Ohio’s Super Store Entrepreneur

By Wendy Pramik

Posted On: Apr 17, 2024

From a young age, James O. “Jungle Jim” Bonaminio was steeped in an environment of grit and enterprise in his hometown of Lorain, Ohio.

While other 16-year-olds were collecting baseball cards and lapping Popsicles all summer, Bonaminio was turning a dilapidated bread truck into a sales venue for an assortment of purses, mops, rugs and pillows.

Then, when he was in his second year at Miami University, he got the idea from a friend to go around his neighborhood painting house numbers on curbs. He said he and his sister would use stencils to paint the numbers, then “accept donations from homeowners.”

“We made a lot of money doing that,” he says.

Bonaminio eventually turned his unquenchable entrepreneurial spirit into one of the most unique grocery shopping experiences in the United States.

His creation, Jungle Jim’s International Market, with two locations near Cincinnati, is more than your typical supermarket – it’s a culmination of creativity, hard work and Bonaminio’s unyielding entrepreneurial spirit.

The flagship store in Fairfield is a sprawling complex covering more than four acres. It boasts an international selection that represents more than 70 countries. The store, described by some as a theme park of food, attracts 82,000 visitors each week.

Jungle Jim’s stands out not just for its size but for its innovative features. It has one of the nation’s largest wine selections, live seafood tanks and an in-store cooking school. Moreover, the market is a treasure trove of the rare and the exotic – chocolate-covered crickets, ground camel meat and Buffalo Wing soda are just the tip of the iceberg.

The philosophy of recycling and repurposing is evident throughout Jungle Jim’s. Including a bourbon bar crafted out of old wood, a dry-cleaning rack and a guardrail from the highway, every piece in Jim’s store has a backstory. “That’s my passion – building things out of everybody’s leftovers.”

Jungle Jim’s is known not only for its vast product range but also for its quirky, engaging shopping environment. The store features animatronics, funky restroom entrances disguised as portable toilets, and even safari animal statues in an outdoor garden. These elements make shopping at Jungle Jim’s a unique, entertaining experience that goes far beyond the mundane task of grocery buying.

“Why did I build the store? Shopping is so boring. How can you make it fun?” Bonaminio muses. His answer seems to be: by making it an adventure.

It’s a long way from the store’s roots, a modest, 4,200 square foot building that Jungle Jim opened in 1975. The store featured produce from local farmers and other staples like bread and milk. Contrary to his previous market stands, it also had a roof and air conditioning.

“I thought I’d died and gone to heaven,” Bonaminio said about the cool-air installation.

He also had two Dobermans, named Jason and Shannon, that roamed the aisles back in the early days. “They really looked mean, but they were babies,” he said.

Despite his vast business success, Jungle Jim’s roots remain firmly in family and community values. Bonaminio’s father, Clem, worked at a steel mill in an era when men supported their families through sheer, physical labor. His mother, Marie, however, was the business-minded force in the family, constantly thinking of new ways to make money, despite the societal constraints of her time to be a homemaker.

Reflecting on his upbringing, Bonaminio credits his mother as the driving force behind his relentless work ethic. “She was the juice,” he says, pointing to a picture of his mom, then 85, on a motorcycle and wearing high heels.

His approach to business reflects this familial influence. His sister, Celeste, and later his own wife, Joani, and their children, Jim, Dana and Chris, have all played parts in the business, helping it grow and flourish. Even in his hiring practices, Bonaminio emphasizes community, involving everyone from local families to students looking for summer work.

Even as he delegates daily operations to his trusted team, “Jungle Jim” continues to innovate and expand. His latest projects involve using items that others discard, turning them into functional, interesting parts of his store.

“When you start with very little, you learn how to do things with very little. Sometimes you just keep doing it the same way.”

For more things to do and ways to explore Jungle Jim’s, check out #OhioTheHeartofitAll at Ohio.org.