"An Informal Essay"

By Anthony Tomaselli

Introduction

"Why even write this? Do you really think people will read it?" That's what some have said.(Tina)

You tell me!

The story of the conception and life of T's is, I think, an interesting, funny and if I do say so, an inspiring kind of tale. It's really what my wife and I refer to as the American Dream. Two people in love wanting to control their own destiny, by becoming their own bosses. How many times have you, or you and your spouse said, "Let's do something that we really enjoy" or as I put it, "You make the muffins and I'll do the bull work", "All we need is something small. We don't need a lot." That's exactly how we started.  No real business experience, no real connections, and believe me, no money. What we did have were two basic intangibles that I thank God for, we had loyalty and a desire.  Loyalty to each other, loyalty from our family, friends and staff and loyalty over the years from you guys, our customers. And a desire to make things work, really work, not just on the surface but from the inside out. Our relationship always came first, our customers were not taken for granted and money was only part of the equation. What we wanted was a lifestyle that would give us opportunity to enjoy the fruits of life.  Fruits of life by our definition, meaning time.  Time to work, time to spend with each other, time to reflect and time to smell the flowers and watch the sun set. The road from 1982 to 2005 was not an interstate. It was more like building from a series of pathways turned to roadways. As you know, especially living in this state, roadwork never ends and potholes are a fact of life.

Part One

T's.  "What's the "T" stand for?" we're often asked. My reply, "Tony and Tina Tomaselli and, by the way, our children Tara and Anthony (Tony)." Twenty four years ago in a tiny variety store on Budlong Road in Cranston, there were no children, no ovens, no beautifully decorated dining rooms, no fancy computer generated menus, no fantastic staff, and no parking either. What there was were two people with this dream to put their working destiny in their own hands, young, brash, and of course we knew everything...well, I thought I did anyway.

Tina and I had just returned from a 10 week cross-country, finding ourselves, excursion...penniless. It was May of 1982, Jimmy Carter was president and interest rates were at 18%. I had a degree in art and years of restaurant experience, Tina had a nursing degree and was working for an orthopedic surgeon at the time. Together, we had an idea. You know those thoughts, "Let's do something that we can call our own," "Let's be our own bosses." The dream, the idea,  "Let's make a lifesyle that will bring us contentment."

I found myself before work one morning in May, after that trip across the continent, sitting in Pumpernick's Variety (soon to be T's Variety) at 289 Budlong Road, as I had done for years. I grew up in the house behind "The Store," you see. Penny candy in the 60's and my coffee and toast stop in the 70's. That morning the owner had enough. He was a bit older and ready to get out. And in a half-hearted fashion, I suggested that I buy "The Store". He lit up and said, "Put your money where your mouth is." My first issue was to convince Tina of this idea and get her on-board. Secondly, we would need financing for the project Enter, my parents and the refinancing of their home. At the time I did not know the seriousness of that and as much as I was appreciative of that gesture, I later realized, I took it for granted.

One month later there we were. Tina and I scraping old paint, cleaning old and almost useless equipment, sweeping, painting, and eager to open. Finally in late June of 1982, T's Variety opened it's doors to the public. Irv was our first customer ever and believe it or not, at the time of this writing, he still frequented "The Store." There were so many more regulars that became like family. To be honest, without family and friends like these, we might not have made it. Johnny (Rusty), Tom and Reese, were there every morning at 5:45am on their way to Davisville. Then the rest of the gang would show up, conversations ranged from Yankee-Red Sox debates to political and religious discussion. Did voices get a bit loud?  You Bet! Did people get mad? You Bet. Did they come back? You bet. We had fun!