 |  |  |  |
| Artichoke Herb | Cranberry Walnut | Cheesey Artichoke | Garlic Herb Sourdough |
 |  |  |  |
| German Farm | Sante Chardonnay | Parmesan, White Truffle, Rosemary Sourdough | What an Idea!! Best Sandwich EVER!! |
While millennials are traveling far and wide to find their purpose in life, Chris Benedetti seems to have learned early on that he didn't need to look any further than his own backyard to find happiness. At 27, he proudly represents the fifth generation of Arcangeli Grocery Co. in Pescadero. It's a business that traces all the way back to his great-great-grandfather.
"I tell people I'm going to be here until I'm dead and buried like everyone else. I love it here," says Benedetti. He manages the family store while his father, Mike, is the current owner.
Five generations of family ownership is rare. According to one study by the Family Business Institute only 3 percent of businesses operate at the fourth generation and beyond. Benedetti is more than happy to share the family's secret recipe for survival.
"I think its because we're honest people. We've made it this long with hard work, determination and just being good people," he says.
And the owners aren't the only ones with a history at Arcangeli's customers also seem to share a long lineage of family memories.
"I talk to people who have been coming for generations. They say they remember when they were a kid and came with their dad and bought bread and went to the beach. Now they're bringing their kids and buying bread and going to the beach. It's like a good summer camp memory. I think that's the feeling we give people," says Benedetti.
"I really enjoy sharing our story. I think that's a lot of the charm and the beauty about our place is that you can still come here and we're still working. It's still family-run. It's still family-operated," says Benedetti.
Their story traces back to 1929, when the business was founded by Benedetti's great-great-grandfather, Sante Arcangeli, an Italian immigrant who came through Ellis Island and worked his way across America on the railroads before settling in San Francisco with his wife and three children. Not long after settling, his wife suddenly died, leaving him to raise their three kids by himself.
He ended up losing the children to the state.
"He wanted nothing more than to get his kids back so he was working his tail off. He was delivering bread out of San Francisco," Benedetti enthusiastically recounts. And despite the fact that he's likely told this story a thousand times, it's apparent he never tires of sharing it.
It was the Great Depression and there was no credit, which meant Arcangeli had to pay for the bread up front and was reimbursed upon deliveries. "The story goes, he had a big delivery for bread here in Pescadero and when he got here with all this bread, they stiffed him on it. So he got stuck with all this bread and lost a bunch of money," says Benedetti.
Instead of giving up, Arcangeli saw a light at the end of the tunnel. He opened up the first Arcangeli Grocery store right next to the store that had stiffed him.
Two years later, in 1931, he began building the store at the current site.
"So right after he finishes the building — the building is still in debt — he gets all the kids back and then he gets pneumonia and passes away at 55," says Benedetti.
Sante Arcangeli's daughter, Louise, who was only a teenager at the time, then took over the store. She is Benedetti's great-grandmother.
Chris has become as much a part of the narrative as the generations before him.
"There's pictures of men in the mixing bowl as a baby. Literally, it's been my whole life," says Benedetti.
He joined the family business full time seven years ago after attending California State University, Chico.
"I had my time in life where I wanted to get away and see other things and work a couple different jobs and see what life was all about. I decided what I had at home really isn't that bad at all. In fact, it's really cool," he says.
He says he's made his mark as the tech wizard, fixing the computers and working on their website and social media. And perhaps one of his greatest marks will be holding onto the family history and retelling their stories. Old photos of each generation line the store walls. The original cash register sits in front on display. A picture of Benedetti's great-great-grandfather Sante Arcangeli, the man who started it all, is printed on their products, a simple reminder of their roots.
Recently, Benedetti got married and traveled to Italy for part of his honeymoon. He visited the village near Lucca from where his family emigrated. He got to see firsthand the life they had left behind in search of something greater. And despite the 6,000-mile journey, he learned that all roads really do lead home.
"It really meant a lot to me, and I learned that part of Italy looks a lot like the Bay Area. And I could see why my family settled here in Pescadero. It makes a lot of sense. It probably reminded them of home.
