16 APRIL 2022 with Lucia Schnitzer, co-owner of Luci’s Marketplace LUCI’S MARKETPLACE 1590 E. Bethany Home Road • lucismarketplace.com By Mallory Gleich T hrough trials, tribulations and life itself, Lucia Schnitzer and her husband, Ken, have emerged triumphant with the success of Luci’s Marketplace, which also serves as a café and coffee bar. Read on to learn more about a business born from heartbreak that has since found happiness. Where are you from? I’m originally from Tucson and moved to Phoenix when I was 20. Tucson was a fun, small town at the time, but I was looking for independence and a bigger city. I went looking for that and found it in Phoenix. And you’re the owner of Luci’s Marketplace? My husband and I are the initial owners. Three years in, we took on a partner, Jerry Mansoor. Jerry and Ken now take on the day-to-day operations at Luci’s. About 16 years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had a six-month- old baby at the time. It was a complete shock, and we found ourselves in a vulnerable situation, but I knew I had to get better. My husband was on the sidelines watching and felt so hopeless. He came up with the concept for a marketplace while I was in the chemo lounge – I guess it helped him cope? [ laughs ] So we talked about it, and from there, the concept became what it is now. Is it named after you? Yes – and I wasn’t happy about that at first. We were working with initials, but it didn’t flow. I’m a fourth-generation Lucia, and growing up, my nickname was Luci. To this day, I still have family members that call me Little Luci or Baby Luci! But the name is fitting. I’m a warm person, so the name demonstrates that. It’s a big virtual hug you get when you come into the establishment. It also represents the strength and hope that we had during the fight of our lives. From the start, we wanted our businesses to be community-based. I had an open-door policy for people who would come in with familiar stories – to offer them some hope. Did you always know you wanted to be a business owner? Yes – since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur. My family is Latin – we’re from Mexico and Morocco. We have this snack food called saladitos, which is a dried, salted plum. It’s so delicious. Anyway, it was a hot commodity in my elementary school, so when I was a kid, I made a special batch with different fruits and chili sauce, marinated the saladitos, bagged them, and brought them to school. I sold them for $2, and then there ended up being bidding wars – I was selling them for as high as $5! I was making good money and caught the fever. My parents were also entrepreneurs, and I watched how hard they worked – my mom raised us, and then she opened a storefront at one point. I saw the struggle, but they made it happen. I took that and made it my reality. What about before Luci’s? I worked in corporate America, at First Interstate Bank and then for American Express. I did that and just got tired of it, so I started working for a local company and met my husband. After the cancer battle, I realized how much I had missed with my daughter at the time – from six months to a year – and I just really wanted to stay with her, so I opened a Montessori- based daycare so I could create a learning environment for her. I ended up with ten kids and three employees who helped run it right before Luci’s opened in 2009. I learned a lot and spent time with my daughter. It was great. There are three locations? Luci’s at The Orchard is on 12th St. and Glendale. That’s where Pomelo and Splurge are – but Pomelo is no longer in business. During the pandemic, we had a chance to reevaluate our business, and we realized that it’s not going to work – we wanted to bring in more comfort and familiarity, so we’re in the process of opening The Orchard Tavern in place of Pomelo. There will be an expanded patio and outdoor seating – we’re just waiting on permits and the green light. It’ll be a place you can come every day to enjoy time with friends and family. The original location is 16th St. and Bethany Home Road. That’s where the blood, sweat and tears – and me chucking Power Bars at my husband – happened. We were able to give it a facelift and open the Other Bar – the theme is “everyone has a story,” and now, our stories and paths will cross. At 3 o’clock, the door between Luci’s and Other Bar closes, and it becomes its own entity. It’s a cool, small bar with drinks and a menu. Luci’s at The Grove is the newest, located at Hayden and McCormick Ranch. What was it like to open a business? I had no plans on doing day-to-day operations at Luci’s at all, and I had just given birth to my son when we opened. My husband called me and said, ‘I need your help,’ so I brought my son with me every day, feeding him in the office, and after that, it just didn’t stop. It’s so unpredictable, but it didn’t deter us from growing the business and growing our family. We became a husband and wife team. Three months after we opened, we had a fire and lost everything inside. Our amazing employees worked every day to help rebuild, and we did. We rebuilt everything. I remember feeling so defeated – putting our lives, money and energy to open it and feeling helpless. It was like the earth was going to open and swallow us, but then, in the next minute, we knew we had to be strong, get through it, be there for our kids. They are our “why.” Of course, I don’t have to explain the effects of the pandemic. We had just opened our third location at The Grove, and it takes time to establish your roots in a community. We were six months in and boom! The pandemic hit. We had fine dining and our catering business and had to lay off 120 employees. It was so hard, but we kept looking for the silver lining and thank God, we got through it. There’s also the guilt – like being a cancer survivor, you feel guilty that you survived and someone else didn’t. Our business survived, and the small businesses didn’t – it’s a punch in the gut. We could not do what we did if it weren’t for the community. What is the best part of owning a business? Seeing the effect that it has on our customers. We’re there to make sure the numbers are correct and that everyone is happy, you know? Most important is what comes out of the business. We’ve had people get married at Luci’s, proposals, business ideas birthed there. To hear and witness these things happening in something we created – that’s the best. What does a day in the life of Luci look like? We have four kids – 15, 12, 11 and 9 years old – so my day is carpooling, driving to sports and activities, fitting in yoga when I can, going to appointments. It’s a crazy day every day, but it’s the best job I could have asked for. I still do some consulting for the business and do cooking demonstrations on Channel 12. I also opened up a real estate transaction company – I go over the forms, notarize and work with title companies. It gives me a lot of freedom to be with my children and be part of their lives. We’re evolving, working and seeing where life takes us. Always embrace life and an opportunity so you can create your ripple in the world!

M A P O U T Y O U R R O U T E . W A N D E R A R O U N D A I M L E S S LY. either way, you’ll find something fun. O L D T O W N S C O T T S D A L E A Z . C O M Our authentic old west heritage distinguishes Old Town from other destinations. However, we have never been stuck in the past. Locals have come to appreciate us for our world-renowned cuisine and shopping, contemporary art galleries, western museums, evolving bar and nightlife scene, year-round events and boutique hotels ideal for stay-cations. We offer visitors the best of both worlds – new and exciting amenities in a walkable town that still honors the western trail that brought us here.