Mollie Stone's Among Outstanding Specialty Retailers of 2012
Mollie Stone's Markets, a nine store supermarket chain based in Mill Valley, Calif., has been named one of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade Inc.'s Outstanding Retailers of 2012.
The awards recognize excellence in customer service, product sourcing, merchandising, quality assurance and a passion for presenting top-quality food.
The five outstanding retailers are:
- Mollie Stone’s Markets, Mill Valley, Calif.,
- Caviar & Bananas, Charleston, S.C.
- City Feed and Supply, Jamaica Plain, Mass.
- Eli’s Manhattan, New York City, and
- Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine, Chicago.
Founded in 1985 by Mike Stone and Dave Bennett, Mollie Stone’s Markets is family owned and operated with nine locations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mollie Stone’s has been unflinching in its commitment to provide the best possible shopping experience for its customers by offering a wide range of high quality products and full service departments.
“This year’s winners share a true commitment to providing premium service, well-edited choices of the latest new products, and a deep connection to their communities that are hallmarks of the specialty food industry,” says NASFT President Ann Daw.
The awards will be presented on June 18 at the Summer Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C., in a red-carpet ceremony hosted by Jose Andres, the noted chef and culinary innovator.
Nominations for the Outstanding Specialty Retailer Awards were made by members of the NASFT. The NASFT is a not-for-profit trade association for food artisans, entrepreneurs and importers. Retailers with the most nominations were asked to present detailed information about their companies, including menus, newsletters, training manuals, customer comments, promotional materials, press coverage and photographs to assist the judges in their deliberations. The five winners were selected by a national panel of specialty food experts.
Honorable mentions went to seven retailers. They are: Court Street Grocers, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Gateway Market, Des Moines, Iowa; Farm Basket, Lynchburg, Va.; Formaggio Kitchen, Cambridge, Mass.; Parker and Otis, Durham, N.C.; Toucan Market, Las Cruces, N.M.; and Wagshal’s, Washington, D.C.