Gardening and free popcorn with Miner's Ace Hardware president Paul Filice, Arroyo Grande

Paul Filice is the president of Miner’s Ace Hardware, a collection of nine “hardware stores” across the Central Coast. I put “hardware stores” in quotes because Miner’s is so much more than a hardware store, though that’s certainly how it began. In addition to all the usual stuff — hardware, tools, paint, etc — Miner’s has a wonderful housewares section featuring Traeger grills, Yeti coolers, Ball canning systems and more that I could spend all day exploring. It also has one of the best nursery departments in the business, which is our top choice for everything from seeds and veggie starts to the avocado tree, satsuma tree, and espalier apple tree in our front yard. It’s a family business: I grew up going to school with Amy Miner, Paul’s wife, so I’ve been able to watch it grow over the years. Listen to Paul tell stories about legendary employee Wally Lewis who retired at the age of 95, the man who drove a Harley directly into the Los Osos Miner’s and continued to shop on it, and about how the community knew COVID was over when the popcorn came back.

Website: minersacehardware.com

Instagram: @miners_ace_hardware