Early Saturday, August 24, local Renton produce market known as ‘Top Of Hill Quality Produce and Meats’ was set on fire by a currently unidentified arsonist.
The Renton Police Department claims that the fire could be connected to an attempted robbery of the market two days prior. Detective Scott from Renton Police Department said, “he was there for about an hour, repeatedly going to his jeep to get burglary tools, and returning to the store. The store’s door and lock were significantly damaged, but he couldn’t get in.”
Owners Damu and Jackie Maples opened Top Of The Hill after working for a combined 35 years in produce. Top Of Hill started as a produce stand at Pike Place Market. They later combined with ‘Trudy’s Produce’ (at the current Top of Hill location) and changed the name to ‘Top Of The Hill’ after merging with four other produce stands. They have been serving the Renton community ever since 2004.
The Maples’s shop has continued to serve the community for years. John “Jess” Jessum, property co-owner and organizer of the reconstruction effort, who knows the store better than most, shared his admiration for their offerings: “They had great produce, great meat. They had a great selection of wine, had great canned goods, just things that you don’t find in your average supermarket. So, they carved themselves a niche, and they served that niche well in our community.” The store was clearly special, which makes the loss even more tragic.
Property co-owner and organizer of the reconstruction effort, Jess Jessum, shared that the Top of The Hill Grocery has “been a landmark of the community. So, anytime you have that kind of impact, especially…, via, the conduit of arson. You know, it’s all the worse, a sinking feeling in my stomach.”
In Early September, over 1,000 community members rallied together at a fundraising event to raise money for the rebuilding effort, supported by many local businesses. Over $16,000 was raised through auctioned items and donated proceeds.
Despite the tragic nature of the fire, the community reaction was heartwarming for the owners. Jackie and Damu, stated, “We were overwhelmed at the support that we received, the day of the fundraiser that was held for us afterward, and we continue to have people reach out to us, on a daily basis, just checking to see how things are going with us, wanting to meet for coffee, or just wanting to go have dinner together, they really have been there for us, which is a true blessing. we couldn’t have asked for a better response.”
Their website states a plan to rebuild and rebrand. Regardless, There are not many places like Top Of Hill Produce, a local business where you can find high-quality meat, fresh fruits, and vegetables, and to always have employees who seem genuinely happy to be there. If you want to support the business owners, you can head to their website www.topofthehillqualityproduce.com or If you prefer to use GoFundMe you can access their page at www.gofundme.com.
