IT LASTED: Local nut shop endures test of time, gets new ownership

Dan Balluff was not thrilled when he read an Idaho Business Review story about his shop 16 years ago. City Peanut Shop was a new endeavor and, amid a shaky economy, the story asked if the business was feasible.

The new business owner’s photo was on the cover with the words “Will it last?” printed alongside it. At first, Balluff balked, but then recalls thinking it kind of made sense.

“The reporter was right to be skeptical, right? I mean, it was a whole new concept,” he said in an interview on Oct. 23. “Not like another coffee shop. People have never heard of a nut shop in this region.”

That was in 2009. City Peanut Shop, at 803 W. Bannock Street in downtown Boise, where it has been from the start, has grown in clientele, in stature and in flavor profiles. And the next major step in its evolution is that Balluff is no longer the owner.

As of Oct. 1, 2025, the shop became the property of David McGuinn, who is just as nuts about the business as its founder.

McGuinn had been on the hunt to purchase his own business to run, and when he landed on the shop, looking at its longevity and popularity, he knew it was the one.

“It’s such a testament to the character and integrity that Dan has shown during his entire tenure,” McGuinn said. “It moved me.”

It moved him so much that he was “all in,” and said there “was no version of me that was not doing this.”

Balluff recalled receiving his first phone call from McGuinn inquiring about the purchase, stating the prospective buyer’s excitement came through on the phone.

“My son’s at home with us, and my wife and I are sitting there, and I get this phone call from David, and he’s excited,” Balluff said about their initial contact. “I had to hold the phone out like this because he’s kind of being loud. And my son is going, ‘That’s the guy! You want to sell it to that guy. He’s so passionate. He’s enthusiastic. You’ve got to sell it to that guy.’”

Though McGuinn had Balluff, his wife Sue, and their son’s approval, there were those who’s opinion would matter even more: The employees of City Peanut Shop.

Justeen Micheals, the retail manager of the shop, had some concerns about new ownership but it wasn’t unexpected.

“It had always been kind of in talks since I started here [three years ago], so I was aware of it,” she said. “But when it did finally happen, we all had our concerns on what it would be like without Dan here, but David has been filling the spot really well.”

As part of the transition of ownership, McGuinn began a type of internship for about three or four months before the sale was made, working alongside the other employees to learn all the aspects of the business. The business currently has about 10 employees, with more being hired for the start of the holiday season.

It’s that employee base that McGuinn said is another testament to Balluff’s dedication. Over the 16 years, Balluff estimates he’s had somewhere in the neighborhood of about 60 to 80 employees. In his career at HP for 17 years, he said it was always his goal to help people build and grow in their careers.

“My goal was always to help people move on,” Balluff said. “And that was the way it was at HP, too. If somebody had a better opportunity or something that would be a growth path for them, I’m not standing in their way. I’m going to help them move forward because people did that for me growing up, and HP did that for me.”

Both Balluff and McGuinn believe in also teaching their employees how to be professional, to look people in the eye when speaking to them, how to connect with others, and how to give back to the community.

Unlike his traditional employees, McGuinn’s learning curve has been much steeper since he needed be educated in all the ins and outs, including administrative and statutory regulations, and the knowing the various agencies businesses ― especially those in the food service industry ― have to work with.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t face a great deal of frustration along the way,” McGuinn said. “There were definitely some chicken-and-egg situations where I thought I was done.”

It took about five months, he said, to learn everything he needed, but his perseverance won out.

Over the years, Balluff has worked with other businesses around the state and country to supply them with nuts for their own dishes and purposes and has done very little marketing, relying more on word-of-mouth to grow. Working with those businesses, such as Lee’s Candies and Boise Co-Op, Balluff didn’t care so much for the term customers, rather he preferred the word collaborations.

Today, more than 50% of the business is wholesale, and McGuinn will be working to increase that number. Thirty-six Whole Foods throughout California buy nuts from City Peanut Shop on a weekly basis, Balluff said, to which McGuinn added he is aiming to get that number much higher.

Even though a good deal of the business is wholesale, the shop continues to thrive with its popular flavors such as Wild Lands and Maple Bacon Cashew, which McGuinn said will continue to be sold. Being a former accountant, he is very invested in the numbers and is making determinations on which flavors to keep on the shelves and which to possibly discontinue.

As McGuinn’s next phase of work begins, Balluff’s plans are to take things much easier with his wife of 42 years. Kind of.

“I’ve been approached by a few people about some volunteer opportunities … but I’m going to focus on being retired, doing what I can for the community, but also being selfish a little bit,” Balluff said. “I want to live in someplace in Europe once a year, I want to live someplace in Asia once a year. … And I have friends everywhere that I want to go and reconnect with and spend time with.”