By Neil Farrell

It could be one of the smallest markets anywhere but Los Osos native, Cherry Jones, sees the Cherry Blossom Asian Market as a first step towards a bigger dream of owning a restaurant too.
Cherry and husband Mike Jones opened the approximately 500 square foot market (with a couple hundred square feet of storage in back) at 950 Los Osos Valley Rd., Suite B, about 6 months ago and Cherry says business has been hanging in there.
She’s stocked her tiny store with lots of Asian specialty foods, snacks, sauces and more, pretty much everything one would need for a fantastic Asian food dish, you’ll find here.
Some of the products include Squid Brand fish sauce, blue crabs, head-on fish, pork bellies, shrimp chips, fish crackers, canned bamboo shoots, Siracha Hot Chili Sauce, canned and fresh quail eggs, coconut gel, pancit noodles, moon beans and lots of other exotic sauces and foods.
“This is stuff you just can’t buy in just any old grocery store,” says Mike Jones, giving a tour of the store as Cherry helps a customer.
While these products would naturally appeal to the Asian community — Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Korean — Cherry says they have a diverse base of customers who might be experimenting with Asian cooking or looking to try out an ethnic recipe.
The store is small, so Cherry says they sometimes get customers coming in looking for something she might not carry. “When they want something,” Cherry explains, “and I don’t have it; I can order it and get whatever they want.”
She’s hoping the little market is successful and some day she can fulfill her true dream. “I’m just starting out,” she says. “We’re just getting the business running. I’m learning more about business every day. I hope it is successful, so we move to a bigger spot and possibly do some cooking. If we can grow it bigger, I can get my own restaurant.”
The store sits across the street from Los Osos Rexall in what has primarily been an office/retail complex (The Bay News office was next door for several years in the mid-2000s). There’s parking in the rear but it’s not exactly a high-traffic area, where most markets would ideally be located.
But with a little effort Los Ososans can shop at an authentic Asian Market, picking up some unique and exotic items to try and help one of their native daughters pursue her dreams. Call 540-2212.
In the photo are Cherry and Mike Jones with grandson No. 3, Aiden. Photo by Neil Farrell