Latest news with #Tony'sFreshMarket
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Heritage Grocers Group Launches 'A Cut Above the Rest' Meat Campaign at Tony's Fresh Market
Where Quality Meets Craftsmanship: Tony's is Chicagoland's Meat Expert Where Quality Meets Craftsmanship: Tony's is Chicagoland's Meat Expert A Cut Above the Rest ITASCA, Ill., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heritage Grocers Group ('Heritage' or 'HGG'), the largest Hispanic and ethnic food retailer in the country, is excited to announce the launch of Meat Campaign at its Chicago-based banner company Tony's Fresh Market. This initiative highlights Tony's long-standing commitment to delivering premium meats with unmatched quality, variety, and service across Chicagoland. 'Our meat department is built on four core pillars: quality, variety, freshness, and in-house expert butchers,' said Vince Gambino, Chief Merchandising Officer for Tony's Fresh Market. 'At the heart of this campaign is a simple promise: to ensure every customer receives the best cut, every time. From everyday meals to special occasions, our customers can count on Tony's for unmatched quality and trusted expertise'. Campaign Highlights Include: A Cut Above the Rest: Celebrating Tony's commitment to quality with USDA Choice beef, vegetarian-fed chicken, a full-service seafood department, and house-made sausages crafted with care. Experts in Every Cut: Skilled butchers offering custom cuts, expert craftsmanship and cooking tips. Recipe Contest: Tony's Fresh Market invites customers to enter Tony's Grill Games Contest by sharing their favorite recipe on Instagram. To participate, customers can post a recipe using the hashtag #TonysGrillGames, tag @TonysFreshMarket, and follow the account. One lucky winner will receive a grand prize package including a $750 Tony's Fresh Market Gift Card, a Traeger Grill, and a selection of premium grilling accessories. For more information visit: Tony's Fresh Market continues to set the standard for meat excellence in the region by offering excellent quality in addition to a trusted experience rooted in tradition, exceptional service, and a deep commitment to the Chicagoland area it has served for over 45 years. About Heritage Grocers Group:Heritage Grocers Group (HGG) the largest specialty, ethnic food retailer that offers an extensive assortment of both traditional and specialty grocery items to the communities it serves. With a unique customer experience focused on freshness, authenticity, and affordability, the HGG family of destination groceries incorporate freshly made ethnic foods, differentiated floor formats presenting distinct specialty categories and localized assortments that engage with each community. Headquartered in Ontario, California, Heritage Grocers Group operates in six states: California, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Kansas, and Illinois, with a total of 57 stores under the Cardenas Markets banner, 29 stores under the El Rancho Supermercado banner, 21 stores under Tony's Fresh Market banner, and 7 stores under the Los Altos Ranch Market banner. Contact Marisa Kutansky Senior Communications DirectorTel: (909) 923-7426 ext. 1414Email: mkutansky@ Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Heritage Grocers continues executive shuffle
This story was originally published on Grocery Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Grocery Dive newsletter. Tony's Fresh Market CEO Frank Ingraffia is stepping into the newly created chief transformation officer position at parent company Heritage Grocers Group, according to a Tuesday announcement. The previous week, the Hispanic grocery company announced two executive promotions, including a new group vice president of merchandising and a group vice president of marketing. These leadership changes come less than six months after Suzy Monford, a veteran grocery executive, took over as chairman and CEO of Heritage. Since Monford's appointment to helm the company in November, Heritage has announced a slew of executive appointments, primarily stemming from internal promotions. As chief transformation officer, Ingraffia will lead the company's newly created Transformation Office. Heritage said it created the department in December to focus on e-commerce, retail media, price and promotion optimization, and inventory and supply chain improvement, per the press release. Ingraffia will take on this role in addition to his current responsibilities as CEO of Tony's Fresh Market. Ingraffia, who is the son of Tony's Fresh Market's founder Tony Ingraffia, has been with the Heritage banner since 2003, starting as a bagger and eventually working in every store-level department, according to the announcement. At the corporate level, he held a variety of positions for the chain, including real estate director and vice president of corporate operations, before taking over his father's role as CEO. The previous week, Heritage also announced it promoted Kim Cates to serve as group vice president of merchandising and named Allison Garcia as group vice president of marketing. Cates brings more than 20 years of experience from Texas-based grocer H-E-B, where she held a number of store operations titles. Before joining Heritage, she worked for Associated Wholesale Grocers as its director of center store sales. Garcia has spent her 16-year food industry career with Kroger in roles such as marketing leader at Ralphs, director of marketing for Kroger Enterprise and marketing leader at Fry's Food and Drug. While both women stepped into these roles for Heritage in mid-April, they both originally joined the company in February, with Cates as vice president of center store and Garcia as vice president of marketing. In February, Heritage promoted Matthew Holt from chief accounting officer to CFO. He now oversees financial and accounting functions for the grocery company's banners, including Cardenas Markets, Tony's Fresh Market, El Rancho Supermercado and Los Altos Ranch Market. Recommended Reading Heritage Grocers appoints new CFO Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tony's workers vote overwhelmingly against joining grocery union
Workers at Tony's Fresh Market, the Chicago grocery chain sold to private equity three years ago, voted overwhelmingly against forming a union this week. Workers at 21 Tony's locations throughout the city and suburbs cast their votes in grocery store break rooms and pricing offices Tuesday through Thursday. When the ballots were counted Friday, the workers had voted 1,115-605 against unionization, according to the National Labor Relations Board. Voter turnout was about 94%. The vote is a crushing loss for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 881, the grocery workers' union that had sought to represent the Tony's employees. The union already represents thousands of Jewel-Osco and Mariano's workers throughout the Chicago area. In the lead-up to the election, the union had accused Tony's of using illegal anti-union tactics to discourage 'yes' votes, which the company denies. The election was among the largest held in the American private sector so far this year: had the Tony's workers voted to unionize, their bargaining unit would have numbered around 2,000, according to labor board records. The union had estimated the size of the company at around 2,400 employees in initial filings with the agency; the labor board ultimately determined that 1,995 workers were eligible to vote. The parties agreed ahead of time that some managers would be permitted to vote but that their ballots would be challenged and their eligibility resolved afterward, according to agency records. About 160 such ballots were cast in the election, nowhere near enough to impact the results. Before the election, pro-union workers said they hoped forming a union could help them secure higher wages and better benefits, such as more affordable health insurance. In a statement after the election, Tony's said the vote 'reflects the strong relationships we've built with our employees and our ongoing commitment to fostering a workplace where they can thrive – with competitive wages, strong benefits packages, professional growth opportunities, and direct and open communication.' 'We appreciate the trust our team members place in us, and we are dedicated to continuing to serve the communities in which we operate and making Tony's Fresh Market a great place to work through collaboration with our team members,' the company said. UFCW did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon. Ahead of the election, UFCW accused Tony's of interrogating workers about their union loyalties, firing a pro-union worker and telling employees that the union would check their immigration documents. 'The workers have reported being pulled into one-on-one meetings, being questioned if they are working with the Union, and being unlawfully told not to vote in the upcoming election,' the union said in a news release before the election. The union filed charges alleging violations of federal labor law with the NLRB. Those charges remain open, according to agency records. Tony's has pushed back on the allegations, saying the company follows the law and that it had not fired any workers because of their organizing efforts. 'Tony's Fresh Market values its team members and respects their right to consider union representation, and any claims suggesting otherwise are false,' the company said in a statement prior to the election. Parties have five business days following the election to file any objections. If no objections are filed, the labor board will certify the results of the election. Tony's was founded by Italian immigrants in Logan Square in 1979. In 2022, the company was acquired by funds managed by affiliates of private equity giant Apollo Global Management.
Miami Herald
25-03-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
2,400 grocery workers to decide whether Tony's Fresh Market will go union
Over the next three days, 2,400 cashiers, deli clerks, meat cutters, bakery workers, pastry decorators, florists and other grocery store staffers will decide whether Tony's Fresh Market, the grocery chain founded by Italian immigrants in Logan Square and sold to private equity three years ago, will become a union shop. Tony's workers from Joliet to Waukegan will cast their votes Tuesday through Thursday in an election held by the National Labor Relations Board. The union that hopes to represent the workers is the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 881, which already represents thousands of grocery workers at Mariano's and Jewel-Osco grocery stores throughout the Chicago area. A majority of workers at Tony's 21 supermarkets must vote "yes" to secure a win for the union. The union election will be among the largest held in the American private sector so far this year. If the Tony's workers vote to unionize, their fledgling bargaining unit could be the largest certified by the labor board this year, according to agency records. Tony's workers who support the union have said they hope it could help them secure higher pay and better benefits. Maria Molina, who works in the floral shop and as a cashier at Tony's in suburban Prospect Heights, said she makes $18.70 an hour after nine years with the company. "We're doing all of this to have a better standard of living," said Molina, who supports the union, in an interview with the Tribune in Spanish. Before working at Tony's, Molina had a union job at Dominick's, where, she said, she had benefits such as sick days, time and a half pay for working Sundays and affordable insurance, which she attributes to saving her a lot of money when she was hospitalized for an infection. And around the time Dominick's shuttered in 2013, Molina said, she was making $15.25 an hour - the equivalent of $20.88 in today's dollars, and more than she makes at Tony's now. Most of her colleagues, she said, don't have health insurance through Tony's because it's too expensive. For now, she has insurance through her husband, but is expecting to go without it once he stops working in May because his company is moving out of state. In a statement, Tony's said the company "take(s) great pride in fostering a supportive environment where our team members can thrive, with competitive wages, strong benefits packages, and direct and open communication at the core of our efforts." The company did not respond to a question about specific starting and average wages for grocery workers. It said it offered benefits including health care, 401(k) plans and paid vacation time, and said it provided premium pay for work during the holiday season. Tony's, which was founded by Tony Ingraffia and Domenico Gambino in 1979, was acquired by funds managed by New York based private equity giant Apollo Global Management three years ago. In the leadup to the election, UFCW has accused Tony's of trying to bust the union vote, including by firing a union supporter, interrogating workers about their support for the union, and threatening workers by telling them that the union will ask for their immigration documents. The union filed charges with the NLRB alleging the company has violated federal labor law, which the company denies. "Suddenly," the union said in a news release last week, "the Company has been hosting pizza parties, offering coupons, and special discounts to workers in an obvious last-ditch effort to buy loyalty before the election." In a statement, Tony's said it "values its team members and respects their right to consider union representation, and any claims suggesting otherwise are false." The company said it follows the law, saying specifically that it had not fired any workers because of their union activity. Tony's said that company leaders and store managers receive training to ensure they comply with labor laws and regulations. If the Tony's workers vote to join UFCW, their union would be among the largest new bargaining units the Chicago area has seen in recent years. Most union elections are measured "in the tens or hundreds of workers, not thousands," said Johnnie Kallas, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations. "This is a very important election," he said. Though the Chicago area, like much of the rest of the country, has seen an increase in new unions over the last several years, some of that organizing has taken place in smaller shops, such as cafes that sometimes have fewer than two dozen workers. UFCW itself has taken to organizing smaller units, including some local cannabis dispensaries. But even a large bid like the Tony's election - if the union can notch a win - would not be enough to make a dent in the country's overall union membership rate, which hit a record low of just under 10% last year, despite high profile union wins and strong public support for unions. The issue of how to reverse a union membership rate that has fallen precipitously since a high of 20% in the early 1980s, when the government first started keeping track, has long vexed labor leaders and organizers. To Tony's and its workers, of course, the results of the week's election matter a great deal. At the Tony's in Prospect Heights, Molina does all the work to keep the flower shop running, she said, from the dirtiest work to the most pleasant. She does inventory, takes out the trash and creates the floral arrangements that Tony's sells. This week, Molina has another task to add to her list: casting a vote. _____ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
2,400 grocery workers to decide whether Tony's Fresh Market will go union
Over the next three days, 2,400 cashiers, deli clerks, meat cutters, bakery workers, pastry decorators, florists and other grocery store staffers will decide whether Tony's Fresh Market, the grocery chain founded by Italian immigrants in Logan Square and sold to private equity three years ago, will become a union shop. Tony's workers from Joliet to Waukegan will cast their votes Tuesday through Thursday in an election held by the National Labor Relations Board. The union that hopes to represent the workers is the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 881, which already represents thousands of grocery workers at Mariano's and Jewel-Osco grocery stores throughout the Chicago area. A majority of workers at Tony's 21 supermarkets must vote 'yes' to secure a win for the union. The union election will be among the largest held in the American private sector so far this year. If the Tony's workers vote to unionize, their fledgling bargaining unit could be the largest certified by the labor board this year, according to agency records. Tony's workers who support the union have said they hope it could help them secure higher pay and better benefits. Maria Molina, who works in the floral shop and as a cashier at Tony's in suburban Prospect Heights, said she makes $18.70 an hour after nine years with the company. 'We're doing all of this to have a better standard of living,' said Molina, who supports the union, in an interview with the Tribune in Spanish. Before working at Tony's, Molina had a union job at Dominick's, where, she said, she had benefits such as sick days, time and a half pay for working Sundays and affordable insurance, which she attributes to saving her a lot of money when she was hospitalized for an infection. And around the time Dominick's shuttered in 2013, Molina said, she was making $15.25 an hour — the equivalent of $20.88 in today's dollars, and more than she makes at Tony's now. Most of her colleagues, she said, don't have health insurance through Tony's because it's too expensive. For now, she has insurance through her husband, but is expecting to go without it once he stops working in May because his company is moving out of state. In a statement, Tony's said the company 'take(s) great pride in fostering a supportive environment where our team members can thrive, with competitive wages, strong benefits packages, and direct and open communication at the core of our efforts.' The company did not respond to a question about specific starting and average wages for grocery workers. It said it offered benefits including health care, 401(k) plans and paid vacation time, and said it provided premium pay for work during the holiday season. Tony's, which was founded by Tony Ingraffia and Domenico Gambino in 1979, was acquired by funds managed by New York based private equity giant Apollo Global Management three years ago. In the leadup to the election, UFCW has accused Tony's of trying to bust the union vote, including by firing a union supporter, interrogating workers about their support for the union, and threatening workers by telling them that the union will ask for their immigration documents. The union filed charges with the NLRB alleging the company has violated federal labor law, which the company denies. 'Suddenly,' the union said in a news release last week, 'the Company has been hosting pizza parties, offering coupons, and special discounts to workers in an obvious last-ditch effort to buy loyalty before the election.' In a statement, Tony's said it 'values its team members and respects their right to consider union representation, and any claims suggesting otherwise are false.' The company said it follows the law, saying specifically that it had not fired any workers because of their union activity. Tony's said that company leaders and store managers receive training to ensure they comply with labor laws and regulations. If the Tony's workers vote to join UFCW, their union would be among the largest new bargaining units the Chicago area has seen in recent years. Most union elections are measured 'in the tens or hundreds of workers, not thousands,' said Johnnie Kallas, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations. 'This is a very important election,' he said. Though the Chicago area, like much of the rest of the country, has seen an increase in new unions over the last several years, some of that organizing has taken place in smaller shops, such as cafes that sometimes have fewer than two dozen workers. UFCW itself has taken to organizing smaller units, including some local cannabis dispensaries. But even a large bid like the Tony's election — if the union can notch a win — would not be enough to make a dent in the country's overall union membership rate, which hit a record low of just under 10% last year, despite high profile union wins and strong public support for unions. The issue of how to reverse a union membership rate that has fallen precipitously since a high of 20% in the early 1980s, when the government first started keeping track, has long vexed labor leaders and organizers. To Tony's and its workers, of course, the results of the week's election matter a great deal. At the Tony's in Prospect Heights, Molina does all the work to keep the flower shop running, she said, from the dirtiest work to the most pleasant. She does inventory, takes out the trash and creates the floral arrangements that Tony's sells. This week, Molina has another task to add to her list: casting a vote.
