“Guaranteed Worst in Town.”

That’s a phrase that South Carolinians have had the chance to learn as the slogan for Cromer’s P-Nuts, a locally owned gourmet popcorn and peanut store.

While the business itself is located across the river at 3030 North Main St. in Columbia, Rob Turner, one of the directors of the peanut company, told the Chronicle that the business has deep roots in Lexington.

Turner’s great grandfather, Julian Cromer, founded the business in 1935 out of the Oak Grove area of Lexington. According to Turner, his great grandfather was a peanut farmer and would take raw green peanuts to the Columbia Farmer’s Market.

Once at the farmer’s market, Cromer would roast and boil the peanuts on-site.

“That ended up being a specialty. They sold a lot of them, and so much so that over time, my great grandfather decided to just concentrate on peanuts,” Turner said. “That's really the very basic origin of the business.”

According to Turner, the time at the farmer’s market was also what led to the company's popular slogan. He told the Chronicle that there was a rival farmer across from Cromer who would say “Cromer’s are no good.”

Turner shared that his great grandfather had a wry sense of humor and decided to retaliate and put “the worst” up with his sign. Soon, the word, “guaranteed” was added to the signs and that ultimately became “guaranteed worst in town.”

Since Julian Cromer’s passing, the business has worked its way down the family and is still run by his descendants. The business has grown since its farmer’s market days and while it is still owned by Cromer’s descendants, it now distributes its goods across the state.

Turner told the Chronicle that everything is made in the on-site manufacturing facility. From there, they package their goods and have a delivery team to get everything across the state.

The Columbia location has had a recent addition to its building: a mural that commemorates Columbia and the greater Columbia area.

Turner shared that the mural highlights Congaree National Park, Williams Brice Stadium, Lake Murray, the State Fair, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden and the South Carolina House.

“We wanted to do something to welcome Columbia, as people are driving in on North Main Street,” Turner told the Chronicle as he described the postcard-style mural.