inStorebuyer - October 2012 - (Page 18)

The Fun Zone Fairway Market entices bakery/deli shoppers with eye-catching products and clever events. by John Unrein There was a time not long ago when the average consumer rated a trip to the supermarket as a more painful experience than a visit to the dentist. Yet ask any shopper at New York Citybased Fairway Market, with 12 locations and counting, and you’ll hear words like “amazing” and “spectacular.” Even New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg raves about Fairway’s onion bagels. “It was one of the best bagels I’ve ever had in my life,” he recently said. High praise, indeed, in a city known for delicious bagels. Special events like Fairway’s Sept. 23 “Manhattan Kosher Grilling Challenge” give loyal shoppers more reason to celebrate by allowing them a chance to put their best food forward. The Kosher Grilling Challenge winner receives a $500 gift card to Fairway. For customers who love to eat as much as they like to shop, the innovative supermarket operator hosts unique food challenges like their 9th Annual Dumpling Eating Contest, which is presided over by Fairway’s executive chef Mitchel London. The retailer hosted a pancake eating contest in which the winner consumed 57 pancakes in 10 minutes, earning him a $100 gift certificate. London, who was once former New York Mayor Ed Koch’s official chef, is one of the retailer’s selfproclaimed “Rock Stars,” who gather for special instore events at least once a month at one of Fairway’s dozen stores in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The executive chef shares recipes and cooking tips online at www. FairwayMarket.com or on the airwaves at WOR Radio’s The Joan Hamburg Show. A recent broadcast featured Fairway’s recipe for veal scallopini. Another recent event featured Adam Miller, vice president of food services, demonstrating simple yet show-stopping dishes like pizza rustica, perfect for entertaining, and Fairway baker Rebecca Martin providing samples of Fairway’s new line of gourmet cookies, including Chocolate Chunk, Oatmeal Raisin, Kookiepazzo and Snickerdoodle. Fairway’s lineup of Rock Stars is full of knowledgeable and dedicated staff members. Fairway’s Master Cheesemonger Steve Jenkins is so passionate about cheese he once wrote a book called Cheese Primer, which won a James Beard Award for excellence. Blossoming beyond roots With its roots on Manhattan’s Upper West Side where it began as a fruit and vegetable stand almost 80 years ago, Fairway Market features | 18 | inStorebuyer | October 2012 | http://www.FairwayMarket.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of inStorebuyer - October 2012

inStorebuyer - October 2012
Editor's Note - Lessons from the Road
Table of Contents
Front Line News - Kroger Unveils Simple Truth Brand
Walmart Teaches Healthy Habits
The Safeway Foundation Airs Cancer Awareness PSA
Food Service Retail - The New Family Mealtime
Baking & Decorating - Breakfast on the Run
Bakery Development - Donut Growth
Deli Development - Deli Meats Grow Dollars, Lose Volume
The Fun Zone
Know Your Loyal Customers
Packaging Innovation - Tackling Food Tampering
Package to Show
Health & Nutrition - Portion Control
Cheese Corner - Spreadable Cheese
Product Trends
Product Showcase
Marketplace Network

inStorebuyer - October 2012