In addition to the stores, H-E-B partners work in many other locations and serve in many roles. Its partners are the secret to the company’s success, said Juan-Carlos Rück, H-E-B EVP of North West Food Drug.

“The purpose that our partners have, the people that they are…we love them,” he said. “We know that they’re special and that they really are the difference.”

Rück noted that more than 85 percent of the partners in the Frisco and Plano stores were new to H-E-B, but through the onboarding process and getting to know the store leadership, a store culture was created. 

“That’s where the saying ‘My H-E-B’ comes from. When we do our job right, people don’t say, ‘I’m going to the store’ or ‘I’m going to the grocery store,’ they’ll say, ‘I’m going to my H-E-B.’ They literally feel possessive about their H-E-B. And that is primarily a testament to our partners,” Rück said.

To further cultivate a local culture at its stores, H-E-B becomes familiar with the community and studies what products make customers feel like the store was designed with them in mind.

All of that comes together, and that’s what makes shopping at H-E-B a unique experience for our customers,” Rück said.

“Each and every day, we are focused on earning their loyalty and their business, and our partners do a great job of that.”

Scott Mitchell, chief merchant for the company, said the partners are the reason H-E-B is being named The Shelby Report of the Southwest’s Innovator of the Year. “It’s truly all about our Partners,” he said, noting that at the bottom of the company’s “bold promise” it states that each and every person counts.

“We’re certainly proud of the products that we sell, we’re proud of the stores and the design. We’re proud of all those things,” Mitchell said. “But none of that happens without our partners.

“Everything that our customers experience, it all comes down to the work that our partners do.”

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“As passionate, committed and excited as we are about what we offer inside the four walls of our stores – great customer service, great products, and great prices – we’re equally as passionate about how we show up and make a difference in the community,” Herron said.

The significance of community to the company got its start with founder Florence Butt, who in the early 1900s served food baskets along the banks of the Guadalupe River, Herron said.

“Giving back is truly part of who we are and what we’re about as a company.”

H-E-B is committed to many charitable causes including hunger relief and is the largest supporter of food banks in Texas. “It starts at the top of our organization,” Herron said.

Other areas of philanthropic focus include education, the environment, diversity and inclusion and the military. H-E-B also shows up when there’s a disaster, she said, whether that’s a natural disaster such as a hurricane or a tragedy like the Uvalde school shooting.

“When Texans are in need, they can count on H-E-B to do everything we can to help the community regain a sense of normalcy,” Herron said. “It truly is in our DNA. H-E-B’s secret sauce is how our Partners volunteer their time, energy and effort to make their communities better.”

Roxanne Orsak, H-E-B COO, said she had the opportunity to be on the front lines following Hurricane Harvey.

“It’s remarkable to me that Partners from across the state of Texas got in their trucks with a barbecue pit, ice chest, sleeping bags and fellow Partners – and off to Houston and the Gulf Coast they went,” she said. “They showed up and they didn’t need to be invited. Our Partners always show up.”

Orsak said they don’t leave until everyone is taken care of. H-E-B’s Partners in the affected areas who were safe invited other Partners into their homes. “It’s a phenomenal experience to watch and be a part of our Partners taking care of our customers. It’s remarkable to see how amazing our Partners are.”

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In addition to its branded products, other Own Brands include H-E-B Select Ingredients, H-E-B Organics, H-E-B Meal Simple, Field and Future by H-E-B, Mi Tienda, Hill Country Fare, Central Market, H-E-B Kitchen & Table, H-E-B Responsibly Raised and H-E-B Texas Roots to name a few.

Customers will also find Home by H-E-B brands Haven + Key and Texas Proud, along with True Texas Barbecue restaurants, in many H-E-B stores.

Scott Mitchell, chief merchant for the company, said H-E-B’s Own Brand portfolio is designed to bring its customers “unique and distinctive items.” 

That approach is a further illustration of why the retailer is The Shelby Report of the Southwest’s Innovator of the Year.

“True Texas Barbecue has been fun,” he said, adding that the company also operates different food concepts.

Mitchell noted that True Texas Barbecue has been named the best barbecue chain in the state by Texas Monthly. He said it’s not only an option for dining in, but also for catering.

“Quite a bit of our sales come from parties and special events. Weddings are a big deal for us under the True Texas Barbecue brand, which is very exciting.”

He said it is really about the H-E-B Partners. We have smokers in all our True Texas BBQ restaurants and one of the key positions is the pitmaster, who is preparing those products daily and ensuring the retailer gives its customers “the exact same experience across all locations,” Mitchell said. There are more than 20 locations across the state, with more planned for the future.

Home by H-E-B, a new concept for the company, debuted this year and is available in select stores, according to Mitchell. Both Haven + Key and Texas Proud are home décor collections, offering hundreds of items for different rooms in the home. These include textiles, décor, furniture, and accent pieces.

“The primary difference is that Haven + Key is more of a modern décor line, whereas Texas Proud is designed to bring the best of Texas home accents to our customers,” Mitchell said. “We’re excited and will be rolling it out to more stores this year.”

H-E-B continues to look at different ways to diversify its offerings and provide customers with unique items.

“This is part of our total Own Brands approach to offer customers what we call unique and distinctive items,” said Mitchell, adding that Texas Proud and Haven + Key is another way of doing that.

The post H-E-B’s Own Brands Portfolio Continues To Expand  appeared first on Shelby Report.

When H-E-B decides to locate a new store, one of its key focuses is on the local community. Input from residents is important in the overall design and another reason the grocer is The Shelby Report of the Southwest’s Innovator of the Year.

In terms of design elements, H-E-B continues to focus on sustainability and being environmentally friendly. This includes waste diversion efforts such as recycling and composting, energy efficient practices, and landscaping with native plants to help reduce water consumption.

We will continue to evolve those design elements as we grow and learn what works well in specific communities,” said Roxanne Orsak, H-E-B Chief Operating Officer.

The sustainability elements are also being incorporated into remodeling projects at stores, warehouses, and other supply chain facilities, said Juan-Carlos Rück, H-E-B Executive VP of North West Food Drug.

In addition, H-E-B includes art installations at its stores. According to Winell Herron, H-E-B Group VP of Public Affairs, Diversity and Environmental Affairs, the company has been a longtime supporter of the arts.

She said the company has partnered with local artists to create a unique shopping experience at many stores across the state, resulting in “a very special and tailored sense of place that complements the local community.”

At the site of the new Frisco H-E-B, there are eight different art installations featured in a community greenspace next to the store, which includes metal sculptures of fruit. Another example is a bench built using a series of mosaic tiles painted by H-E-B Partners and community members such as teachers, fire fighters and community leaders.

“Art is fun, unique, and inspirational. It allows us to connect with the local community,” Herron said.

She added that not every store has an art installation, but many do. At four H-E-B stores in Houston, the company worked with local artists to reinforce its commitment to the arts and to “highlight some of the talented artists across the state.”

“It differentiates our stores from others, but more importantly it’s an opportunity to create a unique sense of place and highlight fabulous local Texas artists,” Herron said.

H-E-B has commissioned art installations at a number of its stores for over 20 years. At a store in Wimberley that was built on the site of a closed school, Orsak said H-E-B took part of the basketball court flooring and incorporated the pieces into the store décor.

“When customers come to shop, they see parts of their old school at the store,” she said, noting that includes the old scoreboard and some of the bleachers.

Orsak reiterated that local approach. “Again, it all goes back to being part of the community and creating a sense of place that is really important to us and our customers,” she said.

When designing stores, H-E-B’s design team learns what is important to surrounding neighborhoods to create stores that reflect what is important to customers and local communities. They will eat at local restaurants and often engage with customers and community leaders.

“Our designers have the talent and freedom to create what they believe best reflects the culture of H-E-B and the communities we serve. Their artistic ability shines in every project.”

Rück added that he’s had the “unique experience” of spending time with H-E-B’s designers, day, and night, seeing the same location in the morning and evening. “That’s when I realized that designers are always looking everywhere except straight ahead of them.”

While Rück was walking and looking forward, he said “their heads are on swivels and they’re seeing things that I would have never seen…they are artists.”

Herron agreed that H-E-B has “incredibly talented and creative Partners” who understand the company’s vision. She cited as an example a Partner who designed a bike rack in the form of a carrot for the Frisco location.

“We were discussing a simple bike rack for residents biking to the store from Frisco neighborhoods, and the designer created a really cool work of art,” she said.

To view the full Innovator of the Year section on H-E-B by The Shelby Report, click here.

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As the retailer’s flagship banner, H-E-B stores join the network of six Central Market locations that have been serving shoppers in the DFW area for more than 20 years.

The plan to enter the DFW Metroplex has been years in the making, according to Roxanne Orsak, H-E-B Chief Operating Officer.

“We’re Texans serving Texans, and we have wanted to service the DFW market for nearly 25 years,” she said. “Growing up in the company, I remember talking about one day we’ll get to DFW.”

As a multi-format retailer, H-E-B serves many different types of customers “in a very unique way,” Orsak said. “We’re proud of our Central Market division that has served the DFW Metroplex for over 20 years.”

Central Market is a specialty gourmet retailer. Most locations have a full-service kitchen, offer cooking and wine classes in their culinary schools, and have catering services.

As H-E-B has grown and studied the market, additional opportunities for the H-E-B brand became clearer. “With the Frisco and Plano stores open, the company will continue to expand its other formats and maintain its push as a multi-format retailer in the DFW market,” Orsak said.

H-E-B has been a multi-format retailer for close to 30 years. In addition to H-E-B and Central Market stores, other formats include Mi Tienda and Joe V’s Smart Shop.

In Houston, Mi Tienda stores celebrate Latino food culture, Orsak said. The Joe V’s Smart Shop brand, which launched in Houston 12 years ago, is the company’s price format banner, “where we bring the absolute highest-quality fresh products at the absolute lowest price,” Orsak said.

She added that H-E-B is methodical about where it locates stores and the timing of new locations. Each store is tailored to the uniqueness of the nearby neighborhoods and surrounding community, Orsak said.

The company’s architects and designers are “world-class Partners (employees) who study the market and design stores relevant to the area.” The company also spends time visiting with customers, local business partners, and community leaders – all types of stakeholders – to gain a better understanding of how it can best serve customers.

“We want to bring Texas our absolute best,” Orsak said. H-E-B has an ongoing real estate plan for the Metroplex, with plans to grow beyond the Frisco and Plano locations.

Juan-Carlos Rück, H-E-B Executive VP of North West Food Drug, said H-E-B’s long-term plans are to continue to grow in the Metroplex with not just the H-E-B flagship brand but with its other formats as well.

H-E-B stores are under construction in Allen and McKinney, while ground was broken just recently in Alliance, which will be the first H-E-B store in Tarrant County (Fort Worth). An H-E-B location in Mansfield has also been announced, with groundbreaking planned for early next year.

Rück said the new locations will give residents an opportunity to join the H-E-B team and become Partners, “which is pretty exciting.”

The San Antonio-based company entered the Houston market about 30 years ago and has opened several stores there. It took “a lot of time to study Houston, and we wanted to make sure we got it right,” Orsak said. “We feel really good about our operations in Houston.”

With H-E-B’s plans underway for its expansion in the DFW area, Orsak said H-E-B wants to make sure it has the Partners needed for the new locations.

“Our partners are the key to our success.  Before we enter or expand in any market, we make sure we have the best training and development for our Partners – and identify strong leaders to take great care of our customers and community,” she said.

To view the full Innovator of the Year section on H-E-B by The Shelby Report, click here.

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In the special section below, we celebrate the milestone with an in-depth look at H-E-B’s culture, partners and offerings that make it so beloved in its home state of Texas.

To read news about the company from The Shelby Report, click here. 

To read the individual stories within, click the links below:

To read about H-E-B’s flagship banner stores, click here.

To learn about the retailer’s design plans for stores, click here.

For more information on the company’s Own Brands portfolio, click here.

To read about its community involvement, click here.

For information on H-E-B partners or employees, click here.

The post H-E-B Named 2022 Southwest Innovator Of The Year appeared first on Shelby Report.

Now in his 38th year in the grocery industry, he finds himself serving as chairman and CEO of California-based Cardenas Markets, The Shelby Report of the West’s Innovator of the Year. He also is a 2022 inductee into The Food Industry Hall of Fame.

The company earned its honor based largely on its growth and success since Sanders took the helm as CEO in July 2020, during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to assuming the role of CEO at Cardenas, he joined the company’s board of directors in 2018. He had previously served as CEO of Sprouts Farmers Market and his career also includes stints in technology and with other grocers.

In his two-plus years with Cardenas, Sanders has since overseen major deals, merged three different businesses, dealt with a major cyber security incident and played an instrumental role in the company’s acquisition by New York City-based Apollo Funds.

But Sanders’ hall of fame pedigree really has its roots in Texas. He got his first job in grocery the day he turned 16 working as a bagger for Brookshire Brothers.

“They had two stores in my hometown. I started working there in high school and all through college,” he said. “For me, it was something I just gravitated toward. I really enjoyed the business. I enjoyed the customers. Especially being from a small town, you knew the vast majority of the customers when they came in to shop.”

Sanders’ connection with the people of his hometown sparked his interest in the grocery industry. He found himself volunteering to come in on days off and worked in every department within that original store because of his desire to learn.

Sanders worked for Brookshire Brothers from 1986-97. Between that time, he worked his way up to store manager. By 1995, he had moved into the company’s corporate office in Lufkin, Texas.

Sanders began to work in the retail systems department, which he described as a precursor to information technology. At the time, cash registers were the only technology within grocery stores.

Sanders’ first project after joining the department was to replace all the POS in the stores. This project led to him working on a number of technology projects across the company in the years that followed.

“I didn’t necessarily have an IT background,” he said. “I was learning the systems as they were being implemented. I was also taking continuing education courses with Microsoft so I could get ahead of where we were going.”

Sanders left Brookshire Brothers after being recruited to Associated Wholesale Grocers in Oklahoma City. While there, he worked with independent retailers across most of Oklahoma and parts of the Texas Panhandle for the wholesaler.

He said he enjoyed his time at AWG as they were “very customer focused.” In fact, he keeps in touch with many former clients and still receives a Christmas card from some.

“AWG was an absolutely wonderful company and I really enjoyed working for them. I was there for three years, went through the whole Y2K event,” he said. “That kept me busy for a couple of years, as we were implementing and upgrading systems in almost every department in the store.”

In 2000, Sanders took his grocery career in a slightly different direction, joining Arizona-based TCI Solutions, which designed inventory and pricing management tools for grocers. The company had both domestic and international clients, so Sanders spent two years traveling the U.S. and abroad working with food retailers of all sizes. This experience not only expanded his knowledge of the IT industry but also helped him connect with clients who were active in the grocery industry.

“I was recruited by TCI because I had both an IT and a grocery background,” he said. “I was able to sit with senior executives and talk about our technology and how it benefited their business. But could also work with the technology team to explain how our technology works within their IT environment.”

This job is also how he was introduced to the founders of Sprouts Farmers Market.

“I was working on a project for Winn Dixie when I received a phone call from Shon Boney, one of the founders of Sprouts, asking if I could help set up the systems for their new grocery concept.”

In February 2002, Sanders flew out to Phoenix to begin pulling together Sprouts product database and implementing their systems. A week before the first store opened, they offered him the role of VP of information technology, which he accepted.

Sanders eventually rose to become president of Sprouts in 2005, leading the company through many years of dynamic growth, including multiple acquisitions and a successful IPO in 2013. He said that it was one of the most “challenging and rewarding” times of his career.

“I had never worked for a startup, but it was right up my alley. I love to work. I love to move fast. I love working with passionate and dedicated people. And I had an amazing team at Sprouts,” he said.

While Sanders studied business at Stephen F. Austin State University, he said, “To me, nothing replaces hands-on education.” 

That hands-on education continued as he grew as a leader. He wore many hats in the early days of Sprouts, so he was accustomed to getting things done himself. But as the company grew, his leadership style evolved as his role became more strategic in nature, delegating much of the day-to-day responsibilities to his executive team.

“As a company grows, you just can’t keep your hands around it all the time. You have to learn to give good direction and manage through people. You hire the right people and put them in the right place with the right level of autonomy and empowerment to get their job done.”

This management style was guided by his friend and mentor Boney, one of Sprouts’ founders. Boney and Sanders came from different worlds but found common ground in their unwavering belief in people.

“He was the one who fostered the culture and vision for Sprouts. This set the tone for believing in what we were doing and getting people to believe in it as well,” Sanders said. “Treat people well, give them good direction and let them do their job. And most importantly, let them know it’s OK to mess up.

“Shon was always astonishing me. He just had such a belief in what we were doing.”

Sanders shared that his time at Sprouts included one of the most regrettable moments of his career. During the opening ceremony for Sprouts’ first store in Texas, somebody noticed that the Texas flag had been raised upside down on the flagpole. 

“I have never been more embarrassed. People who I knew that lived in Dallas came to this event. When people found out that I was from Texas, it was even worse,” Sanders said with a chuckle. “We put the flag upside down. Who does that? Especially if you’re from Texas.”

Sanders eventually stepped away from the CEO position at Sprouts in 2016 but continued to serve as the company’s chairman of the board. 

“The board was very supportive of what I was doing, but I had to step away. Quite frankly, after years of running hard and building Sprouts from one store to around 300 when I stepped down as CEO, it was time for a break.”

Sanders took some time to himself and to enjoy his family but soon was itching to get back into the grocery business. Through a connection made while at Sprouts, he was offered a position on the board of Cardenas Markets.

“The board was mainly comprised of individuals with private equity background, and they needed a grocery operator on the board,” Sanders explained.

He joined the board at the end of 2018, when Cardenas was still a small family-run business. That changed in a flash as Mi Pueblo of northern California and Ranch Markets of Phoenix, Arizona, became part of the Cardenas banner.

“We went from a small company to a mid-sized company seemingly overnight,” Sanders said. 

The sheer complexity of operating in four different markets in three different states with different competitors in every single market can be difficult to manage.

“For me, it was very intriguing because I saw the opportunity to rebuild this company from a small family-owned business into a billion-dollar company,” he said. 

Citing his time at Sprouts, Sanders said he was “used to that because change was happening every day there.”

“We were a different company. The last year I was [at Sprouts], I think we opened around 30 new stores. We were perpetually changing and evolving. That’s kind of the same thing we have here at Cardenas,” he said. 

Sanders became CEO of Cardenas in July 2020. Undaunted by the unprecedented upheaval caused by the pandemic, Sanders instead marveled at the resiliency he saw at the company. Under his leadership, Cardenas began to invest tremendously in technology, rebuilding the senior executive team and culture.

“The company’s doing great today,” he said.

Alongside this, Sanders has continued to rebuild the private label program at Cardenas. He plans to continue the company’s brand through what the grocer is known for – authenticity. The retailer is innovating its recipes, ingredients and how it relates to the consumer.

Cardenas is a Hispanic-oriented retailer, but its private label needs to consider other demographics as its stores serve a variety of markets.

“While our core customers are primarily Hispanic, we need to understand the generational nuances of the Hispanic consumer and continue to evolve with them,” Sanders said.

“Every market we’re in is a melting pot of generational structure with a variety of ethnic backgrounds that really determines our offerings.”

Use of technology and data has been another characteristic Sanders has prioritized. The grocer has implemented automated product forecasting and replenishment in stores. That evolution began in the center store and is now migrating into other departments.

On a larger scale, technology has helped keep Cardenas going the right direction, Sanders said. The company recently began using an app platform called WorkJam that sends updates and relevant company-wide information to employees.

“How we communicate is one of the biggest challenges especially as we grow. We now leverage WorkJam to share pertinent and widespread internal facing communications,” he said.

As an example, Sanders noted how at the time of the interview Cardenas Markets was going through its open enrollment period for health insurance.

“All the notifications are sent through the app for open enrollment. Ensuring broad-based communication effectively reached its intended audience was difficult prior to using WorkJam. This technological solution has greatly improved our internal communication process,” he said.

As Sanders continues to balance work and enjoying the outdoors and life, he said the most important aspect he can bring to Cardenas is fostering healthy living and a career mentality.

“When you start with us, we want it to be a career,” he said. “When I started in the grocery business, I quickly knew I wanted this to be my career. I think creating those opportunities is important by creating upward mobility within the organization.”

For more information about the company, visit cardenasmarkets.com.

To read the full Innovator of the Year section on Cardenas Markets from The Shelby Report, click here.

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According to its president, Adam Salgado, who also serves as the grocer’s chief marketing officer, the foundation accrues its funding through sponsored events.

For example, it celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month and Mexican Independence Day by holding its 18th annual fundraising golf tournament on Sept. 15 at the Pacific Palms Resort in City of Industry, California.

The event raised more than $825,000 to support the foundation’s scholarship program, in addition to its health, children’s well-being and hunger relief initiatives.

Tournament participants were able to take in 18 holes of scramble golf tournament play, with longest drive and closest to-the pin competitions alongside live music, folklorico dancers and samplings throughout both golf courses.

“Events of this magnitude come to fruition through the generous support of our vendor community, and we are so grateful for their ongoing support,” Salgado said.

“The event was especially meaningful as we came together to raise funds for our future leaders while also honoring the kickoff of Hispanic Heritage Month.”

According to Salgado, education is the foundation’s first priority. Now in its third year, the foundation’s scholarship program helps stores to identify candidates for local student scholarships. Each store awards a $3,000 scholarship. The foundation also partners with various local universities.

This year, the foundation received 266 applications from students residing in the areas where Cardenas Markets operates.

According to the foundation, 50 of the 59 selected for scholarships are pursuing bachelor’s degrees, while four are earning associate degrees. In addition, five recipients are in graduate school, with three of those working toward their doctorates. In an ode to its Latino heritage, 50 percent of the scholarship winners identify as Hispanic.

“We looked at a wide variety of factors, some more easily quantifiable than others to select recipients from different backgrounds and levels of leadership,” Salgado explained.

In regard to children’s well-being and health initiatives, Salgado said Cardenas’ main customer market, Hispanics, are at an increased risk for diabetes. The foundation    partners with a number of other organizations to help combat the problem.

During September, which is national hunger relief month, Cardenas donated about $50,000 to local food banks and other organizations throughout its market area. The effort resulted in one of the most charitable months in the company’s history, Salgado said.

For more information, visit cardenasmarkets.com.

To read the full Innovator of the Year section on Cardenas Markets from The Shelby Report, click here.

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In preparation for honoring Cardenas ahead of this special section, The Shelby Report’s Bob Reeves got a special guided tour of the company’s store in Montclair, California, which boasts the “forward footprint” for new and renovated locations going forward. 

The tour was led by Prabash Coswatte, chief operating officer, who began by outlining Cardenas’ approach to store upgrades.

“We aim to achieve a stable, consistent feel across the store base as we are four independent chains merged,” he explained. 

When customers enter the store, they are greeted with a dazzling array of colors. These come from the freshly baked in-house sweets, cakes and treats lining the wall. Coswatte was reminded of the brand’s social media-type platform, WorkJam, after seeing the cake display.

“There’s usually at least one post a week of a cake from this store,” he said. “A few weeks back, they made a wedding cake, a beautiful three-tiered cake. It’s really cool to see their amazing creations.”

At the time of the store tour, the bakers were preparing for Dia de Muertos by creating festive cakes and cupcakes that showcased Cardenas’ Hispanic heritage. These holiday-inspired creations appear in the cake display case throughout the year, which Coswatte said “really lets our team members show off their creativity.”

Alongside the cake cabinet, customers will see another large display of various freshly made sweets and treats, including cookies, a variety of pan dulce and sweet rolls.

Following the bakery display is the “tip of the spear” for the grocer – the produce department. “We lead with produce,” Coswatte said.

Cardenas’ produce standards have risen within the past three years, and it now employs a quality control and assurance team at its warehouses, according to Coswatte.

“We’d rather reject a load versus receive an inferior product,” he said. “We want to maintain high standards. We want to make sure the product not only looks good in the store but also looks good for X amount of days after the customer takes it home. That’s the standard that we maintain.” 

This desire to uphold quality standards also has contributed to the surge of store renovations.

“When customers think Cardenas, they have brand expectations,” Coswatte continued. “The goal is to update the stores and deliver on the brand promise.”

While this renovation journey is still ongoing, he and his team expect them to be completed in another two years or so.

Another area that is continuing to improve within Cardenas is the bulk sales, which can be found throughout the perimeter of stores.

As customers leave the fresh produce and sights and smells of baking sweets, they are welcomed into the carnivorous section of the store.

Beginning with the seafood section, they will encounter a display of whole tilapia, catfish, crabs and shrimp, among other delicacies, on ice. A delicacy that sets Cardenas apart from most grocers is the fact many stores carry Central American delicacies such as octopus and stingray. 

Partnered with the seafood section is Cardenas’ full-service meat department.

“Traditionally, our customers really love that interaction at the meat counter with our experienced meat cutters. We want to make sure that that interaction stays in place,” Coswatte said. “Whether our customers prefer grab-n-go options or a specific cut of meat from the meat counter, we’ve broadened our offerings to accommodate customer preferences.”

Just as Cardenas has improved its produce quality, it also aims to make USDA Choice meat available at each location. 

The stores themselves have prepared food options throughout. In Montclair, cold crema – a slightly tangy condiment similar to sour cream – is available fresh behind the counters, as are homemade Mexican sausages and chorizo.

“Our chorizo is world famous,” Coswatte said. “Customers come and tell us – and we see it in the numbers – that they prefer our chorizo over the prepackaged options.” 

Montclair has a tortilleria, or tortilla bakery, which makes fresh masa and tortilla products. A local food chain, Dos Patrios Taqueria, gets its masa from that particular store for its four restaurants, Coswatte said.

The tortilleria also is known for its use of the Nixtamal process where corn is turned into masa, which is then baked into tortillas all in the same vat.

“It makes the tortillas extra flavorful and our customers love them,” Coswatte said. 

In addition, Cardenas has introduced a third-party program, Fujisan, which makes fresh sushi in-house. Next to the tortilleria is the Cardenas Cocina, where traditional Latin America breakfast, lunch and dinner options are prepared and served.

The post Fresh Food Stars During Tour Of ‘Forward Footprint’ Store appeared first on Shelby Report.

The location, which previously operated under the Rio Ranch Market banner, marks the company’s expanded footprint and is the first to serve the San Gorgonio Pass area. 

Cardenas, which acquired the site about 60 days earlier, invested more than $700,000 to remodel and refurbish the building to meet its standards, according to Chief Operating Officer Prabash Coswatte.

While smaller than a typical Cardenas site, Coswatte noted that community response to the store has been “amazingly refreshing.”

Cardenas held similar grand openings for other former Rio Ranch Markets in California on Oct. 12 in San Bernardino, Oct. 19 in Jurupa Valley and Perris and Oct. 26 in Chino and Fontana.

Each location has undergone an extensive remodel in preparation for its opening. Cardenas’ produce department features an assortment of seasonal fruits and vegetables from the U.S. and Latin America while the meat department has expanded its varieties of meat, beef, pork, chicken and seafood.

Each store has added an authentic Mexican Cocina, where shoppers can buy carnitas, tamales, taquería classics and other daily deal options. It also has a tortilleria featuring authentic corn and flour tortillas made from scratch.

In addition to a formal ribbon cutting, festivities in Banning included prize give- aways, remarks from local dignitaries and elected officials, as well as live entertainment from mariachis and ballet folklorico dancers.

“Please know that our commitment to celebrating Hispanic heritage lasts all year, not just one month. That’s what we are every single day,” said Adam Salgado, chief marketing officer for Cardenas. 

“In the same way that the city of Banning takes pride in the quality of services it provides to the community, Cardenas Markets takes pride in providing our customers with the friendliest service and freshest, most authentic products at amazing prices always. It isn’t just our slogan – always fresh, always authentic.

“So, as we celebrate the opening of the store, we do celebrate over 40 years of serving Southern California residents, and we certainly look forward to serving you in Banning.”

In honor of the occasion, the Cardenas Markets Foundation made donations of $5,000 each to the Banning Unified School District and Faith in Action.

Ontario, California-based Cardenas Markets is one of the largest Hispanic grocery chains in the country. It has 57 stores under the Cardenas Markets banner, seven under Los Altos Ranch Markets and one Cardenas Ranch Market. The stores are located in California, Nevada and Arizona.

For more information, visit cardenasmarkets.com.

To read the full Innovator of the Year section on Cardenas Markets from The Shelby Report, click here.

To view the photo gallery from the event taken by The Shelby Report, click here.

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