Njam-Njam grows into new quarters on Canal Street

The economy may not be booming for everyone, but two local entrepreneurs aren't complaining. Sue Scott of Sanbornton and Anita Vojnovic of Laconia — partners in Njam-Njam (pronounced Yum-Yum) Market, have been open for less than a year and already they've outgrown their original location.

"We wanted to add more inventory — to bring in more items," explained Vojnovic, a Croatian refugee who settled in New Hampshire four-and-one-half years ago with her husband Matija and twelve-year-old daughter Mateja. "We didn't have enough room at the old location."

The store originally opened in a tiny space tucked into one end of the Ye Olde Boxcar Shoppe on New Salem Street. Now it's occupying a stand-alone shop on Canal Street, affording it more space, and Vojnovic hopes greater visibility as well.

Noting that their success has come from a steady stream of regular customers — many of which are immigrants from the former Yugoslavia — Vojnovic hopes the new location will help the store attract a broader base of consumers. "It's so cold now, there are not many people walking around," she observed. "But once it's warm, more people will be walking on the street and will find us."

Vojnovic and her husband, who works at Freudenberg in Northfield, have found much to like in Laconia, finally purchasing their own home and settling in to the community. Her daughter helps out at the store when she's not attending Memorial Middle School, and though she does have memories of Croatia, she's adjusted well to living in the U.S. and has picked up English with just a "tad" of a New Hampshire accent.

Njam-Njam features a veritable cornucopia of imported food items, from pudding and chocolate to coffee and pasta and sausages and meat. With the added space Vojnovic sees the variety of foods continually growing, but they're careful about what they stock.

"We don't want to have what Shaw's has," she said. "We're trying to bring in items that people can't find anyplace else."

Most of the imported goods are obtained through distributors in New York, though a lot of the meats come from Illinois. "We are always looking for new suppliers," she said.

But even with the focus of the store being on imported, specialty food items that appeal to immigrants, Vojnovic is also putting to use what she's learned about marketing in America. Atop the shelves in the store are colorful gift baskets, stuffed full of delectable treats. "We're making them for Valentine's Day," she explained. "We want to follow American holiday traditions.