CALF_News_October_November_2019

18 CALF News • October | November 2019 • www.calfnews.net What's in a Name? Tony's Meats and Market O n a hot Saturday afternoon in Centennial, Colo., the patio outside of Tony’s Meats and Market is teeming with people making an annual pilgrimage to stock up on their fresh-roasted green chilies. The familiar smoky smell – one of the first sensations of fall in this part of the coun- try – has people lining up to make sure they get their hands on one of the local delicacies. There are also a lot of familiar faces, and Tony’s Meats and Market President and CEO Daniel Rosacci, is front and center, welcoming his loyal customers. Rosacci walks up to two longtime customers, Gladys and Peggy (94 and 96 years old, respectively), and greets them with a big hug. Gladys and Peggy have been coming to Tony’s Meats and Market for decades, and their welcome hug is not an unusual occurrence at this family business. For Rosacci, this is what differentiates Tony’s from its competition and is the core of its brand – it is how the place makes people feel. Humble beginnings Tony’s Meats and Market has been in business since 1978 and has earned a reputation as a top-tier market in Denver. Rosacci is the son of Tony Rosacci, who he describes as a hard- working entrepreneur. Growing up in Detroit, Tony started carrying groceries for people in his wagon when he was 8 years old. After serving in the U.S. Army, he worked in several markets and grocery chains, eventually working for another local butcher in Denver. Tony’s dream was to open a market of his own. That dream became a reality when Tony was driving his young son, Daniel, back from a baseball practice and saw a shuttered 7-Eleven building up for sale. Deciding the time was right, Tony wrote a check for $1,300 and even had to sell the family home to pay the early bills. Daniel Rosacci has been working at the store ever since, starting as a dishwasher in the beginning. Now CEO, he offices out of a separate building about a mile away. He frequently visits the store “for therapy and to work on the floor for a few hours.” “It all starts with the‘why?’” Rosacci says, and that“why” is focused on people first. Appearances change over time, but focus on the customer has remained the same. “They would see a difference, but they would not feel a difference,” he says of his customers’ perceptions of the store from early on and now. By James Coope Contributing Editor ABOVE: Daniel Rosacci, CEO and president of Tony’s Market, poses with Stuart Stevenson, flagship manager and 24-year company veteran. BELOW: Tony’s meat case is the company’s showplace.