After decades of pivoting to meet changing economic times, the owners of a staffing and screening company are embarking on their most unusual venture yet: an all-in-one grocery store, restaurant and fitness center.
During the Great Recession in the late 2000s, Peter and Caroline O’Connor noticed that billable hours at the temp agency they owned, Carol Harris Staffing, were trending downward. So they began offering additional resources to clients such as office supply and furniture sales, background checks, landscaping work and — crucially, as it turned out — drug-testing services.
By 2009, the drug-testing operation branched off into a new company, AllSource Screening Solutions, which now operates across the nation. Along the way, AllSource outgrew its headquarters multiple times, moving from an office at Carol Harris to two Irwin storefronts and eventually moving to a warehouse in the Bushy Run Corporate Park in Penn Township.
It was this latest location that gave the O’Connors their next business idea: leveraging their existing logistics experience to try to provide value in a variety of ways.
“We’re expanding our mission by creating an AllSource multi-use facility, which brings together a grocery store, restaurant, lounge and gym under one roof,” said Caroline O’Connor. “The goal is simple: Help families save money while creating a place where the community can gather.”
And while an industrial park may seem an odd choice for that endeavor, a quick look around dispels that. The businesses on Pontiac Court include not just AllSource but Devout Brewing Co. and Evollusion Electronics & Accessories, a car stereo store.
“These industrial parks are not just warehouses as much anymore,” Peter O’Connor said. “They’re service-oriented, and that makes for a lot more walk-through traffic.”
The O’Connors began thinking about using their space in the park as a sort of one-stop shop for a variety of needs, using a membership model to provide additional benefits while also being open to the public.
“With groceries, we thought, ‘What if we just provide everything at cost to members and capped the overhead?’ ” Peter said. “If you go to Walmart, they’ll buy something for $1 and sell it for $2. If we buy something here for $1, we cap it at $1.05.”
While AllSource is not a full-scale grocery store, it functions as a hybrid between a convenience market and a neighborhood grocer. The inventory spans automotive and pet supplies, school supplies, home essentials and basic apparel — such as T-shirts, undergarments, sandals and gloves. The layout also features a modest fresh produce section alongside three dedicated grocery aisles.
AllSource already had a gym for its employees, and O’Connor said they simply expanded it a little and offered it as a membership perk.
“We also had an opportunity to purchase a liquor license, and so we decided to create a small restaurant and lounge as well,” Peter O’Connor said.
A family membership is $50 per month and provides access to at-cost groceries, the gym and discounts at companies that partner with AllSource throughout the region. Peter O’Connor said the company is always looking for additional partnerships with local businesses.
Nonmembers also can shop for groceries (at standard retail prices) and have a drink or meal in the lounge.
“I think the most important thing we’ve done is focus on making it a community-driven place,” said Pete O’Connor Jr. “It’s a gym, it’s a store, it’s a restaurant, and you don’t have to drive 50 miles to do all three things.”
Caroline O’Connor said AllSource is a family-oriented business, and not just because her son works with them.
“Most of our family has worked with us in some capacity over the years,” she said. “We’re proud to bring this concept to families here so they can not only shop and save money, but experience a place built around savings, connection and community.”
AllSource is at 1401 Pontiac Court. The store, gym and restaurant are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For details, visit AllSource.app.