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<\/a>Nick Moshos, who graduated from Wright State with a bachelor’s degree in human resources, bought Dot’s Market after working at the local grocery store for 11 years. (Video by Kris Sproles\/ Photos by Erin Pence)<\/p><\/div>\n
Moshos said Dot\u2019s is special because it has a hometown family vibe.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis place was established in 1951, and we like to hold on to our oldtime values,\u201d he said. \u201cDot\u2019s stands for Dependable Old Time Service. That\u2019s something we really like to capitalize on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert Brown, grocery manager at Dot\u2019s, said the store is kind of a throwback to the 1950s and ’60s with its family atmosphere and emphasis on service. Employees wearing blue fleeces with red Dot\u2019s emblems beehive around the store, always on the lookout for a customer in need.<\/p>\n
Dot\u2019s has many long-time, loyal employees. For example, Brenda works as a waitress in The Bull Pen Diner, a restaurant in the back of the store that specializes in cheeseburgers and all-day breakfasts. She has been at Dot\u2019s for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n
Dot\u2019s meat counter is a magnet for customers, sprawling more than half the length of the store and showcasing cuts of beef, chicken, chops and other meats. It serves as a social gathering spot, with clusters of customers trading bits of gossip as they wait for their numbers to be called.<\/p>\n
Moshos knows most of them by name and greets them accordingly. It\u2019s a benefit of working at Dot\u2019s for 11 straight years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my life here,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to keep Dot\u2019s going in the community for another 68 years. Down the road I would like to grow and expand. We\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 16-year-old Moshos was encouraged to apply for a job at Dot\u2019s by his father, who knew practically everyone at the store and as a self-employed carpenter inspired his son to someday own his own business.<\/p>\n
Moshos graduated from Carroll High School in 2010, earned an associate degree in business administration from Sinclair Community College, and transferred to Wright State to study human resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n He continued to work full-time at Dot\u2019s, applying much of his earnings toward college.<\/p>\n Moshos said the Wright State Raj Soin College of Business<\/a> helped him develop his public speaking skills and taught him how to be accountable for big projects.<\/p>\n He said Kim Lukaszewski, associate professor of management<\/a>, would stay after class to advise him about going into business. He credits her with giving him the confidence to buy Dot\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really helped me become what I am today,\u201d he said of his Wright State experience.<\/p>\n After graduating from Wright State in 2017, Moshos interviewed and applied for jobs in human resources. At the same time Moshos was looking for a new career, the owner of Dot\u2019s, Robert Bernhard Jr., was looking to sell the store.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just perfect timing,\u201d said Moshos. \u201cI salute Mr. Bernhard for the amazing company and brand his family created with Dot’s Market. I am truly blessed by the opportunity he has given me.\u201d<\/p>\n Brown said that in his 35 years in the business, he has never heard of a bagger of Moshos\u2019 age buying a grocery store.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really proud of Nick,\u201d he said, calling him advanced, mature, with many good ideas. \u201cHe\u2019s got a good head on his shoulders. I think he\u2019s going to do quite well.\u201d<\/p>\n Nick Moshos still bags groceries at Dot\u2019s from time to time.<\/p><\/div>\n Moshos typically arrives for work at Dot\u2019s at 7 a.m. There is no such thing as an average day. He just handles things as they come up, including the occasional bagging.<\/p>\n \u201cYou get a paper bag and you fit those cans in like you\u2019re playing a video game like Tetris,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s really an art to it.\u201d<\/p>\n As owner, Moshos plans to make greater use of social media to raise the store\u2019s profile and connect with customers. He will also create loyalty cards so customers can accumulate purchasing points and will develop an e-commerce website that will enable customers to place delivery and pickup orders electronically through an app.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve done home delivery here for 25-plus years, but this is going to be new for us, to be able to shop online,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to reach out to a different audience now, a different type of customer that wants to order online.\u201d<\/p>\n Dot\u2019s delivers to houses, apartments and even nursing homes. The drivers will even help customers put their groceries away if needed.<\/p>\n Moshos acknowledges that the grocery business in the Dayton area is highly competitive. He said Dot\u2019s competes with the larger chain stores by using strong advertising and aggressive temporary price reductions.<\/p>\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t been run out of town and we\u2019re here to stay,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n When Moshos isn\u2019t working at a grocery store, he checks out other stores by going price-shopping around town.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a grocery guru. I can\u2019t help it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nick Moshos, a human resources graduate from Wright State, buys Dot’s Market after working at the local grocery store for 11 years. Continue reading ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2019\/03\/Nick-Moshos-20908_026-508x286.jpg\")
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