Soup To Nutz

Soup to Nutz

Published January 21, 2014 at 2:54 pm ET

Happy 2014! This is the “no resolution zone.” I am not a fan of making resolutions I know will never be kept. Here it is just the middle of January and the seemingly endless game of retailer chess has already begun. If this is the precursor of what we should be expecting during the rest of 2014, we’re in for a roller coaster ride. Don’t forget to fasten your seatbelts!

Supermarkets of Cherry Hill, owned by the Ravitz family, has partnered with the Center for Family Services (CFS) in a pilot program designed to bring healthy food options to the Camden community, a designated food desert. On December 12, ShopRite from Home began bringing healthy food to Camden residents. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s administration has spearheaded the new initiative to address urban food deserts through the use of online ordering of groceries from supermarkets. As part of the program, CFS will provide Camden City residents with free access to computers so that they can choose their fresh groceries for delivery, ordering support, and provide training on a variety of related issues, including workshops on nutrition and budgeting. The orders will be delivered to CFSPromiseNeighborhoodFamilySuccessCenter and CamdenCity’s IsabelleMillerCommunity Center where residents can pick them up during a scheduled time at their convenience.

“We are proud to partner with ShopRite to provide this valuable service to the CamdenCity community,” said Merilee Rutolo of CFS. “This effort is part of our Promise Neighborhood pipeline because we have seen the difficulties families face with access to affordable and healthy food options. We are always looking for new and innovative ways to better serve the Camden community and bringing fresh, healthy food to our residents is very important. At the end of the twelve week pilot, we hope to see increased use of the virtual supermarket initiative and have a long term goal of improving the health outcomes and food access of CamdenCity children and families.”

“This pilot program is a great way to provide access to healthy and affordable food and will allow residents without access to cars or public transportation to have their groceries delivered to a centrally located designated pick-up facility,” said Jason Ravitz of Supermarkets of Cherry Hill. “This is an exciting new beginning for ShopRite in Camden and we look forward to the opening of our new store in 2015 so we can fully serve the community.”

Philabundance’s Fare & Square gave me an update on its not for profit market in the food desert of Chester, PA.Marlo DelSordo of Philabundance said that, while they are tweaking the product mix and pricing strategy, the overall reaction is still very good and membership is tipping the 8,000 member mark. Nutritional demonstrations will soon be added to bolster the underwhelming fresh sales and teach customers how to plan and make healthy meals even though meat sales do make up 24 percent of the total product mix. Grocery items top the spending list at 25 percent, followed by meat, dairy at 12 percent and produce a meager 8 percent. Uplift Solutions has trained the store personnel from the beginning and ongoing best practices training continues for the managers. Delsordo said staff turnover is much lower than traditional supermarkets and the staff feels great pride in their store. “Fare & Square opened and eliminated one food desert, which is a great victory. It is Chester’s store, but we are learning as we go and with the input of members and staff, we are working to make it Chester’s community store. We are well on our way to reaching our goal,” DelSordo stated.

The ShopRite of Brooklawn, operated by the Brown family, is offering new learning opportunities in the form of a new technology center at the AudobonHigh School in southern New Jersey to enhance their current curriculum for the students. A formal ribbon cutting took place on January 16. The new center includes a total of 25 technology work stations, two wireless printers and everything needed to inspire creative learning. The school educates approximately 500 6th through 12th grade students and has been ranked in the top 10 high schools in Camden County, New Jersey. “Our mission is to bring joy to the lives of the people we serve and we are dedicated to helping the communities we do business in,” said Jeff Brown, president and CEO of Brown’s Super Stores. “We are excited to bring cutting-edge technology to the students of AudubonHigh School and feel that this addition to the school’s curriculum will help better prepare the students for college and careers later in life.” The center was also sponsored by Lynmar Builders, Coca Cola, U.S. Global Glow and Precise Graphix Décor Company. Speaking of Jeff Brown, he and his wife, Sandy will be honored by Golden Slipper Camp on April 10 at the Philadelphia Hilton at City Avenue.

The event calendar is growing for the start of 2014, and this year’s schedule will fill up your dance card in no time. The New Jersey Food Council’s 2014 “Night of Distinction” is scheduled for March 20 at a new location: The Palace at SomersetPark in Somerset, NJ. Please mark your calendars so you don’t miss this special event honoring retail food industry movers and shakers. The awardees for 2014 are: John Ruane, Ahold USA; Joe Sofia, Wegmans; and Joseph Sheridan, Wakefern. For more information and to register please go to: www.njfoodcouncil.org

The Mid Atlantic Food Trades Organization (MAFTO) has announced its first retailer dinner of 2014, featuring guest speaker Jim McCaffrey of McCaffrey’s Markets. Join Delaware Valley manufacturers, brokers and distributors for cocktails, dinner and lots of networking time with Jim and his team at Williamson’s in Horsham, PA. For more information go to: www.mafto.org. Under the leadership of president Mike Mackin of Schmidt Baking, MAFTO is continuing its membership initiative in 2014 by offering complimentary memberships. Sign up information is available on the website as well.

Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) Food Marketing Department is pleased to host the 8th annual Food Industry Summit on March 13 at the Mandeville Teletorium on the SJU campus in Philadelphia. The topic for the 2014 Summit is “Leveraging Omni-Channel Marketing with the Connected Food Consumer.” The ‘omni channel’ consumer wants a seamless experience through all available shopping channels. From “old” (bricks and mortar, TV, radio and print to “new” (smart phones, tablets and computers). You will come away a more informed member of our industry. Speakers from the following companies will be presenting: Campbell’s; Walgreens; Dunkin Donuts; Nestle PetCare; Catalina; Daymon; and Accenture. This all day summit begins at 8:00 a.m. and includes continental breakfast and lunch. As always, there will time allotted for networking. Registration is sure to sell out. To register go to: www.sju.edu/int/academics/hsb/resources/foodmarketing/foodindustrysummit/register.html.

Haddon House cut the ribbon January 14 on its new ground-up frozen food facility located in Howell, NJ. David Anderson Sr., president of Haddon House, along with Dan Downes, director of supply chain logistics, and Ken Wilkinson, general manager, welcomed guests at the front door of this state of the art 42,000 square foot facility. We then proceeded to the upstairs employee lounge where David Anderson Jr. addressed the assembled group of retailers and Haddon House employees about what the addition of this warehouse means to customers and employees alike. The addition frees up the former frozen space in the main warehouse and allows the refrigerated categories to grow to 35,000 square feet. The new facility has a green initiative. Anderson Jr. said, “We’ve installed energy efficient lighting, with motion sensors to turn the lights off when nobody is in that section.” It is also wireless and fully self- generated. When Sandy hit, Howell’s power was out for a week. Haddon House was in full operation because they had the generator running.” Voice pick is also one of the features in this new facility.

Beginning more than 20 years ago with a small variety of frozen natural and organic SKUs, Haddon House has grown the frozen and refrigerated categories, creating demand for expansion in both their north and south distribution centers to accommodate the approximately 1,600 SKUs of frozen natural, organic, kosher, ethnic, bakery, and deli available today. The company is planning other expansions in the Richburg, SC warehouse as well. Anderson Jr. ended his presentation saying that Haddon House is the last privately held large specialty food distributor in the USA.

A tip of the hat to JOH’s Theresa Lowden for receiving the Eastern Produce Council’s first-ever award for Women’s Leadership. The presentation took place at the New York Produce Show and Conference on December 11. Attending were many women who are members of the Eastern Produce Council and represent many facets of the industry. The Women’s Leadership Committee was established in October of 2013 and its mission is to develop leadership for women and engage the industry, trade and public in the value and need for agriculture. Congratulations, Theresa!

Congratulations to Lynmar Builders’ Mike Palmieri and Bobby Dunn on the opening of their new restaurant Avance in the former location of Le Bec Fin on Walnut Street in Center City Philadelphia. With only 35 seats, I hear it’s a nightly sellout and with Philadelphia native chef Justin Bogel at the helm offering an à la carte menu, prix fixe, and tasting menu, it’s sure to become a Philadelphia favorite. I’ll be back with a review soon.

The circle of life continues as we send out condolences to the family of Bill Hand, who passed away on January 12 at the age of 71. He was born in Paxtang, PA before moving to Havertown, PA. Bill worked in the food business for many years with his last job of 17 years with Brandywine Marketing in Media, PA. He is survived by his wife of 47 years Carol Hand (nee Bridden), his son Jeffrey Hand (Colleen), his daughter Amy Maffei (Jay), one sister and six grandchildren. Burial was private.

In addition, we wish a speedy recovery to Ed McLaughlin of AWI who had surgery recently. We hear he’s on the mend. Also back at his desk and on the road after hip replacement surgery before the holidays is Bob Higgins, executive director of the Saint Joseph’s University Academy of Food Marketing.

Industry veteran Bob Sands retired at the end of 2014. Bob’s career in the food industry spanned 50 years, beginning at the Forty Fort division of Acme Markets in pricing before moving over to the meat department. Gary Larkin, JOH, said, “Acme sent him to Iowa for training – companies don’t do that anymore – but he often told me about the exceptional training program Acme had.” Bob held many positions at Acme. He also worked in the Philly division before heading out to Salt Lake City. After a few years with Daymon he finished his career as the director of retail for JOH Mid Atlantic. We wish him well in his retirement.

Birthday shout-outs for the “resolution-free” month of January go to: Linda Doherty, NJFC; Eve Gigis, Acme Markets; Gary Larkin, JOH; David Patragnoni, Wellshire Farms; George Latella, Saint Joseph’s University; Tim Musgrove, Herr Foods. FTN alumni Meg Major, Mike Keba and Bob Ingram; Scott Lichterman, Thompson Chocolates; and Food World/Food Trade News’ own Karen Fernandez. Buon Compleanno a tutti!