Taking stock

Josie and Leo Casella created their dream corner store and in doing so, have become the glue of their quiet suburb. By Kate de Brito.

Life came together for Josie Casella, 38, in 1999 when she drove past a run-down corner store in a quiet Brisbane suburb. As she peered through the dusty windows of the 60-year-old shop in leafy Tarragindi – about six kilometres from the city – Josie fell head-over-heels in love. With husband Leo, 42, she hatched a plan to buy the neglected shop and turn it into something more than just a pit stop for bread, milk and newspapers.

Eight years later, Josie’s dream is a thriving reality. The once empty shelves are scrubbed clean and filled with groceries, and the shop is a bustling community hub where locals come to meet, catch up and connect. Josie knows almost all her customers by name, and in 2006 Josie & Leo’s Convenience Store was named a finalist in the Paul’s Community Store of the Year award.

5.30am: Josie wakes to an alarm and gets up to start ironing and laying out clothes for the family. “I know I should do it all at once, but I like the quiet time,” says Josie. While her children David, 13 and Amelia, 11, continue to sleep, Josie watches the morning news or jumps on the treadmill for a 30-minute workout. For the past three years the Casella family lived in the three rooms directly behind the shop. While many people would complain about the less-than-perfect conditions – just two bedrooms and a kitchen – Josie says it brought the family closer together. It wasn’t until July this year that they moved into their own house.

6.30am: Showered and dressed, it’s time to open up the shop. Josie and Leo’s new five-bedroom home is ideally situated, directly across the park from the store. Josie strolls the short distance to the store, unlocks the double doors and brings out tables and chairs. With Leo’s help, she brings in newspapers and daily deliveries of bread and milk, fruit and vegetables. Back home, David and Amelia get up, have breakfast and start preparing for school. It’s been a new experience for Josie to give the children this freedom after years of living behind the shop. But she can’t conceal her joy at having a new home and space for the family to grow. “I love what we do here, but it’s been nice to be able to close the doors and say: ‘Work is over; let’s enjoy some family time,’” says Josie.

7am: The first customers begin to trickle in. Josie knows she will be almost non-stop throughout the day as people drop in to get food for work and school in the mornings, then lunches and later, for dinner. Along with the usual bread, milk and ice-cream, Josie and Leo sell gourmet frozen meals, homemade dips and yoghurts, and serve coffee and sandwiches. They also rent out DVDs and take in dry-cleaning. Unlike many of the impersonal 24-hour convenience stores, Josie and Leo wanted to maintain the look of an old corner store, complete with original shelving. “From the moment I walked in, I just had a really warm feeling,” recalls Josie. “It looked like an old-fashioned milk bar and I just wanted to open it up and bring it back to what it used to be.” David and Amelia arrive at the store and David soon hops on the bus to his nearby high school.

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