
said “No, that would require display
advertising. But the ad COULD say,
Best Prices Storable Foods,
as the name of the company." And
so, the company name was born (and
duly registered with the State of
Texas). Bruce’s loving wife,
Phyllis, soon got involved in the
business and launched the business
officially online in September of
1996 as The Internet Grocer.
Interestingly enough, in late '97
and early '98 Bruce and Phyllis
started getting asked what their
thoughts were about "Why too Kay"?
At the time they had absolutely no
idea what people were talking about.
The bells went off around April,
1998, when they finally realized
people were preparing for Y2K:
Possible problems with computer
transitions into the Year 2000.
Business got so hectic, that Phyllis
and Bruce had to quit their other
jobs in early and mid-1998, and the
couple worked out of their home
until the end of the year when the
shear volume of business forced them
to lease retail space in Sunnyvale,
Texas, where they could stock
product.
Local customers were welcome to come
shop and browse around, while the
shipping for all others would be
quicker with product here “in
house”.
It was at this time that Bruce and
Phyllis came up with the
industry-changing
One Year Food Supply for Four
Persons (today copied
by many other competitors), as well
as adding a greater variety of Soup
Mixes, Baking Mixes and Casserole
Mixes that had never before been
seen in the storable foods
industry! With their ongoing quest
for more, and better, storable
foods, Bruce and Phyllis have added
incredible, industry-rocking,
products, such as Real Cheddar
Canned Cheese
(imported from Australia), Red
Feather Brand
Canned Butter (the
real thing, not powdered, imported
from New Zealand), and Real
Canned Meats. Today,
Bruce and Phyllis Hopkins run their
business, again out of their home
(Phyllis running it full time and
doing the bulk of the work along
with their daughter, Allison, who
helps out part-time), drop-shipping
the highest quality dehydrated and
freeze-dried foods—and other
emergency supplies—direct from the
manufacturer to you, and warehousing
the canned meats, canned cheese,
canned butter and diatomaceous
earth in their own warehouse. In
November, 2006, Bruce and Phyllis
added
Real Handmade Beef Jerky
to their huge product line.
Best Prices Storable Foods is truly
looking out for your interests . . .
at the best prices for you!
