Mi Pueblo Food Center

Mi Pueblo Foods, also known simply as Mi Pueblo, is a family-owned grocery store chain headquartered in San Jose, California.^[1] Mi Pueblo has a total of 20 store locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Central Valley and Monterey Bay Peninsula and is on a steady growth plan to open more stores in the future.^[2] Mi Pueblo was established in 1991 and is known for providing authentic Latino shopping experience.^[3] They strive to create an ambiance reminiscent of the fresh-food markets of Mexico and Latin America while also carrying all the grocery items generally available in mainstream supermarkets.^[4]

History and founder

Juvenal Chavez is a self-made, immigrant entrepreneur. He is the chief executive officer of Mi Pueblo Foods. Chavez illegally emigrated from Mexico in 1984. He spoke no English at the time and worked as a janitor at Stanford University.^[5] In 1986, he went into business with his brother running Chavez Meat Market.^[6] In 1991, deciding to go off on his own, he purchased Country Time Meats in San Jose, California, starting off his chain. Chavez opened his first business in the Bay Area because he found that the Hispanic population was very underserved. He started with the meat business because it was the most obvious opportunity. Over time he expanded into produce, bakery and deli, then grocery.^[3] Now Mi Pueblo is a $300 million business, with 19 stores opened and significant growth on the horizon.^[5]

Juvenal Chavez has become a recognized player in the grocery retail business receiving numerous awards such as “Innovator of the Year.” In 2009, the National Grocers Association also named Mi Pueblo Foods “Outstanding Community Based Retailer.” The Mexican American Community Services Agency named him one of the most influential Latinos of the Silicon Valley in 2009. Then in March 2009 Mi Pueblo Foods opened in Pittsburg. As of February 14 2010 They added Mexican pictures in the back of Mi Pueblo Foods in the city Of Pittsburg ^[7]

Departments and products

Mi Pueblo has seven different departments within the store. The first department is the meat department offering over 100 different cuts of meat. There is a wide variety of Latin American styled marinated meats, poultry and seafood - along with a full-service butcher staff trained to engage with customers.^[3] Next is the produce department offering over 400 items from fresh produce, spices, ready-to-eat cut fruit, a wide variety of nuts, and cut flower bouquets.^[6] Another department is the bakery featuring items such as bolillos, tres leches cake and pan dulce all made from scratch daily from regionally trained master bakers. The Tortilleria prepares warm, fresh tortillas on a daily basis. The Hot Deli department offers a diverse selection of dishes from Mexico and Latin America. The full-service grocery department features over 17,000 imported products as well as mainstream and national brand labels. Lastly, Mi Pueblo has a customer service department that offers services such as check cashing, utility payments, money transfers, and ticket sales.

Community involvement

Mi Pueblo runs a number of community programs.^[8] On an annual basis, Mi Pueblo Foods partners with community organizations and customers to help struggling families by collecting thousands of pounds of food during the holiday season.^[8] Since 1999, Mi Pueblo Foods has been a key sponsor of Univision’s Exito Escolar scholarship program which awards Bay Area students with college scholarships. Mi Pueblo Foods has partnered with Univision Channel 14 every year to motivate and support young people in pursuing higher education. Mi Pueblo Foods has strong partnerships with many Northern California schools and organizations. They participate in many community events such as the San Jose Salsa Festival, Cinco de Mayo events, health fairs and others.^[8]

References

External links

• Mi Pueblo Foods