Festival Foods is a grocery store that is very near and dear to my heart. Not only was it my local grocery store, less than a mile from my childhood home, but I also worked there for nearly four years of my life. I worked as a customer service representative (CSR), being a cashier and bookkeeper on the front end, and also worked in the deli department for the last half of my time working there. I spent many hours working, shopping, and even hanging out in this building. It was a place for me to not only earn paycheck, but gain real-world experience in customer service, food service, and even learning about the inner workings of businesses.
The particular Festival that I worked at was one of 6 stores in Minnesota, all owned by sisters Lauri and Marie Aarthun (About Us). The bakery uses products from the local Taste of Scandinavia Bakery, has a wide variety of local fruits and vegetables, and strives to provide local meat and fresh seafood. Some Festival locations also have Dunn Bros coffee shops in them, a local coffee house. The company dates back to the early 1900s, and has gone through a few different names- Applebaum’s, Knowlan’s, and finally, Festival Foods. The store is very rectangular shape with the classic grocery store setup- a department in every corner and the main aisles in the center. The classic slanted roof and green and black color scheme really bring out the 90’s feel of the store.
Although I worked in the front end as a CSR/ bookkeeper for a much longer time, I think that my 8 month working in the deli department were the most impactful. I learned the kitchen like the back of my hand, knowing where every random packaging item was, where all the different food items were stored in the freezer and cooler, and knew what was in all of the cupboards and drawers.
The people working at Festival Foods were- and are- my family, literally and figuratively. My mom has been with the company for over ten years, my sister currently works there, and I have had a variety of cousins that have come in and out of the store as employees. Many of the other employees have been there for over a decade, and management has been fairly consistent for nearly twenty years. Most of my encounters with this building have been very positive, as I enjoyed working and shopping there very much. We often decorated as the seasons and holidays changed, and the managers worked very hard on beautiful displays that changed with the weekly sale items. Each department worked hard to make sure their displays, counters, and general department look clean, welcoming, and exciting enough to want to try some new food items or explore new recipes.
About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://festivalfoods.net/about/
