It’s been 10 years since they bought Ted’s Country Store on North Tucson Boulevard near Glenn Street, but Peter and Sheila Butterbrodt still get customers wondering about Ted.

“Ninety percent of the time, I tell them I’m Ted. The other 10 percent, I tell them Sheila’s Ted,” joked Peter.

Ted is, of course, original owner and store namesake Ted Contes who, with his wife Angie, opened the store in 1980 — gaining near-instant renown for the store’s deli sandwiches and baked goods.

They lined their shelves with domestic and imported gourmet foods, and accompanied it all with a country decor that was more Better Homes and Gardens than home-on-the-range.

These days the shelves are a little barer, but much of the old charm remains. The seating area still draws a regular lunchtime crowd — it’s small setting serving as the scene for a few baby showers and bridal receptions. And, a wide array of wicker baskets still hang from the walls and ceiling, their purpose twofold.

Read complete article.