2020 is a year of celebration for us at Pass Health Foods! It marks our 25th year in Palos Heights, something not many small businesses can boast of. We are so grateful for our customers who have supported us through the years!
Sisters, Joanne and Theresa, bought Pass Health Foods back in 1995. At the time, both sisters had been working for the same company and were “downsized” and lost their jobs. They thought it would be wonderful to go into business together. They were interested in health, and were shopping at health foods stores regularly, so when they saw Pass Health Foods was for sale 25 years ago, they thought it was a great opportunity.
Owning a small business gave them flexibility (and it was small- the store was half the size back then) since they were both caring for their aging father at the time. The business gave them the ability to have one person work while the other took care of their dad. For a long time, it was just Joanne and Theresa working at the store, working in shifts to cover all the hours, with some extra help from Theresa’s mother-in-law, Betty, and a couple other family friends.
Margot Rosenstein was the first real employee at the store, who started back in 1998, and she still works one day a week even now. Margot used to be a caseworker at the Cook County Juvenile Court, which I feel is a surprise to people who know her now, since she is so sweet and soft spoken. She retired from the court in 1997 and had been a customer at the health food store when Theresa was pregnant. After Theresa had her son, Sam, she asked if Margot wanted to work there, and she’s been with us ever since!
Many other family members and friends have worked at the store over the years and some, like Erick and Sarah, continue to this day.
I, Carolyn, am Theresa and Joanne’s niece and stared working at the store in 2002, and then Liz, the other store manager began working at the store while I was pregnant with my daughter, River, in 2010. Liz worked on the PTA with Theresa at their son’s schools, and after getting to know her, Theresa asked Liz if she’d like to work at the health food store with them.
Much at the store has changed over the years, though much has stayed the same too. We still carry many of the same supplement lines that we did when the sisters bought the store back in 1995. There have been lots of fads and trends, but I think we’ve stayed true to our mission of really trying to help people, and to be a place where people can come for trusted advice and information on natural health.
In addition to celebrating our 25th year, we are also celebrating that Liz and I (Carolyn) are now going to be part owners along with Joanne and Theresa. We’re all excited for this next chapter, and in looking forward to the next 25 years in Palos Heights.
To celebrate, we will be having a reception at the store on Saturday, January 4th from 12-2 with all of us and our families together. Please stop by for a piece of cake and to say hello! In addition to a regular cake, we'll also have a gluten and dairy-free cake for our customers with dietary restrictions.
Mayor Straz of Palos Heights will also be in attendance and has said that he will be proclaiming January 4th as Pass Health Foods Day. We hope to see you all there!
Theresa, Carolyn, Joanne, and Liz, Co-Owners of Pass Health Foods