For love of community: Dave’s Market stands above

When Dave’s expanded to North Kingstown, she said, there was no McDonald’s or Dunkin’ as they would have at other locations, so they began to wonder how they would live without coffee. It became cheaper for the owners, instead of the $50 or more coffee runs were now costing them because business had grown, to start making the coffee themselves.

And so, the seeds for Dave’s Market’s famous free coffee bar, bringing comfort and familiarity to generations of shoppers, were planted. Budlong says she loves to tell the owners that she was the reason they started serving coffee, an offering enjoyed by busy people who are juggling life and tired amid their long day.

When Dave’s Market staffers first heard in January that they’d been named a retailer of the year by the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA), they thought, “that’s kind of cool,” said Budlong, director of marketing and communications for the company.

It wasn’t until later, when they realized the magnitude of the IGA membership worldwide, she said, that they realized what an honor it was.

Dave’s owners, alongside their spouses and top staffers, accepted the recognition of IGA USA Retailers of the Year and International Retailers of the Year by IGA during a Feb. 24 ceremony in Las Vegas.

They tied for International Retailer of the Year with a Korean company out of Atlanta, Ga., and were one of eight for Retailer of the Year, recognized in two key areas of food innovation and community support.

Winning in those two categories, said Budlong, could not make them prouder, as they truly see themselves as a food innovator and they remain constantly committed to connecting with, understanding, and giving back to their communities.

There are some 7,500 retailers with an IGA affiliation worldwide, and the IGA brand is exploding in Europe, while Australia maintains one of the largest independent networks for stores.

Onwers Dave Cesario and Bill Hogan were recognized along with seven other U.S. retailers and IGA Australia and South Africa’s Retailers of the Year. The awards are the highest honors IGA bestows on its retailer members, and are presented annually to grocers who have best provided leadership and excellence in their communities. Dave’s was nominated by their licensed distribution center, Bozzuto’s.

“This is an amazing honor that we were so shocked and thrilled to receive. It is a tribute to not only Dave Cesario and Bill Hogan, and their families, but to all of the hard-working dedicated employees who are committed to excellence every day,” stated the company in an announcement. “Being recognized for food innovation and commitment to our communities is a highlight of our almost 57 years in business.”

The company also won for the second year in a row with the Shelby Report, a trade magazine highlighting exceptional independent stores.

Shoppers spoken to by The Breeze can’t get enough of their favorite local grocer.

“I only shop here. The way customers are treated is incredible, and everyone is so helpful,” said Armen Casparian. “Any questions you have, they’ll help you find an answer; you’re really taken care of. You can tell that the employees love working here, and that they really respect each other. This positive attitude rubs off on the customers, and encourages us to treat fellow shoppers with that same respect and kindness.”

On the topic of food innovation, Budlong says she’s not sure one would find commercial open-air kitchens at any other retailer. That forward thinking also led them to open a central 10,000-square-foot commercial scratch bakery and 15,000-square-foot commissary.

In a world where many family bakeries are disappearing, being able to do this was so important to them, she said. The man who runs it is a “Federal Hill guy,” and learned the ways of the best bakeries. He maintains a running monologue while he works, she said, and “I’m not sure he measures a thing.”

“I hate to say that, but that’s an old-school thing,” she said.

The commissary and bakery are open 20 hours per day, and nine Dave’s locations have full-service kitchens with night crews.

“When you look at how we’ve moved the needle for food, it’s pretty incredible,” said Budlong.

Their efforts are about so much more than sales, she said, and they’re often blown away by the fact that they put out some 10,000 meals per week. That total doesn’t count the side wall and deli, where salads, sandwiches, chicken salad, assorted appetizers, and meal components such as side dishes and entrees are sold.

“That’s pretty rocking,” she said. “Think about how many times we’re on the dining room table.”

Busy people being pulled in so many directions don’t want to cook every night, she said, and there’s always a night they need a break.

“Dave’s is giving lots of people breaks now,” she said. “It’s kind of crazy to think how we impact our communities in that way.”

In addition to prepared meals as a draw, the “beautiful array of fresh produce” has always been a priority and is second to none, said Budlong. She says that best and fresh emphasis has always been a priority of Hogan and Cesario, and they have an amazing produce buyer and incredible relationships regionally and locally. They’re always so proud to put products from local merchants on the shelves, she added.

Cesario has always been a big foodie, she said, recalling how she would find him behind the deli making cornbread because he felt like it.

Cesario added kitchen equipment to his office to experiment with innovative and healthy meal options. Those experiments become the unique ready-to-heat items staff say are both delicious and healthy, offered at prices that allow the entire community access. Paired with quality pizza, fresh sushi and bakery items, “Cesario and Hogan’s stores inspire visitors to embark on a culinary journey of health and flavor,” states a release.

When the growth of big-box stores exploded, and Almacs closed its stores, Dave’s smartly expanded into those closed stores and found ways to compete with the box chains, said Budlong. They discovered a “tried and true clientele” that wanted a community experience and true neighborhood stores. The owners replaced the old Almacs microwave aisles with kitchens because they were such foodies, she said. They knew their communities and neighborhoods, and that they wanted fresh seafood and other meats. Even still, they grind their own beef and will do special meat mixes upon request.

When opening each store, staff spends many hours researching how they want it to look and feel, going to local libraries and town halls and uncovering the history of the communities they’re in to reflect and showcase what they find. The produce aisle in East Greenwich features Main Street and the Greenwich Odeum.

“The complexity of each location, the theme, the feeling of each, it’s intentional,” she said, and each location, no matter its size, is designed to be shoppable, comfortable, and friendly.

On prices, Budlong said they’ll never be the cheapest because they can’t compete across the board with the buying power of a much larger chain, but they control what they’re able to, including reducing prices on the most popular items and working hard to lower prices where possible. They’re not the cheapest on eggs, she said, but they aren’t charging what that large-scale chain is.

The produce or prepared foods and brick oven pizza might draw someone in, she said, and then they’ll find other quality items along the way.

In addition to local merchants, they’re always trying to support community organizations in any way they can, said Budlong. They want what’s best for their host communities, and by extension, what’s best for Rhode Island. Food innovation brings people to their stores, and when folks hear about awards such as these and feel like these offerings are the best in the country, they want to be here, she said, which is good for the state and good for tourism.