A fire that broke out just after 11 p.m. on the Fourth of July destroyed the beloved Templeton Feed & Grain building on Main Street.
"It was heartbreaking," said Bill Stewart, a long-time customer of the animal feed store. "I mean, just sick to my stomach. Just devastating."
Stewart has been shopping there since 1977.
"I started buying when I was in high school, showing pigs in FFA, and then just continued ever since," said Stewart. "My kids went through FFA and 4H, so they bought their feed here and I continued to breed FFA animals, so I continue to buy feed here every week."
While the fire destroyed the building, it didn't stop the Jermin family, who have owned the business for decades, from continuing to serve their community.
WATCH: Aerial view of demolished Templeton Feed & Grain silos
In the last couple of weeks, Templeton Feed & Grain has been serving customers five buildings down, in the parking lot of Nature's Touch Nursery & Harvest.
"They're needing a spot to pop up to be able to sell the feed that got saved. And I'm like, they have product saved? And he's like, yeah, and they need a location," said Melanie Blankenship, the owner of Nature's Touch Nursery & Harvest. "I'm like, grab the forklifts and move them down here. And he's like, really? I'm like, yes, let's go to Nature."
Blankenship has had her business on Main Street for 17 years and has been friends with Tom Jermin since they met at the Templeton Rotary Club.
"They're family, and that is what Templeton is about. The true core of Templeton is that," Blankenship said. "It was a pay it forward, that's all it is, you know, people go, 'Oh, it's so great of you.' No, it's so great of the others who have helped me be here. This is my time to pay it forward."
A clerk who was operating the pop-up said it's worked out great.
"Everybody has been so wonderful and kind," said Andrea Neider. "And moving in here is actually kind of fun for all the businesses here and everyone kind of co-mingles and has a good time in that."
While the pop-up has been successful, Jermin says that a new temporary location is in the works.
It'll be located at 1650 Ramada Dr., Suite #190 in Paso Robles — about a five-minute drive from the old building.
Neider says that even though they will be just outside Templeton for a little while, the feeling of family will still be strong.
"Even if you're not related by blood, it's still family," Neider said. "And you got the same faces coming in all the time. We know everyone's schedules, we learn what everyone's specialties are, and whatnot, and what they need."
For longtime customers, they say they'll go wherever Templeton Feed & Grain goes.
"I always said if Templeton stopped making feed or went out of business, I would probably quit raising livestock," Stewart said. "So, I don't have to quit, and I'm very happy for that."
The Jermin family says this new location will hopefully open on Friday and adds that they'll be updating their Facebook page with new information.
