By Staff Writer

Specialty Food Magazine and the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) present the six Outstanding Retailers of 2008, as nominated and selected by the members of the NASFT. Spanning the country, each award-winning store exemplifies traits of a successful specialty food establishment. Weaving consummate customer service, tastings and education with premium foods, these retailers know how to provide today's specialty food customers with shopping experiences that enhance their lifestyles and educate their palates. From a proprietor who launched a popular cheese festival to another who takes personal shopping to a new level to yet another who is partnering with the Food Network, these merchants share a passion for food and a true devotion to their customers and their community.

Chelsea Market Baskets: Inspired Specialty Foods
When Chelsea Market Baskets opened in 1997 in Manhattan's Chelsea Market, owner David Porat changed the gift basket landscape with his elegant, English-inspired creations. As one of the first stores to open in the now well-traversed market, Porat is a pioneer of this historic, food-centric space—which consists of more than 20 food-related wholesale and retail businesses.

Porat is committed to offering the best products from within the market and New York City, as well as from around the world. "The success of our business is partly attributable to the focus on quality gift baskets or specialty food gifts, yet I like the idea that we are selling more than a pretty basket, but a well-thought-out design that is made up of products that have integrity and a story behind them," he notes.

Porat carries a selection of 2,000 specialty items, including local products, imports, domestic specialties, hand-cut artisanal cheeses, a chocolate area, seasonal goods and a baby section, in his 2,700-square-foot sales area. He has an eye for sourcing award-winning products: "I'm drawn to high-quality products that appeal based on how they taste, and then I consider how they look, and how they can add to our gift assortment," he says.

After ten years, Porat brought new energy to the store by creating a partnership with Food Network, whose studios are in the same building. "Generally, out-of-towners or New Yorkers browsing in Chelsea Market are drawn to their favorite Food Network talent and products. They can buy for themselves or create a gift that incorporates some of those products," he explains.

The concept makes Chelsea Market Baskets the first retailer outside of the Food Network's online store to sell these items, which include cookbooks, DVDs, aprons, canvas tote bags and spices, rubs and olive oil from Food Network personalities.

For the future, Porat plans to develop a tasting area, "or offer classes about our products and maybe a trip to meet the people behind the products that we sell," he says. Contact: David Porat, Chelsea Market Baskets, 75 Ninth Ave., New York, NY 10011; 212.727.1111; chelseamarketbaskets.com.

DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine: The Artisan Cheese Source
Located at the entrance to Seattle's Pike Place Market, DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine remains committed to the vision of its original owner, Louis DeLaurenti, who opened the store more than 60 years ago. To appeal to its long-time customers, DeLaurenti continues to offer a large selection of Italian products, while infusing the business with innovation to attract a new generation of food lovers.

In 2001, when co-owners Pat McCarthy, Matt Galvin and Pat McDonald purchased the store, they closed for 29 days for a massive remodeling. Aisles were widened, new display cases added and the café was expanded. Since then, Matt Snyder has joined as a co-owner, notes McCarthy, who credits Snyder with the fresh view and enthusiasm that continue to help DeLautenti's capture a balance between old and new.

The store carries an exhaustive selection of artisan breads, chocolates, olive oil and pasta. The wine area is considered Seattle's hidden treasure—located upstairs, it offers 1,800 wines. The owners pride themselves on working with artisan manufacturers to create products specifically for the store, such as the Rosmarino Salame, made exclusively for DeLaurenti's by Salumi Cured Meats.

One of the first retailers in Seattle to offer artisan and traditional cheeses from around the world, DeLaurenti stocks more than 250 varieties and sponsors an annual cheese festival. "I thought why not have a Seattle Cheese Festival right on the street in the market, similar to the Festival of Cheese in Bra, Italy, but on a much smaller scale," explains McCarthy. "The Festival was a tremendous success and quickly became a national and international event." Its benefits link directly to staff morale. "Our staff feels really good about what we've done with the Festival," McCarthy adds. "From a business perspective, what could be better than to have employees proud of where they work?" Contact: Pat McCarthy, DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine, 1435 First Ave., Seattle, WA 98101; 800.873.6685, 206.622.0141;delaurenti.com.

Joe Leone's: The Jersey Shore's Italian Shopping Experience
Ten years ago, Joe Itrona and his brother-in-law John Hilla founded Joe Leone's, which has become a landmark in Point Pleasant Beach, on the Jersey Shore. What started as a small bakery is now a customized Italian shopping experience. "As our store has grown, we've figured out how to help a much larger number of customers in the same manner as we did when we were small," notes Itrona. "The store was built little by little on what our customers wanted."

Italian bread is the foundation of the business. Since the store opened, production has increased from 140 loaves a week to almost 2,500. Surrounding the center-store bakery are other service cases, where Joe Leone's has implemented a convenient shopping system. When a customer approaches the main counter, he takes a number. A staff member assists him with all of his selections from freshly prepared foods, made-to-order sandwiches and more. At the end, an employee escorts the customer to his car.

The 1,200-square-foot shop, located in a mini strip mall, carries more than 1,200 products. The store thrives because of the creative energies of the staff, which is led by a team of culinary graduates. Culinary school classes, cross-training across departments and research and development play major roles in educating employees. "I'm only as good as my staff. I like them to feel involved. I make sure I hire people who are better than me. I have vision and they add to that," says Itrona.

Itrona's passion for food is as deep as his desire to give back to the community—in addition to supporting educational causes, he and his staff freeze leftovers and donate them to the local food bank twice a week. Itrona's philosophy is to support the local community that continues to shop at his store after all the summer beach-goers leave. "This is a nice tight-knit shore community. We depend on them. This is my way of giving back." Contact: Joseph Itrona/Brian Hilla, Joe Leone's, 400 Rte. 35 S., Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742; 732.701.0001; joeleones.com.

Papa Joe's Gourmet Market & Catering: The Disney World of Specialty Food Stores
In the past 17 years, Papa Joe's Gourmet Market & Catering in Detroit has established itself as a trendsetter in the gourmet grocery, catering and prepared food segments. Customers spend hours in the store—an average of two hours each visit—because it offers much more than a place to buy food. Owner Joe Curtis, who named the store to honor his father, says, "For gourmands of the world, Papa Joe's is like an amusement park."

Two locations, one in Rochester (with 25,000 square feet of sales space and 49,500 items), and another location in Birmingham (with a 21,000-square-foot sales area and 48,000 items), have turned Papa Joe's into a destination stop for both suburban and downtown Detroiters. Particularly popular is the sprawling Gourmet to Go counter—featuring everything from deli offerings to fully prepared elements for a lavish meal. "Customers choose from hundreds of items, all of which are cooked, baked or prepared on premise by top chefs. Guests can select from the butcher shop or Bayside Seafood any cut of meat or fish and have it cooked to order while they wait—there's no other store where you can see all of the food that's available created right in front of your eyes," states Curtis.

The store offers organic and locally grown produce that is selected daily. Meat is cut to order at the old-fashioned Butcher Block meat counter, and 80 percent of the seafood is imported and is the freshest available. Pastry chefs create signature items, all of which are made without additives or preservatives using exclusive flours from Italy and vanilla extract from Madagascar.

Part of the allure comes on the mezzanine where glass kitchens display the many chefs creating prepared foods, breads, cakes and pastries. "We offer a gourmet dining experience to go, with a full menu available all the time. To top it off, customers can sample or have a full glass of wine from our European wine system that offers 60 types of wine daily," Curtis explains. The wine-tasting system uses rechargeable wine cards that are available for purchase, and once activated allow the customer to sample from up to 50 different wines. Customers can shop the store with a glass of wine in their hands, create on-the-spot wine and cheese pairings or just relax at the cheese bar and get advice from one of the three certified sommeliers on staff.

Many shoppers turn to Papa Joe's for a range of catering services, from weddings to dinner parties to meals for private jet owners. With a "never say no" motto and a "yes, I can" service philosophy, Papa Joe's gives residents of the tri-county area exceptional variety, selection and service at this "Disney World of specialty food stores." Contact: Joe Curtis, Papa Joe's Gourmet Market & Catering, 6900 N. Rochester Rd., Rochester Hills, MI 48306; 248.853.6263; papajoesmarket.com.

The Pasta Shop: Standing Out in Foodie Central
Known as the store for people who enjoy food, The Pasta Shop has succeeded at being a food destination in the San Francisco Bay Area, a place that is never in shortage of good food and wine. Siblings Sara, Tony and Peter Wilson have been offering high-quality pasta and salads since purchasing the shop in 1987. They also sell their fresh pasta wholesale to local restaurants. Their secret to success: "We have an abiding engagement in the problems and enjoyment of food retail. And a good sense of humor and a sanguine attitude helps too," says Managing Partner Sara Wilson.

Wilson and her staff seek out artisan products and international cuisines to bring to the mix at their two locations, the 2,000-square-foot Berkeley shop, and a 1,700-square-foot store that serves as the anchor of Oakland's Rockridge Market Hall, a European-style market. The retailer offers an array of items, from hand-crafted cheeses, fresh pasta, catering services and a wide-ranging prepared foods counter, particularly at the Oakland store, which receives heavy commuter traffic.

The Bay Area is a particularly competitive market. "In less than a year we've had three new stores opening near us, all of which are attractive to the same customers," says Wilson. To remain competitive, they stay focused every day on customers, staff, food and store keeping. "There are great products and ingredients to be discovered and used in new ways. It seems there are fewer cooks but more interest in food, and we recognize that what didn't sell three years ago may be more favorably received now. It's a learning process every day," she says.

Educating staff is important, not only for their ability to enlighten customers, but also to fuel enthusiasm. Sampling and demos are everyday occurrences, an opportunity to show the consumer practical applications for the products. "We try to keep food education at the forefront of a staff member's experience. We have managers whom we have kept engaged for a long time, some of whom have worked with me for close to 20 years." Contact: Sara Wilson, The Pasta Shop, 5655 College Ave., Oakland, CA 94618; 510.250.6000; markethallfoods.com.

Surdyk's Liquor & Cheese Shop: Three Generations of Quality
Minneapolis' destination for premium specialty cheese, deli and gourmet products, Surdyk's Liquor & Cheese Shop provides its customers with personal service, product knowledge and great value. In business since 1934 and run by three generations of the Surdyk family, its wide assortment of cheeses, wines, liquors, beers and cigars keep customers strolling down the aisles. The 2,500-square-foot retail space offers 4,000 items, including 367 cheeses, while a wholesale arm provides local chefs and restaurants with the same quality items.

Joseph Surdyk, grandfather of current owner Jim Surdyk, started the store soon after the end of Prohibition. Joseph's son Bill began working there in the early 1940s and in 1979, they added a specialty cheese shop and began selling olive oils, vinegars, breads and pastas.

Longevity and retention of staff is something current co-owner Mary Richter has sustained (she started working at Surdyk's in 1979 when she was in college at the University of Minnesota). Surdyk's is known for its highly trained, customer-service-oriented, friendly staff. "I don't necessarily look for people with cheese, specialty food or even retail experience. Instead, I look for people who are genuinely friendly, with good verbal skills who can communicate well and convey a love for food and life—happy people," says Richter.

The company culture is one of continual improvement and each staffer is expected to improve at least one thing in the store every day. Another important element is keeping inventory fresh. The cheeses are always cut to order and the deli cases regularly evaluated for freshness.

The staff at Surdyk's liquor store pride themselves on turning even novice wine shoppers into knowledgeable, confident consumers. Tastings every weekend, a wine club with 700 members and sponsored winemaker dinners sustain Surdyk's reputation as the wine experts in the area. In 2006, surdyks.com was named by The Wall Street Journal as one of the country's top wine websites. Contact: Mary Richter, Surdyk's Liquor & Cheese Shop, 303 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55414; 612.379.3232; surdyks.com.