Grouchy. We have all been there. You wake up on the wrong side of the bed, your kids are driving you crazy, you just got cut off in traffic, you ripped your pants while walking into work. There are so many “grouches” in our everyday lives and sometimes it just overtakes you, leaving you down right GROUCHY. But what if you could escape this black cloud above your head? What if you could escape from grouchy? Well, now you can. Meet Ralph’s Joy of Living, where you walk through the doors and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee overtakes your senses, the sight of appliances, mattresses, kitchen gadgets, wine, and more meets your eyes, and a passion for joy fills your heart.
The story begins in 1950, where Ralph and Evelyn Smothers opened Ralph’s Appliances to the residents of Tiffin and the surrounding area. Originally they sold washers and dryers and eventually added refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, and microwaves over time. Ralph and Evelyn continued to build a very successful business and in 1985, they were joined by their son Ralph II. In 1992, Ralph II added kitchen design services and cabinetry to the business offerings. With such a robust business offering both high quality products and exceptional services, you would think that adding any more to the business would be out of the question, however; the bright future of Ralph’s was yet to come.
Ralph II met his wife Julie on a ski trip and they were married in 1994. Julie, a native Canadian, made her living in sales for an imported wines distributor. With Julie’s passion for cooking and Ralph’s passion for kitchen design, it was only a matter of time before the idea of combining the two came to life. The business continued to thrive and in 1995 a second Ralph’s Appliances was opened in May of 1995. Here, a beautiful, fully functional kitchen designed by Ralph was installed and served as the beginning of the current concept. Julie was managing the store and saw the opportunity of doing not only cooking classes, but of bringing in better quality kitchenwares. The community responded with overwhelming support! For the next three years, Julie continued to add new kitchenware lines and fill cooking classes. Ralph and Julie’s first son, Will, was born in April 1998. Soon Will was joined by his brother Sean, born in May 2001, and their sister, Lucy born in November 2002. It became clear that the “Joy of Living” had to be moved to their hometown of Tiffin if the concept were to continue to thrive.
The Joy of Living concept has continued to be the foundation in which Ralph and Julie run the business. Ralph’s Joy of Living believes that their are so many amazing and joyful things in life, if you can just see past the “grouchies.” The whole Ralph’s Joy of Living team is there to treat each customer with care, compassion, and kindness and help them find their way to escape from their own personal grouchy. There is even an opportunity to “Gong the Grouchy” where you can literally gong out any negative feelings and the resounding noise throughout the store is just a reminder that joy is never far away when you’re here. Standing alone as the ONLY appliance retailer in the nation to have a wine and beer license, Ralph’s Joy of Living is truly unlike any other place. Experience wine tasting, delicious olive oil, the highest quality of appliances, mattresses, cabinetry services, gadgets, and more at Ralph’s Joy of Living. Most importantly, experience joy.
You can be apart of bringing the mantra of “Escape From Grouchy” to life at the Escape From Grouchy Festival happening on Saturday, October 8, 2022 from 9am-4pm. Taking place at Ralph’s Joy of Living, located at 33 North Washington Street in Tiffin, you will experience so many reasons to be joyful. Enjoy the opportunity to win awesome prizes such as a Speed Queen Washer & Dryer Set, Heritage and Serta Mattresses, and more, visit the Zwilling Airstream trailer, see expert chef demonstrations, Gong the Grouchy at any point throughout the day, and more! The first 300 guests get a purple Grouchy Fest bag, but joy is available to all. See you there!
