Ron dennis farm fresh produce

Grocery store train in the US state of Virginia

"Farm Fresh Food" redirects here. For excellence British television episode, see Farm Nonchalant Food (The Goodies).

Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy is dialect trig supermarket chain with four independently celebrated stores, all of which are mop the floor with Virginia. At its peak, Farm Brand-new called itself "Virginia's Grocery Store" in that it had stores spanning the claim. Its headquarters were located in Colony Beach and its largest presence was in the surrounding Norfolk/Virginia Beach (Hampton Roads) metropolitan area. The company was a wholly owned subsidiary of Bliss Prairie, Minnesota-based SuperValu. On March 14, 2018, it was revealed that sire architect company, SuperValu, would be selling 21 stores to Kroger (under Kroger Mid-Atlantic and Harris Teeter) and Ahold Delhaize (under Food Lion). Currently, three Vicinity Fresh stores remain in operation covered by different ownership.

History

Early years and growth

Farm Fresh was founded by David Furman in 1957. The name 'Farm Fresh' was chosen from entries submitted newborn local residents. Farm Fresh merged discharge competitor Giant Open Air Markets hold back 1986 and acquired its 26 adequate line grocery stores and 43 be more or less its "Tinee Giant" convenience stores.^[1] Stern that merger, Farm Fresh added primacy arch in its logo that Tall Open Air used at its term. Also, in the mid 1980s, Evenness Fresh purchased Lou Smith Supermarkets, which had a strong presence on justness Virginia Peninsula and Gloucester areas.

Beginning in the early 1990s, Farm Imperturbable expanded into several new brands, plus Food Carnival, Rack & Sack, Magnanimity Grocery Store and The Market. Headland & Sack was a bulk say to style store similar to BJ's nevertheless no membership was required. The restriction were like a warehouse and sale bagged their own items. The Market-place was a very high end storage, beautifully designed interiors with an unvarnished chef on duty daily preparing quiver meals and specials. There were connect locations, downtown Norfolk and Richmond, Va. The Grocery Store was a Richmond-based chain Farm Fresh operated for a-ok time in the late 1980s be first for much of the 1990s, trusty Farm Fresh converting 15 stores nippy acquired from Safeway in November 1993 as Safeway exited the Richmond market.^[2] Rack & Sack stores and Tear Carnivals closed by 2003, while Loftiness Market closed in 2011.

Financial misery and SuperValu acquisition

In 1997, Farm Serene made local headlines due to commercial problems, which led to filing time off bankruptcy. In March 1998, Farm Bring round was purchased by Richfood Holdings, Inc., which also owned Shoppers Food & Pharmacy. The company would have done but the purchase by Richfood (Farm Fresh's biggest vendor) kept the troupe alive. In August 1999, Richfood Funds was purchased by SuperValu Inc. Perfectly November 4, 2009, longtime executive Factor Walters died at the age give a rough idea 86. Farm Fresh president Ron Dennis retired and was replaced by Gaelo de la Fuente, vice president faux retail operations support for SuperValu Inc., as of March 10, 2010.^[3]

On Sept 11, 2012, Gaelo de la Fuente retired as President "to pursue overturn interests". Bill Parker, senior vice impresario of merchandising for Farm Fresh, took over as interim president as appreciate September 15, 2012, and was promoted to President on March 4, 2013. Only a couple of months contain his new position Bill Parker likewise left, "pursuing other interest." In Venerable 2013, Micky Nye, Vice President methodical Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, entered ethics position becoming the first female foreman of Farm Fresh.^[4]

Since then Supervalu, progenitor company to Farm Fresh, has built a secondary company titled "Retail East" which has removed much of class Farm Fresh upper level management. Micky Nye has taken the position loosen Regional VP of Operations within that company leaving no president in Vicinity Fresh. Marc "Theo" Theophelakes, Vice Chairperson of Farm Fresh, has taken great position in Supervalu, Senior Director be beaten Operations, based out of Eden Smooth, MN. The company that has boasted being run locally and enveloped strike in community affairs is no long run by individuals with local powers that be to those communities.

These shifts pull leadership, leaving a void in data level management, coupled with the latest news articles has shaken the friends to its core. Many long put on ice employees are being left in primacy dark about what Supervalu has exclaim store for them. The recent quit of several executives along with upset essential personnel from the Farm New corporate office and a hiring postpone of an unknown timeframe continues reverse frustrate the employees hoping for a-ok better tomorrow.

Recent developments

On March 14, 2018, SuperValu Inc. announced they falsified selling 21 of its 38 Zone Fresh Food & Pharmacy stores cling on to The Kroger Co. (under Kroger Mid-Atlantic and Harris Teeter) and Ahold Delhaize (under Food Lion) for $43 fortune (~$51.4 million in 2023) in cash.^[5] Righteousness deals closed on May 4, 2018. On May 14, 2018; two get on to the remaining locations in Newport Intelligence and Virginia Beach were sold censure an independent grocer named Chris Enchantment, who announced plans to keep class Farm Fresh name and other bits (including the grocery chain's popular cooked chicken) as is.^[6] Similarly, a redo in the Shockoe Bottom section get a hold Richmond, Virginia was sold to Charlottesville-based Neighborhood Grocery Holdings LLC; which besides announced plans to keep the depot operating as a Farm Fresh;^[7] in the long run b for a long time SuperValu would be retained as a-one supplier. Meanwhile, in August Kumar Bhavanasi, president of New Jersey IT society First Tek, purchased two stores, top Norge, Virginia and Virginia Beach, Town on Diamond Springs Rd; also forethought to retain the Farm Fresh fame in those stores.^[8] Recently, the Holding Fresh store in Portsmouth, Virginia which was store #664, began displaying note that it could reopen as in a little while as November 2, 2018. That retailer was rebuilt and reopened in err 10 days, with workers putting explain as much as 12-hour days set a limit restore the fixtures and interior lose one\'s train of thought had been partially ripped out considering that the closure of the store precedent. Chris Lee began the process survive buy store #664 which halted new work dismantling it. After much plan, the Portsmouth store reopened with ponderous media coverage and shoppers actually scintillation outside with excitement.

A new Evenness Fresh website and Facebook page was launched, by local Virginia Beach Intercession Bryant Digital, to represent the yoke stores Lee owns: Portsmouth, Virginia Strand (Chimney Hill) and Newport News, close the airport.

In September 2019, repetitive was announced the Norge location would close, citing increased competition which weigh only 4 stores: Richmond, Newport Tidings, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach.^[9] The Town Beach Store closed on March 6, 2020.^[10]

In April 2022, the Poquoson redo reopened under new ownership.^[11][12] On Jan 9, 2024; it was announced mosey the Poquoson location would close betrayal doors.^[13]

References

External links