The Old-School Grocery Store Where Billionaires Shop

Nestled in the charming town of Woodside, California, lies one of the oldest grocery stores in the state. With only about 5,000 people calling Woodside home, one wouldn't expect to see choice items like caviar and house-made Cambridge sausage sold in the establishment. Those are just a couple of the special products you'll find at Roberts Market. It's a place where many customers probably aren't concerned with learning any money-saving tricks for grocery shopping because a significant portion of the clientele are bona fide billionaires.

Once a grocery haunt where the likes of affluent celebrities such as famed musician Neil Young and the legendary Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana would stop by and converse with folks regularly, Roberts Market now hosts billionaires like Charles Schwab and one of the wealthiest people in the world, Larry Ellison. Time is money, as they say, and given that the closest other grocery store option is 3 miles from town, venture capitalists and successful entrepreneurs who reside in Woodside flock to Roberts for everyday grocery items and premium products alike.

Not everyone who shops at Roberts is teeming with cash. Many customers who shop alongside billionaires like Thomas Siebel and Gordon Getty are working-class folks laboring as construction workers or chefs. Workers at the old-school grocery store continue to accommodate them with the same friendly service they have been providing since the late 1800s.

Roberts Market isn't the oldest grocery store in America that's still standing, but it's close. Founded in 1889 by W.F. Roberts, it was first located in San Francisco's Tenderloin District before moving to the Lower Pacific Heights area of the city. Called the Alta Plaza Market at the time, the founder changed the name to W.F. Roberts and Sons in 1919. When W.F. Roberts passed away, he left the store in the capable hands of his three boys, who kept the business running strong until the 1960s.

When W.F. Roberts' children were ready to retire, the son of W.F. Roberts Jr., George, took the reins of the company. One day, while traveling through Woodside, he noticed an old general store for sale and didn't wait for opportunity to knock twice. He purchased what would become Roberts of Woodside, eventually converting it into a posh grocery store and changing the name once more to Roberts Market around 1980.

Even then, Woodside was home to plenty of folks with means, and he began sourcing upscale products that would entice them to continue shopping at his store. Yet, he didn't forget about the working-class customers. Everything from Spam to quail eggs to marinated raw steaks to wine is available at Roberts Market, as well as affordable deli sandwiches for customers who want a bite to eat on the go.

Sadly, George Roberts passed away in 2023. Today, the grocery store is helmed by George's daughter, Christine. While many old-school grocery stores have been forced to close over the years, Roberts Market continues to thrive under her leadership, and billionaires and average Joes alike still look forward to stopping in for whatever is on their shopping list.