At Southtown Health Foods, the motto “Discover a Healthier Lifestyle” is not a mere slogan. It is a promise that the store has been making to its customers for generations. This family-owned business, led by store President Emil Mahler, is a cornerstone of the Chicago South Side neighborhood of Beverly.

“Southtown Health Foods is more than just a store,” Emil said with enthusiasm. “We’re a destination for those seeking to improve their health naturally.”

The store offers an extensive range of products ranging from vitamins, supplements and herbs to organic produce and meat alternatives and catering to a diverse array of dietary needs and preferences.

“Our customers choose us for the personalized attention they receive,” said Emil. “It’s a level of service that’s unique to Southtown Health Foods.”

That personal touch with customers has led to a legacy of success stories.

“I had a customer who came back after a year and thanked me, because she stopped drinking two liters of soda a day, and her issue had gone away,” said Emil with satisfying grin. “Because she was drinking a lot of soda at the time, she came in to see me and I decided there’s nothing I could do for her unless she changed her lifestyle first and got herself off the soda. At which point she started to cry because she couldn’t do that. A year later she came back and thanked me for it. She had tears of joy!”

Gateway to wellness

Southtown Health Foods established its roots first in the Southtown Englewood neighborhood in 1942. In 1946, Emil’s mother who was a registered nurse, purchased the store because she was raising five children and working nights as a registered nurse and “she wanted to change her lifestyle.” Emil Mahler purchased the store in 1978 and took the reins from his mother who wanted to retire. Emil has been running Southtown foods ever since.

Before taking over Southtown Health Foods, Emil’s background was in education. He served as a school administrator and teacher. He brings a unique perspective of 50 years at this retail store with an understanding that educating his customers about healthy living makes his business unique. The family tradition continues with Emil’s daughter, Katie Speh, now serving as the store’s general manager.

“We’ve always been a family business,” Emil explained proudly. “Katie manages one side of the store, I handle the other, and her husband, Michael, takes care of purchasing and inventory.”

Katie’s connection to the store runs deep with 21 years of employment at Southtown Health Foods.

“I love working here because of our small community feel,” explained Katie with a smile. “Our regular customers have become like family. I’m passionate about helping people with their health and well-being, educating them about nutrition.”

Thriving in a competitive market

Southtown Health Foods has successfully navigated the health food landscape and maintains its relevance in a market increasingly dominated by larger retail chains and online shopping.

“Customers come to Southtown Health Foods for supplements, and they also come for their groceries because they can trust us with the products that we have in our shop,” explained Emil.

“The health food industry is very competitive, especially since the advent of major chains and online marketplaces. However, we’ve found our niche by focusing on quality, knowledge, and personalized service.”

“We do extensive research and provide advice to our customers,” added Emil. “Our employees are well versed in vitamins and supplements, often going the extra mile to find information for customers with specific health concerns.”

Southtown Health Foods also has a robust inventory of organic produce that includes locally grown fruits and vegetables. Customers can also shop for a variety of organic bath and beauty products.

“Many of our customers come in with health issues like high blood pressure or digestive disorders,” Katie continued to explain. “Over the years, I’ve educated myself to better assist them (customers), by attending special classes and learning from experience.”

Emil says Southtown Health Foods continues to thrive by leveraging its strength, which is making sure customers have information and knowledge about the health products they are buying.

“This store is always busy because we give them (customers) great service,” added Emil with a smile. “We listen to them. We talk to them and we consult and they love it. Sometimes it’s about their family and sometimes it’s about themselves. We are on a first name basis for most of our customers and they all know Katie’s name and Michael’s name!”

Katie understands the lure of lower prices and shopping for health products conveniently from home. She says the online shopping experience is easily the stiffest source of competition for their retail store.

“They (Amazon) can deep discount online,” explained Katie. “Amazon still is going to offer you the best discounts on supplements. That has been a challenge for us in the last six to eight years. People will come in. They want the information from us. They’ll ask us about supplements. They’ll see what we have. They might buy it the first time from us and then they’re going to go purchase it again online.”

“We counter this by providing an experience and level of service that can’t be replicated online,” Katie stressed.

The Mahler family’s approach to business is rooted in integrity and leading by example.

“My father and I work together, but so does my mom,” Katie said about her mom who is at the store as many as three days a week. “She has a huge following. I’m learning from my parents on how to educate and teach our customers as well. My grandma did the same thing. Taught my dad. Taught my mom, and now they’ve done it for me.

“As for working with my dad, this has been his baby for probably fifty years, so he likes to be in control, which is fine and we do get along well.”

A legacy of health

At the age of 80, Emil says he still plays an active role in the business working on marketing initiatives and covering shifts when needed. He attributes his vitality to the products he sells at Southtown.

“I’m a great user of our products, which is why I’m still around at 80, using my full faculties and engaging with our customers,” Emil stated proudly.

At the end of the day, Katie and her father believe in making sure their customers walk out of their doors with a smile.

“We try and have a good time. You just don’t want it to be stressful,” said Katie. “People need to come in here and feel like it’s upbeat. You want them to be healthy. You want them to be positive.”

Keeping the doors open

While Emil and Katie understand that taxes are essential for business in Illinois to succeed, they also want political leaders to understand what stores like theirs face in the present economy.

“We have been in the city of Chicago since 1942, when taxes were maybe three or four or five dollars a month and now with taxes, we’re putting out close to forty thousand dollars just on property tax a year,” Emil stressed emphatically. “Our customers can only afford to pay so much and we can’t afford to keep on raising prices to cover their largesse in Springfield.”

Katie says the business climate is challenging these days for small retailers and start-ups in Chicago. She noted the rent that the business pays for its sidewalk sign as well as the cost of dumpster rental fees.

“The city is not servicing the dumpsters. We have a private service for that. But, I have to pay $1,000 for each dumpster on that property. So, you know, just all those little things start to add up.”

Advice for a new business owner

Emil had dedicated his professional life to the success of Southtown Health Foods. He believes the foundation of a successful business is sound money management. If you are not good with the “dollars and cents”. Emil says it is vital for a business owner to retain a skilled accountant or comptroller.

“For those who are thinking about going into retail they need to do their background study on how to be good at managing money,” Emil explained. “Oftentimes, men or women going into retail, they get their first hundred dollars coming from the product that they sold and they’ll go out and look for a new car. Forgetting that they have to pay the bills that cover the overhead to run the business.”

The love of healthy living is palpable with Emil and his extended family with the hands they shake in the aisles of the store and the smiles that they share with customers.

“I love being in retail, because I love getting to talk to my customers, I love helping them, and I love it more when they come back and say, ‘I have helped them.’” said Emil with a smile.

“I love working here because it is a small community where we have regular customers who come in all the time,” added Katie. “They have really become somewhat of my family. I see them more than my family, and I just love helping people with their health and well-being and educating them on foods that they should be eating, foods that they shouldn’t be eating.”

“I’m grateful that they trust me,” Katie shared. “I’m grateful that I have the knowledge to help them (customers). That’s why they keep coming back. They trust us. We give them good information. We truly care about them. I don’t let people come in and just buy what they see online or buy what they saw or have a cart full of stuff. I truly try and get them the basics to start helping them heal.”