Dash's Market brings freshness and quality to Buffalo-area shoppers
Dash's Market brings freshness and quality to Buffalo-area shoppers
WILLIAMSVILLE, NY -- Somewhere, Joe Dash's grandparents are smiling.
Mr. Dash's grandparents Mary and Joe, who ran a small produce market on the east side of Buffalo, NY, probably would have never imagined that the family would still be involved in the retail produce trade some 84 years later.
Building on his grandparents' idea and inspired by his father, Frank, whom Mr. Dash said was one of the original franchisee's of Tops Supermarkets and whom he deemed a "visionary and an inspiration," Mr. Dash said that he personally had an idea and a goal to build a chain of smaller upscale markets around Buffalo.
"The concept was to put the small produce, meat, bakery and coffee stores that were in four different locations 80 years ago all under one roof," Mr. Dash said.
That goal became a reality in September 2002, when the first Dash's Market opened here, and Mr. Dash has not looked back since.
There are now three Dash's Markets with 300 employees in the Buffalo area with a fourth scheduled to open in the fall, and the banner and even the font with which it is written were taken from a photograph of his grandparents' store.
"Our company is built on perishables," Joe Dash said. "We have strong produce, meat, bakery and deli departments, and we excel in all of those areas. We are a perishable store first and a dry good store second."
During a visit from The Produce News in early June to its first concept store on Klein Road in this suburb of Buffalo, the produce aisle was meticulously and even artistically arranged with displays of fresh produce and included some early-season leaf items from local New York state growers.
"We try to support the local growers and buy as much as possible from them," said Patrick Ferrara, Dash's director of produce operations, who personally goes to Buffalo's market five days a week to find the freshest produce available. "We also try to carry as many items as we can that are either natural or organic. We partner with Pro Organics in Toronto and carry many items from Cal-Organic in California."
Joe Dash added, "as we grow and grow, we will put more emphasis on natural, organic and specialty produce. I see a shift in buying habits going on. People want to take care of themselves and not eat products that have been exposed to large amounts of pesticides or fertilizers. We see this in all ends of the business."
Mr. Ferrara said that he sources the 300 to 350 SKUs the retailer stocks in its produce department from all over the world.
"We don't ask how much first. The quality of the product is the most important," Mr. Ferrara said. "When I find what I am looking for, then I talk price."
Mr. Ferrara pointed out the store's large selection of fresh-cut items, which included a fajita mix that he said was its best seller.
Mr. Ferrara noted that a large amount of work goes into keeping the stores' produce aisles in tip-top shape, which Dash's Market has been doing since it opened its doors about five years ago.
"It is labor-intensive, but if we want to be different, we have to put work into it," he said. "We're not a superstore, but we try to give people choices. We want you to come in our store and find what you are looking for, and if we don't have it, we'll try to find it. We try to be the best."
(For more on New York state produce, see the July 9 issue of The Produce News.)
Mr. Dash's grandparents Mary and Joe, who ran a small produce market on the east side of Buffalo, NY, probably would have never imagined that the family would still be involved in the retail produce trade some 84 years later.
Building on his grandparents' idea and inspired by his father, Frank, whom Mr. Dash said was one of the original franchisee's of Tops Supermarkets and whom he deemed a "visionary and an inspiration," Mr. Dash said that he personally had an idea and a goal to build a chain of smaller upscale markets around Buffalo.
"The concept was to put the small produce, meat, bakery and coffee stores that were in four different locations 80 years ago all under one roof," Mr. Dash said.
That goal became a reality in September 2002, when the first Dash's Market opened here, and Mr. Dash has not looked back since.
There are now three Dash's Markets with 300 employees in the Buffalo area with a fourth scheduled to open in the fall, and the banner and even the font with which it is written were taken from a photograph of his grandparents' store.
"Our company is built on perishables," Joe Dash said. "We have strong produce, meat, bakery and deli departments, and we excel in all of those areas. We are a perishable store first and a dry good store second."
During a visit from The Produce News in early June to its first concept store on Klein Road in this suburb of Buffalo, the produce aisle was meticulously and even artistically arranged with displays of fresh produce and included some early-season leaf items from local New York state growers.
"We try to support the local growers and buy as much as possible from them," said Patrick Ferrara, Dash's director of produce operations, who personally goes to Buffalo's market five days a week to find the freshest produce available. "We also try to carry as many items as we can that are either natural or organic. We partner with Pro Organics in Toronto and carry many items from Cal-Organic in California."
Joe Dash added, "as we grow and grow, we will put more emphasis on natural, organic and specialty produce. I see a shift in buying habits going on. People want to take care of themselves and not eat products that have been exposed to large amounts of pesticides or fertilizers. We see this in all ends of the business."
Mr. Ferrara said that he sources the 300 to 350 SKUs the retailer stocks in its produce department from all over the world.
"We don't ask how much first. The quality of the product is the most important," Mr. Ferrara said. "When I find what I am looking for, then I talk price."
Mr. Ferrara pointed out the store's large selection of fresh-cut items, which included a fajita mix that he said was its best seller.
Mr. Ferrara noted that a large amount of work goes into keeping the stores' produce aisles in tip-top shape, which Dash's Market has been doing since it opened its doors about five years ago.
"It is labor-intensive, but if we want to be different, we have to put work into it," he said. "We're not a superstore, but we try to give people choices. We want you to come in our store and find what you are looking for, and if we don't have it, we'll try to find it. We try to be the best."
(For more on New York state produce, see the July 9 issue of The Produce News.)
