Celebrating 60 Years of Family-Owned Health Food Business in Carson City: A Legacy Continues

Phil DuBois took a chance in 1964 by opening DuBois Health Food Center, before health foods and vitamins became popular. The first location was in the closet of his massage shop on Corbett Street. Over the years, the store changed locations and grew in size but remained a family-owned business. On May 1, 2024, the store celebrated its 60th year in operation.

Judy DuBois, Phil’s spouse, spoke about the significance of reaching this milestone. She said that Phil believed the store was there for the people of Carson City and loved the town. Unfortunately, Phil passed away in 2017, and Judy ran the store until this year when her health issues made it challenging for her to manage. Justin Justus, the DuBois’ grandson, stepped in to help with operations.

Justus’ daughter, Ofelia, represented four generations of the DuBois business as she followed her father around the store on the anniversary day. The store offers vitamins, herbs, bulk grains, flours, homeopathic products and supports local vendors. Justus highlighted some challenges faced by the business in recent years such as losing customers after moving locations and facing tougher distribution for products due to prioritization of large chain stores like Sprouts.

Despite these challenges, Justus expressed confidence in the store’s offerings compared to larger stores like Sprouts. DuBois Health Food Center is located at 1851 N. Carson St., and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 5:30 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information call (775) -882-2451 [End]