Families & the grocery business

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rich
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Families & the grocery business

Post by rich »

Below is an obit from the March 2nd Cleveland Plain Dealer. It had sentimental appeal for me because Tony Sgro ran a small supermarket near where I grew-up (it's still in business on Lake Shore Blvd in Euclid Ohio, for many years run by the Holzheimer family, which had 2 generations in management at Fisher Foods). My mother often shopped there. It was one of the founding members of the Stop-n-Shop co-op. It was the last store in our area that still delivered (this was in the early 60s). My mother's friend, their longtime cashier (she spent many years with Holzheimer, too) recently died as well.

What's striking is that Sgro married a Fazio (another grocery chain, one where he worked for some time) and ran one of the other Stop-n-Shops for many years and worked in retirement for another Stop-n-Shop family. He clearly loved the business, but also "had a life", singing, for example. In Cleveland, his kind of history was not unusual--- a guy named Julie Kravits helped start Foodtown (a pionner post-WWII supermarket chain later bought by the predecessor to Allied Supermarkets), then worked with the coops associated with Seaway and finished his career reviving the Pick-n-Pay chain. Significant chains everywhere were family affairs for many years, even generations----A&P (until the 50s), National Tea (where the Rasmussens were involved in management even after Loblaw bought controlling interest), Giant-Landover (until Ahold), Food Fair (until the family feud), or became family affairs over time like the Macgowans at Safeway or the Westons at Loblaw.

What families are left? The Jenkins' at Publix, and the Ukrops come to mind. Have any families stayed involved even after a buyout? Some of Izzy Cohen's retainers have stayed with Giant, but I don't think anyone with the family is still involved. The Dillions oddly became management at Kroger after Kroger bought their family chain. People like Sgro or Julie Kravitz were probably commonplace in other cities--people who had histories with a variety of chains and really brought a comraderie to the business, along with competition. Are there any people like that now? The only recent chain jumpers I can think of have been the ones who go from one screwed-up venture to another, like the Albertson's exec who went to run Winn-Dixie shortly before its bankruptcy (which raises the question of what will happen to the Davis' interest in the company).

Here's the obit for Tony Sgro:

Chagrin Falls- Tony Sgro, 84, a former supermarket owner, died Tuesday at the Hamlet Manor nursing home.

Sgro, who spent his entire career in the grocery business, was a past vice president of the Cleveland Food Dealers Association and a longtime spokesman for the group.

Born Anthony J. Sgro in Cleveland, he attended Shaker Heights High School.

He got involved in the food business by working at his father's produce stand in the upscale Euclid-105th Street Market.

In 1942, he enlisted in the Army and served as an airplane mechanic in India during World War II.

When he returned, he opened his own J. Sgro Grocery at East 265th Street and Lake Shore Boulevard in Euclid. Later, he had a store on Lorain Avenue in Fairview Park.

He operated his businesses when Greater Cleveland had a large number of independently owned food stores and was considered one of the most competitive markets in the country.

Sgro later worked for the Fisher-Fazio-Costa chain, then managed the Guinta supermarket at Fairmount Circle in University Heights for many years. He retired in the 1990s, but continued working part time at Catalano's Stop-N-Shop in Highland Heights until he was 80.

His favorite pastimes were singing and dancing. He sang with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus at Blossom Music Center and with church choirs, including at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church. He was a member of the Hermit Club.

Srgo's first wife, Martina, and a daughter, Donna Flask, are deceased.

Twenty years ago, Srgo married Anita Bender, from the Fazio grocery chain family.

They had lived in Lyndhurst until they moved to Chagrin Falls two years ago.


Tony Sgro

1921-2006

Survivors: wife, Anita; son, Joseph J. of Euclid; stepdaughter, Janice Fazio of Moreland Hills; stepsons, John Fazio Jr. of Dallas and Charles W. Fazio of Scottsdale, Ariz.; four grandchildren; and a sister.

Services: 11 a.m. Friday, Maher-Melbourne Funeral Home, 4274 Mayfield Road, South Euclid.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

dpeery@plaind.com, 216-999-4807
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Dave
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Post by Dave »

That's interesting. I went to school with some Sgros.

A couple of families still in it big time that come to mind are the Schnucks in St. Louis and the Bashas in Phoenix.
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runchadrun
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Post by runchadrun »

The Hughes family in Southern California was heavily involved in their namesake chain until they sold the company. (I'm not sure exactly when they sold or to whom, was it the QFC sale?)

After Fred Meyer bought Ralphs and Hughes parent QFC, the Hughes family and former Hughes executives bought some old Ralphs/Alpha Beta locations and started HOWS (which is an acronym for the owners' names, the H being for Hughes) which is currently a 4-store chain.

So this is a case of the family getting out, then getting back in the business.
danielh_512
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Post by danielh_512 »

The Weis family is still involved in their namesake chain heavily, as the chain continues to do well in the Mid-Atlantic.
Skimolopez

Post by Skimolopez »

Getting back to the Hughes Market family story, I used to work for them in Monterey Park, CA and the family was greatly involved in the everyday workings of the stores. A bit of trivia, the very first Hughes Market was a gift from Joe Hughes's wife Elsa's family, seems her family owned the Thrifimart chain in Southern California at one time. The store was still in operation back in the 80's when I left SoCal , it was located at Franklin and Highland in Hollywood, but I don't think they designated that store as store #1, that honor went to a store in the Valley, I can visualize it but I can't remember the city or the street it was on...was it Ventura Blvd?
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runchadrun
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Post by runchadrun »

Skimolopez wrote:... but I don't think they designated that store as store #1, that honor went to a store in the Valley, I can visualize it but I can't remember the city or the street it was on...was it Ventura Blvd?
The store at Coldwater Canyon and Ventura in Studio City was designated as Hughes Store #1. It's now a Ralphs Fresh Fare.
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