Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
John Webber is store manager at Gene's Fine Foods in Saratoga, and Patricia Wilson manages the expanded deli.
Customers, employees are family at Gene's Fine Foods
Deli expands to include more hot food, salad
By Suzanne Cristallo
Gene's Fine Foods Market, a product of family tradition for 72 years, is sporting a new look and taste for its Saratoga customers. The in-store deli has expanded its hot food selection, added a salad bar and a specialty cheese case, and now offers gourmet candy and pastries. For St. Patrick's Day, a dinner of corned beef and cabbage with red potatoes and carrots is on special for $8.99.
There is good-weather outdoor seating for customers who want to eat on the Quito Village Shopping Center premises. "Inside dining would involve another license," notes store manager John Webber, who brings nearly 40 years of grocery experience to his job.
Take-out tends to be the rule for busy commuters who want Gene's Gourmet Coffee, which is hot and complimentary for store shoppers, or a box salad, a made-to-order sandwich or a special entrée for the hungry family at home. Entrees include teriyaki chicken drummettes, flaky-crusted pot pies, baby back pork ribs, Greek dolmas, chicken tamales, stuffed bell peppers and chicken cordon bleu with prosciutto.
Gene's also has added a variety of high-end lines: an additional 1,000 square feet of wine display features hard-to-find collector bottles under temperature control behind wooden French doors; a collection of olive oils in exotic bottles; cut and potted flowers; new meat counters and milk boxes; non-dairy and soy milk drinks; bins of bulk cereals, dried fruits, candy and nuts; and even corn on the cob, which can be popped right off the cob in the microwave.
Gene's is a family operation spanning three generations. It was founded in San Francisco in 1928 by Gene Giomi, who moved there from northern Italy as a 12-year-old with his parents. The store grew to five locations in San Francisco and the Peninsula. Giomi always held the philosophy that the store(s) should be filled with employees who worked "with" him, not "for" him, and were part of an extended family. Customers have always been considered an important part of that family.
In 1971, the store moved to a small location at the front of the Quito Center, where young Dick Giomi started applying the expertise he gained from years of working in his father's store. "I remember lots of cleaning up," Giomi chuckles of his after-school chores.
Giomi renamed the store "Gene's," after his father, when it opened at its present location at the back of the Quito Center 19 years ago, just weeks before his father's death. Another Gene's was added in 1990 in Pleasanton. Today, Dick, now 57, oversees both stores with his 30-year-old son, Richie, whose 14-month-old son could be the fourth generation to run the store.
Look for the deli manager, Saratogan Pat Wilson, to smilingly serve up couscous salad, round and ready potato cakes, fresh spinach dip or ambrosia. About 25 sandwich combinations are her specialty, for $3.99 to $6 each.
Gene's Fine Foods, Quito Village Shopping Center, 18850 Cox Ave., Saratoga. Open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. 408.379.8300.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
