Raleys
Sacramento-based chain which also owns Bel-Air and Nob Hill Foods.
From an archived version of Raley’s website:
When Thomas Porter Raley set his sights on California in the mid-1930s, he was confident that he, like others nearly a century before, would strike gold. Indeed golden opportunities were waiting for the young man with stars in his eyes and hard work a vital part of his family ethic.
Those who knew him are quick to say that Tom Raley, the 13th of 14 children born to Nancy Jane and Reglus Raley, had a gift for brash optimism. “Nothing is impossible” could have been the motto of this tall, red-haired lad from Lead Hill, Arkansas.
Honesty. Integrity. Hard work. Loyalty. Enthusiasm. These were the qualities that would turn Tom Raley’s golden dreams into one of the nation’s top-rated supermarket chains.
A Tradition of Firsts
From his first store in Placerville, Tom Raley’s adventurous spirit took him to Sacramento and the great Central Valley. Soon Raley’s stores were rising across Northern California and Nevada.
Always a pioneer, he embraced new ideas as quickly as he built new stores:
• The first drive-in market.
• The first pre-packaged meat department.
• The first side-by-side grocery and drug stores … a “superstore!”
• The first supermarket natural foods department.A good idea was a bright spark to Tom Raley’s imagination … as long as it served his customers. “Treat our customers the way you’d like to be treated,” he told his employees, “and they’ll come back.” That was – and still is – Raley’s Golden Rule.
Carrying the Dream into a New Era
An ambitious dream is now a successful reality. Millions of customers shop each week at Raley’s Superstores, Bel Air Markets, Food Source and Nob Hill Foods; 134 stores in all. Young men and women find their first jobs with us, then go on to develop lifelong careers.
Education, the arts and family-centered activities flourish in Raley’s communities because of the chain that Tom Raley built. Under the guidance of his only child, Joyce Raley Teel, the company is hard at work “Caring For Our Community.” The Food For Families program, for instance, has provided more than $7 million in cash and food donations to the area’s less fortunate.
Today, Tom Raley’s family carries his dream into a new era. Jim and Joyce Raley Teel serve as co-chairmen of the board of directors. Their children participate in the business. Together the family – along with a large and loyal family of employees – is leading Raley’s into a bright new century of growth. On the way, customer service remains a priority. It’s one way to show our appreciation – and the way Tom Raley would have wanted it.
Bel-Air
History of the chain, from an archived version of the Raley’s/Bel-Air Website:
The legacy of Bel Air Markets is one of hard work, strong family ties and a commitment to serving the community. It began in 1916 when a young man named Gim Wong crossed the Pacific Ocean from China in search of a dream. By the 1930s, Gim, his wife Lee Shee and their children were working side by side growing produce on their 5-acre farm in the Sierra Nevada foothills and delivering it to an ever-growing group of loyal customers.
In 1955, after other successful ventures in the food industry, the Wongs decided to expand the family business by opening a supermarket – still a novel concept at that time. They built their first supermarket in Sacramento on Fruitridge Road and called it Bel Air, because, as the legend goes, they liked the way the name sounded.
When the first Bel Air Market opened, it, like the produce business before it, was a family affair. That family atmosphere and friendly, down-home attitude carved Bel Air’s niche in the competitive marketplace. The Wongs’ goal was to not only offer the best products possible, but to provide the best customer service possible.George Wong (pictured with his father), the third eldest son, served as president of the company for 40 years and led its expansion throughout the Sacramento area to encompass a family of stores that today reaches as far north as Yuba City and east to Cameron Park.
As new stores came on line, Bel Air introduced innovative features not usually found in grocery stores, including Chinese hot foods, fresh sushi counters, sit-down cafés, pharmacies, salad bars, banking centers, postal service stations and playcare centers offering supervised play for young children while their parents shop. And still, the caring, friendly atmosphere prevailed.
Since 1992 – the year Gim Wong’s children began seeking retirement – the Bel Air family has been part of the Raley’s family. The merger was far more than a marriage of convenience. Already a partner in a variety of endeavors, Bel Air had an image and philosophy that made it a perfect complement to the Raley’s organization. The merger provided an opportunity for both companies to benefit by building on their mutual strengths while retaining their own separate identities.
Today, 18 Bel Air Markets stand testament to the Wongs’ commitment to providing the highest quality products and service.
Photos of Bel-Air on Fruitridge Road in Sacramento in 1999 (before remodeling):
More information:
Please note:
This page is one of several on the site that is not being actively updated. The information contained here is provided for historical interest.
