Nantucket Trading Post opens ahead of kitchen
BUSINESS
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
The welcome flag is flying, the shelves and coolers are fully stocked, and perhaps by today the coffee pots at Nantucket Trading Post will be brewing fresh Starbucks java to accompany a selection of Dunkin' Donuts.

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent John Trudel, left, and Somwong Kyomitmaitee. The rock sits by the new Nobadeer Farm Road store.

Though complete plans for the convenience store at 12 Nobadeer Farm Road include a prepared Thai food menu, the commercial kitchen will not be operational for about two more months, so owner John Trudel decided to open the store for the summer.

"We pretty much opened the door while we were waiting to get coffee and our commercial kitchen going, but we opened without full publicity so people wouldn't be disappointed coming in," said Trudel, who launched the year-round business about two weeks ago and began advertising last week. "We're holding off on the grand opening until we have food, but we are having activity with people coming by, seeing us open and coming in."

Trudel had his own trucking business in New Jersey that he sold when he moved to Nantucket in 1994. Shortly after arriving he bought Yogurt Plus and the Oak Street property it was sited on, which he later sold to Matt Fee. Trudel also started a property management business here in 1997 which he still runs.

Trudel's partner in the Trading Post, and currently its daily operator, is Somwong "Wong" Kyomitmaitee, who will eventually head the kitchen. Kyomitmaitee, who has culinary experience in Boston and California restaurants, was brought to the island in 1988 by Chin Manasmontri and was lead chef in the kitchen of Chin's, a Thai and Chinese restaurant formerly located where the Bamboo Supper Club is now. Kyomitmaitee will specialize in Thai dishes for the Trading Post, but wants to leave the menu flexible to accommodate customer requests.

Nantucket Trading Post is not permitted to serve take-out, so customers will instead place dinner orders for delivery or stop by the store and purchase ready-made, hot and cold dishes. Prepared lunches will also be available.

Kyomitmaitee's wife, Kob, is at the store's check-out counter, and Trudel said he will be needing to hire someone year-round to make the dinner deliveries. For now, Kob is keeping busy ringing up purchases of bread, dairy products, crackers, chips and other snacks, sauces, pasta, some toiletries and household supplies, which are already proving popular.

"We sold a whole case of detergent the first week," said Kyomitmaitee.

For Trudel, who has been working towards this business dream for many months, it is pleasing to see how much patronage the Trading Post is already generating. Since it is centrally located where no other such stores exist and will be open all year, he hopes the store will be successful and a destination for residents of 'Sconset and Tom Nevers as well as the developing residential neighborhoods on Nobadeer Farm Road and in surrounding areas.

"We're also waiting for our phone hook-up. We have our number but we're not activated yet, and the lottery commission is ready to get us on line," he said on Friday. "It's little bit by little bit, but people are already coming in to get milk, eggs and bread. It's a place to quickly come in, grab and go. I'm here for the 20-year plan and I want to take it slowly and do it right. I want

to make sure it's done correctly." I