PARTNERS IN BUSINESS AND LIFE: Carousel Supermarket’s Ashley and Dock Haney
BY BRITTANY HAWES PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIFFANI DANIELLE CASCADDEN[dropcap]A[/dropcap]shley and Dock Haney are a shining example of Bay County’s entrepreneurial spirit, loyalty to family, pride in ownership, and dedication to the community.
Long-time residents will remember Lahan’s Carousel Supermarket on Laguna Beach from the days when there were only a handful of hotels and just a few visitors in the area. Situated in a section of Panama City Beach’s west end, Carousel is located on Front Beach Road across from the Gulf of Mexico, giving shoppers an unobstructed view of the opalescent sea, flying pelicans, and the sun-kissed horizon as they set out to purchase produce and necessities.
It all started with Joseph Broderick “J.B.” Lahan, Ashley’s grandfather. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, J.B. became captivated by the natural beauty of the area while staying in Phillips Inlet for a fishing trip. It was during this trip that he decided to purchase the land that he founded and developed as Laguna Beach in 1936. His son Charles B.
“Charlie” Lahan and his wife Ann opened Carousel Supermarket in 1967. It has remained a family-owned-and-operated business. Their children, Ashley and her older sister Anna Catherine and younger brother Patrick, grew up in the store. As a child, Ashley would eagerly help her parents every summer. Her duties included organizing floats and cleaning shelves, and she was promoted to cashier during her early teen years.
The passion and deep connection citizens share with their hometown and the stakes they put down are palpable when entering this gem of a retail store that impresses with quality products and its wide, fresh selections.
Carousel Supermarket combines fresh groceries, an extensive wine and liquor store, and a coastal-flair gift shop under one roof. It is a place where you find a bit of everything. In the aisles, products such as Carousel-brand jams and jellies are customer favorites. Ready-to-cook meat from Carousel’s own butcher, who has been cutting and packaging fresh— never frozen—meat daily for 15 years have appreciative customers traveling from near and far for
the quality. Ashley’s mother is the creative mind behind the charming gift shop, which carries a wide array of local art, jewelry, and unique gift ideas and fashion. The wine section, which carries the distinguished vibe and décor of an upscale restaurant, has bottles from the finest wineries and best years on display. It has one of the best retail wine selections in Northwest Florida. Clients look to Dock Haney for his expert opinion and recommendation of best vintages and years.
As Dock and Ashley are carrying on with the family tradition, they have put their mark on the Carousel with building improvements and upgrades while still retaining the original character of the store. One of their biggest projects was to transform the façade with a design that preserved the original “porch” and views of the Gulf of Mexico.
After 20 years of marriage, and working in the same store for just as long, Ashley and Dock are the perfect team. One early morning, the proud storeowners took a break to tell us more about Carousel and how the dynamic duo came to be both business and life partners.
How did Carousel Supermarket come to be?
Ashley: After college, my dad joined the Army, and then he came back here and helped my grandad with real estate
and construction. He saw a need for a grocery store on the west end of the beach and opened the Carousel in 1967 in this building, which was not nearly as big as it is now. At the time, my grandparents used it as a real estate office and community center. In the late 1970s, he added the back half of the store, which doubled its size. Charlie was the
first person to bring fine wine to the area and introduced customers to Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and other selections from around the world.
How did you become co-owners of Carousel?
Ashley: We were married in 1998, five years after graduating from Bay High School. We’ve been married now for 20 years. The opportunity presented itself. My dad said, “Look. I need your help. I can’t do this by myself. Are you guys in or not?”
Dock: We’ve had a common goal from day one. It took a long time to figure out how to run the entire store. Ashley’s father put us in charge of a few departments and told us to figure it out from there.
Ashley: It was kind of sink or swim. Through that process, we learned a lot from failure. We learned how to make things better.
How are store responsibilities divided between you?
Dock: Ashley spends a lot of time looking at products that are relevant and making sure we have a good mix of everything in the store. She’s great at what she does.
Ashley: Dock works really hard to make sure the wine section is stocked not only with wines to be enjoyed every day but also wines meant for collecting or special occasions, while demanding the best prices to pass on to our customers.
Dock: One of my biggest responsibilities is acquiring items that make our customers return, whether it be a value wine for every day or a wine that you know is going to be memorable. The price is not as important as a customer enjoying what they purchased.
Ashley: When it comes to management issues, it is always a collaborative discussion. On an individual basis, Dock is the people-person. He loves nothing more than to connect with our customers and has built so many meaningful relationships over the years. I am more of the behind-the-scenes person in charge of merchandising, researching products, and accounting.
Do you have children?
Ashley: We have two children: Cate, who is 12, and Knox, who is 6. Knox loves it at the store. He likes to stand upfront and talk to the customers. He’s never met a stranger. Cate is amazingly helpful.
Dock: Knox likes to use the dolly. He puts a box on there so he can take it to the stock room. Cate is a hard worker when she’s here, and she simply knows how to get things done.
Ashley: Having children was our biggest challenge, in regard to running the store. It kind of rocked our world. We had to juggle a lot of responsibilities and learn the new ones that come with being a parent. But I think we managed well.
What tips can you share with other couples working together?
Dock: Communication is important. You need to be able to communicate and listen to what the other person has to say. And this kind of work goes home with you. It’s part of our lives. We can’t leave work at work.
Ashley: We often talk about work-related plans, ways to improve the company, things that are going well, and ongoing projects.
Dock: If you’re married, if you’re a couple and you find that you can define the goals and have the communication to accomplish them, that’s great. Just don’t get too high and don’t get too low. We have bad days, we have good days. But you get up in the morning and do it again, no matter what.
Do you have any Valentine’s Day traditions?
Dock: It is a busy work week for us, so we always enjoy a great bottle of Champagne at home and look forward to a nice evening out later in the week.
Stop by Carousel Supermarket on Valentine’s Day and pick up your special bottle of wine to celebrate with your loved one! Carousel Supermarket is located on 19440 Front Beach Rd., Panama City Beach, Florida, 32413.
Call for more information: (850) 234-2219