House of Nutrition | Luzerne, PA | Alternative Grocery

Tom Swartwood

House of Nutrition	Phone: 570-714-0436 www.millhollowcafe.com
50 Main Street Luzerne, PA 18709

Profiles In Business Excellence: House Of Nutrition

Elizabeth Martin

     No-foolin', House of Nutrition opened on April 1, 1977 in Dallas, Pa. Being of the vegetarian persuasion himself, the concept was the right mix for proprietor Tom Swartwood.
     With an eye, and body, toward a healthful existence, Tom's goal was to provide the region with an "alternative" grocery store. And that he did, even through several relocations to the Dallas Shopping Center, Route 309 near Shadyside Lake, and eventually its most recent relocation to Main Street in Luzerne.
     At first, Tom split his time between two stores, including the Dallas location, but after cultivating a mailing list, he realized that his customer base came primarily from the valley.
     "We outgrew our first Luzerne store, but since we had already established ourselves here, we looked for another nearby location," said Tom. "We built and opened our new store, at 50 Main Street, in June, 2004."
     Tom then took his business sense to a new level, opening the Mill Hollow Cafe in February of 2005, offering organic, vegetarian cuisine.
     "I believed that my grocery customers would enjoy eating here, but that just wasn't the case," he said.
     Realizing the need to "expand" his menu, Tom added tuna, free-range chicken, and even organic beef options. For its New Year's Eve party, the cafe offered a prime rib dinner and for Valentine's Day, featured beef tenderloin.
     "Even though we now offer meat items, it is wild-fresh, and the beef is grass/organic fed," she explained.
     Tom recently added an in-house bakery, with baker Diane (maiden name Nemetz), who just happened to be looking for a lifestyle change, from that of her family's bakery.
     "It has been a learning curve for both of us, but we have since adjusted to a new organic baking process," said Tom.
     Their baked goods are served in the cafe as well as sold in the grocery store. Rumor is that Diane's carrot cake is "to die for!"
     "The alternative grocery has benefited from the cafe, and in turn, the store has helped the cafe financially," said Tom.
     Another change over the years has been House of Nutrition's space requirements, often for refrigerator space.
     "We sell more prepared food to our customers who enjoy the convenience of heat-and-serve meals," said Tom.
     Plus, his wife, Norma, has built up a gift store section that features jewelry and apparel items.
     Thanks to his years of perseverance and wanting the people of the Wyoming Valley to live healthier lives, Tom makes it possible for us and our families to do just that.