Nugget sells Glen Ellen Village Market

Nugget Market announced late Friday afternoon that it will be selling Glen Ellen Village Market to fellow grocer, Mar-Val Food Stores, effective Oct. 26.

Family-owned and operated by Mark Kidd and Steve Rodacker and their children, Mar-Val Food Stores is headquartered in Lodi, and the small chain now includes 10 locations across Northern California. The closest Mar-Val store to Glen Ellen is Gene’s Market in Pleasanton.

According to Mar-Val CEO Mark Kidd, Mar-Val has been interested in acquiring Glen Ellen Village Market for several years.

“It is our type of operation and location,” he said. He added that Mar-Val specializes in small community stores like Glen Ellen Village Market. He said that Mar-Val’s current stores range from 5,000 square feet to 32,000 square feet, and the Glen Ellen Market is about 12,000.

Nugget marketing and communications Vice President Kate Stille said the Nugget team is “confident Mar-Val Food Stores will be a great fit for the community.”

Glen Ellen Market co-founder Dale Downing said that he was as surprised as anyone else by the news, but he believes Mar-Val will do a good job with Glen Ellen Village Market.

“I have known Steve a long time and he’s a really good guy,” said Downing. “Nugget’s stores are all quite large and do high volume. Mar-Val specializes more in smaller stores.”

Kidd said that Glen Ellen Village Market will retain its name, and Kidd expects everything there “will be exactly the same.”

“We run close to the same type of operations already at several of our stores,” he said. He stressed that Mar-Val is “very community-minded” and that some type of e-scrip community program benefiting local nonprofits will be instituted sometime after the market changes hands.

The market will no longer have a connection to Sonoma Market, which is just wrapping up a substantial remodel and will continue to be owned by Nugget. Family-owned and operated since 1926, Nugget owns 15 markets across California.

Stille said that all current associates of Glen Ellen Village Market have been offered a job at other store locations operated by Nugget. And Mar-Val President Steve Rodacker met with all current employees last Monday and offered employees a job at the same title and salary. He said the management team who will lead the market after October has not yet been determined.

“Glen Ellen will always hold a special place in my heart and the hearts of my team,” said Rebecca Reichardt, current store director of Glen Ellen Village Market, in the press release. “We will miss the daily interactions with our friends and guests, and count ourselves lucky to have had the opportunity to serve this very special community.”

Reichardt and her team are planning a farewell/appreciation barbecue for guests and associates on Thursday, Oct. 25, from noon to 2 p.m.

Kidd said that Mar-Val management will organize some type of community celebration soon after the store changes hands in late October.

The new ownership will be effective on Friday, Oct. 26.

“If Nugget was going to sell the Glen Ellen market, I’m glad it ended up being to Mar-Val,” said Downing.