People love their fruit, while local dogs are happy to get a cookie from the owner.
As the only fruit shop in the heart of the city, Ptiček has been there for fifty years and has survived despite the dominance of the shopping centres and the famous Dolac market, although the store is located very close to it, reports Večernji List on March 24, 2016.
Miro Ptiček, the owner of the store, situated on the corner of Petrinjska and Đorđićeva streets, starts his work day at dawn. He manages the business with the help of his mother. He is convinced that the recipe for the survival of small shops is hard work and the relationship with customers. He always strives to accommodate them, so he procures fruit to order and delivers it. He made friends with the dogs from the neighbourhood and gives them cookies when they pass by his store. So, they gladly come to him even when their owners do not need to make a purchase.
"The shop has been here for 50 years. My mother worked here for 37 years, but we took over the place 20 years ago", Ptiček said. He is dedicated to his family business the whole day. At four in the morning he is already getting the fruit at the wholesale market, and around 7 am everything in the store is set up for the new business day.
When he wants to rest or have a cup of coffee, his mother jumps in. He comes back around noon and stays there until the closing time, which is 8 pm. Last summer, he worked all day long, until the closing, because his mother had health problems. People who love fruit do not regret paying good money for it. For example, the current price of sweet cherries is 250 kuna, but some of his customers order them by the kilo.
"Usually, the most popular are seasonal fruits, but I can say that the quality is still the most important factor", Ptiček said, noting that it was a pleasure for him to spend time in his small shop which covers only 28 square metres.
