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Lisa’s Central Market changes hands

Sierra Countis
Sierra Sun
Ryan Salm/Sierra SunMatthew Lamb, the new owner of Lisa's Central Market in Truckee sells groceries to Kate Rosa of Truckee on Friday.
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For the last eight years, Lisa Boudreau, founder of Lisa’s Central Market in downtown Truckee, has pulled 12- to 14-hour workdays.

And now, instead of waking everyday to meet a 5 a.m. produce delivery, Boudreau said she decided to sell the business to spend more time at home with her family.



Boudreau and her husband, Mark Griffin, started an organic produce delivery service when they moved to Carnelian Bay nine years ago, Boudreau said. That burgeoning business turned into Lisa’s Central Market, which not only provides organic groceries to local shoppers, but also frozen organic produce to chain stores such as Costco and Trader Joe’s.

The birth of the couple’s daughter, Jolie Griffin, now 1 and a half years old, caused her priorities to shift, Boudreau said. Lisa’s Central Market has been a fun adventure, but now her focus is on family.



“My baby was so used to saying bye-bye when I put my uniform on,” Boudreau said.

The new owner of the downtown organic market, Matt Lamb, and his wife have a 2-year-old son, with another child on the way, he said. The Lamb family moved from Roseville, Calif., to Truckee to get away from city living, Lamb said.

“I come from an insurance sales background,” Lamb said. “Food has always been a passion of mine. I love organic. I love to cook.”

Although Lamb has owned other businesses before, the market is new territory for him, he said. Lamb has been transitioning into the role of store owner since moving to town. He said he’s been learning the ins-and-outs of the store’s inventory, purchasing, and other tricks of the trade ” like rotating produce everyday.

Lamb said he knew running Lisa’s Central Market would prove challenging. Despite the long days, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., he said his new profession gives him a purpose and something to do every day of the week.

Boudreau said she is excited Lamb wants to maintain the business she started. In the meantime, Boudreau said she and Griffin will continue with their frozen organic produce business, Sierra Retail Partners, from home.

There will be some changes to Lisa’s Central Market in the future, like the store’s name, but nothing major, Lamb said.

“He’s been telling everyone he’s Lisa,” Boudreau said with a laugh.


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