The owner says he was taking a break, getting ready to make a call -- when three masked men with a sawed-off shotgun barged in.
The owner didn't want to talk on camera -- but described to us the terrifying moments that followed.
He says the three men spread themselves throughout the store.
One raided the beer aisle, another held him at gunpoint, while a third cleared the cash register and other easily accessible merchandise.
"What hits home with this particular one is that Ivanhoe is a small community. This is not a Target, a Walgreens, or a Rite-Aid, not that it's okay to rob those places. This is a mom-and-pop shop," said Ashley Ritchie from the Tulare County Sheriff's Office.
The officer says it was incredibly fortunate no other customers walked inside.
"You would think that getting away with a little bit of cash and a 6 pack of beer isn't worth the risk they are taking."
A few months ago, a 99 cent store a block away was also robbed.
Deputies were able to quickly make two arrests.
In a close-knit town like Ivanhoe, customers say it's only a matter of time before someone identifies these robbers too.