Catie: Yes. Well, I mean it’s mostly American stuff, but we have a lot of Italian and French designers and some others at well. We want to experiment more with that. These days we spend a lot of time in New York. And then of course we go to Paris about four times a year. And then sometimes we’ll switch it up and go to London or maybe South America. It’s good to go to new places.

SFBG: Yeah, I’ve heard that. Where are you from originally?
Catie: Bakersfield.

SFBG: You’re from Bakersfield? That’s kind of random. I lived outside of Palm Springs for a while. Same neighborhood, I think.
Catie: Actually, Palms Springs is about two hours away.
Melissa: Do you know where the name of our store comes from?

SFBG: Oh, yeah. Something about a carrot farm, right?
Melissa: Yeah. That’s why we’re from Bakersfield. The farming business is down there and our family’s farm is the world’s largest producer of baby carrots. We also do organics and some other things as well. My father and his brother started the business. They’ve both passed away, but Grimmway is still very much a family business. That’s why we named our store Carrots.

SFBG: Did you have a lot of weird carrot stuff going on when you were kids? I mean, I heard the owner of the Baskin-Robbins Empire ate ten gallons of ice cream a day until the day he died. And then there’s the guy who patented the technique for pearl farming. He crushed pearls up in his food every night. Anything like that going on back in Bakersfield?

Catie: Yes. We had to drink a glass of carrot juice every single night at dinner. And we had to drink a glass of milk too.

Melissa: She’s right. A glass a night. Unfortunately, it did nothing for my eyesight. I just had Lasik surgery.

SFBG: Ouch. So why did you decide to move up to San Francisco?
Melissa: Well, we’re from California, so I’ve always loved the California lifestyle. I was actually living in Texas for a while and I was always wanting to move back here. I picked San Francisco because I feel like it embodies the California lifestyle. You know, you have all the outdoors activities right at your fingertips. The city’s friendly and people are easygoing. San Francisco is laid back. In our opinion it’s just the best of everything in one spot.

SFBG: And the cultural diversity thing is pretty cool too, right?
Melissa: Definitely.

SFBG: So, that brings me to the reason I’m here: your new styling campaign for men who drink beer. Where did that idea come from?

Melissa: That was our idea. We just wanted to create an environment where people –singles, couples, whatever—could enjoy the experience and be comfortable. You know, they can sit around, shop…have an espresso or a glass of wine. They can enjoy a carrot cupcake too! We figured men would appreciate it and feel more comfortable. They’d want to hang out more.

Catie: That’s always been really important to us, to create a place that’s not just a place to shop, but a place you actually want to hang out.

SFBG: Well, I guess you pulled it off. I was nervous a minute ago, but now that I got half a Tallboy in me I feel awesome. Maybe I should try those fancy sunglasses on, huh?

Melissa: Ha. Of course you should! The beer/styling thing comes from our experience with men coming in the store. Some men come in here and they know exactly what they want. They’re very comfortable with their style and they know what they like. But then we get a lot of men coming in and they want help. You know, they want someone to help them put things together. But it can be hard to pull that out of them. So we thought that by doing something to encourage men to come in, we could work with them easier. We’re like, “Come on in, grab a beer, and we’ll throw some good things together for you.”

SFBG: So is this styling-appointment-with-beer thing taking off? It seems pretty unique. I mean, honestly; I know girls do this kind of thing, but I’ve never heard of a styling appointment for men, let alone one with beer.

Catie: Yeah, it’s pretty unique. But people are catching on. We’ve gotten quite a few calls actually. And it’s getting better too. We’re actually working on our own beer. It’s going to be a wheat beer with carrots in it.

SFBG: So, here’s the question. Is it easier to sell clothes to drunk men?
Melissa: Um…well, I’d have to say yes, but it’s not like we’re trying to get people drunk. Most people will have a beer or two to relax rather than like ten to get drunk. But yes, alcohol does tend to loosen things up a bit.

SFBG: Well, you convinced me. Let’s do this. Whatcha got?

Melissa: Oh we got a bunch of nice stuff for you. Here, I’ll hold your beer and you go on into the change room. And if you need a new size or a different color, just say the word.

Carrots
843 Montgomery, SF
415-834-9040
www.sfcarrots.com