Imagine a world without Wegmans. Gone would be the sushi meal before a rousing grocery shopping trip. Gone would be fresh organic produce. Gone would be a staple of the Binghamton area. But, fortunately, we don’t live in such a world. However, believe it or not, Wegmans has not been around forever; its creation is one that food lovers everywhere cherish deep in their hearts — and stomachs!
In 1916, a year that will go down in food history, John Wegman introduced the Rochester Fruit & Vegetable Company.
“It began with a little horse-drawn wagon making its way through the streets of Rochester,” said Rich Gilbert, manager of the Johnson City Wegmans.
It wasn’t until 1937, when Wegman’s grandson Robert joined the team that the store’s popularity skyrocketed. Under his leadership, the store became the first self-serve grocery and in-store cafes were introduced. He continued to make countless innovations and additions to the store until his death in 2006.
Today there are over 70 Wegmans stores, spanning the states of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia.
On Sunday, Aug. 19, 1990, the grocery store opened in Johnson City.
“The store has always been popular,” Gilbert said. “There was a line of people wrapped around building. The excitement was phenomenal. That day, Wegmans employees were flown in from Rochester and Syracuse to assist with the hordes of shoppers.
Since then, an expanded store, a remodeled cafe and the addition of a wood fire oven have only caused this immense popularity to grow. Open 24 hours, local shoppers flood the store daily.
“There is extreme diversity,” said Gilbert referring to the different customers that come in each day. “They all shop at unique times. Senior folks and families come early in the morning. Students come late after class.”
Gilbert said that one of the many reasons people love shopping at Wegmans is because of the store’s “fantastic employees.” With pride in his employees, he quoted directly from the official Wegmans philosophy, which states: “We believe that good people, working toward a common goal, can accomplish anything they set out to do.”
“Employees like working here,” he said. “It sounds weird to say, but they have fun at work. There is never a day I dread coming here.”
It’s no surprise Wegmans is celebrating its 12th year of being ranked on Fortune Magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” This year it was ranked No. 5, and in 2005 it was ranked No. 1.
“We don’t hire temporary employees, and we don’t lay off workers,” said Gilbert, who began as a Wegmans cashier when he was 16 and is now entering his 30th year with Wegmans.
The philosophy also states: “We [Wegmans] set our goal to be the very best at serving the needs of our customers.”
Gilbert mentioned some ways that the Johnson City store has recently made changes to serve the needs of the local community in these economically trying times.
“Before the holidays, we lowered prices on many Wegmans products,” he said.
The store also has a listing of free antibiotics to aid during the cold and flu season.
The local Johnson City Wegmans has also drawn celebrities. In 1993 Woody Allen directed a commercial set in the supermarket to air in Italy. Gilbert said the store was chosen as a filming location because it closely resembles a typical European food market. All signs and prices were recreated in Italian and trailers flooded the parking lot. Gilbert recalled that between directing Allen made sure to enjoy a piece of Wegmans homemade pie.
The last part of the Wegmans philosophy states: “Every day you get our best.”
It’s true; whether you are picking up ingredients for your evening meal or grabbing a late night snack at 3 a.m., Wegmans won’t let you down.
A world without Wegmans? Let’s not even think about it.