Rice Epicurean Markets
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rice Epicurean Markets is a American niche grocery store chain based in Houston, Texas. The company operates five Rice Epicurean Markets, which range in size from 25,000 to 42,000 square feet. Rice Epicurean Markets is wholly owned by founding family members.
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[edit] History
[edit] Rice Boulevard Food Market
Founded on May 5, 1937, by William H. Levy, grandfather of the current owners, the first Rice Food Market store, a 2,400-square-foot building located on Rice Boulevard in Houston, was named Rice Boulevard Food Market.
In 1937, The Village shopping center west of Rice Institute (now Rice University) was an undeveloped, wooded area. Rice Boulevard was an unpaved dirt road and West University Place was in its developmental stages. In those early days, there were only two buildings in the shopping center, an ice house at the corner of Rice Boulevard and Kirby, and William H. Levy's Rice Boulevard Food Market.
The first store was only 40 feet by 60 feet, and included William Levy's wife Edna among the personnel, which numbered only five. That successful first store was eventually enlarged on five occasions until there was no longer space on the site for expansion.
In 1955, William Levy's son-in-law, Alfred L. Friedlander, now Co-Chairman Emeritus, joined the business. Two years later, his son, Joel M. Levy, now also Co-Chairman Emeritus, came into the family business.
Gary Friedlander, Alfred's son, is now the President of the company.
[edit] Rice Food Markets
In April 1957 the family opened its second location in Tanglewood. The Tanglewood store necessitated a change in the firm's name from Rice Boulevard Food Market to Rice Food Markets.
When the Tanglewood store opened, it was surrounded by farmland. The store virtually stood alone and was the only major structure in what was to become the Galleria area.
In 1960, the three existing Rice Food Markets merged with another family grocery, Jack's, also with three locations. The grocer also moved its first store on Rice Boulevard to a new location across the street. The 17,000-square-foot store was eventually closed in 2003.
The company opened more Rice stores and acquired independents, amassing more than 35 stores.
The company went public in 1968, but by the late 1970s the family reclaimed it.
In the 1980s, Rice converted some its of conventional Rice Food Markets to discount grocery stores, including Pricebuster and Grocery World. At its peak, Rice would operate 55 stores.
[edit] Rice Epicurean Markets
The Tanglewood store was remodeled in 1988 and became the first to assume the name Rice Epicurean Market. At that time Rice Epicurean was a division of Rice Food Markets. But the company would soon assume the Rice Epicurean Markets name. In 1999, Rice Food Markets changed its name to its current moniker after it sold or closed four Grocery World, six Pricebuster and three Rice Food Markets stores after deciding to focus on its upscale niche instead of market size. After the divesture, eight stores remain, with a ninth under construction.
The Rice Epicurean concept pays close attention to the regular stock of grocery store items, but special requests, gourmet products and customer service figure prominently in the overall operation. The perishable departments receive special attention, featuring the finest meat, produce, chef prepared salads and entrees, upscale floral departments and European bakery departments.
The charge card system with monthly billing, introduced in 1964, remains in effect. In 2002, Rice Epicurean became the only Houston grocer to offer online shopping.
[edit] Notable achievements
In 1996, Rice Epicurean Markets was awarded the Nationally Acclaimed Award of Excellence honor by Supermarket Business. For many years, Rice Epicurean has also been recognized by the Houston Business Journal as a Top 50 Owned Family Owned Business in Houston.
