Four years after starting Hardy’s Market at 10200 Old Olympic Highway, Randy DuPont of Sequim opened a second store – Hardy’s Market 2 – on April 30.

"We built Hardy’s Market on customer service," DuPont said.

"We want people to know they’ll get the same service here."

The first Hardy’s Market is known for its deli with local food, comfy seating area and large selection.

DuPont plans to bring the same atmosphere of an-tiques, a seating area and food and drink selection to the second market at U.S. Highway 101 and Taylor Cutoff Road.

"We’re going to build it up like the other store," he said.

"Normally a convenience store of this size wouldn’t have seating inside, but we want the customer to come in to see us."

Hardy’s Market 2 runs in conjunction with a Texaco and Pacific Pride gas station that DuPont purchased.

He leases the convenience store from Pettit Oil, for which he managed several convenience store gas stations years ago.

All in the name

Tricia Hoeper, DuPont’s niece, manages Hardy’s Market 2. Another five employees will work in the store, totaling 16 people at the two businesses.

DuPont’s sisters Diana Lynn Williams and Debbie Terwillger work at the first Hardy’s Market. Williams is the business’ accountant and Terwillger the manager.

The name Hardy’s didn’t come from DuPont.

He said the first market’s builder, Mike Hardy, named

it after himself so DuPont

just kept it.

Future franchise?

DuPont said he is looking for opportunities to expand his business into Poulsbo.

"There’s a lot of opportunity there," he said.

"It’s also beautiful."

He has scouted a few locations and plans to continue looking.

For now, he’s taking customer requests for items to stock at Hardy’s Market 2 to build relations among his staff and customers.

"We did that at the other store and our inventory nearly doubled," DuPont said.