Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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and give them to the carpenters to build out," explains Dyal. "The carpenters have worked with us over the years and know what we want. Produce benches and other shelving are also custom-made. They are similar in each store but not exact." Produce Is King For a store that started from a produce stand, it's no surprise that fruits and vegetables are the hallmark, or "large and in charge" as Dyal puts it. As the No. 1–selling department encompassing 25 percent of sales, it is the first thing customers see when they enter the store, artfully but not fussily displayed in bins with colorful signage. Adams Fairacre Farms purchases $20 million in produce each year, buying from local farms as much as possible. Organic is growing in popularity, as are precut varieties, says Dyal. The store also takes bruised produce and creates bulk bags for 99 cents; unsold items are donated to local food pantries and churches. International and Local Groceries Grocery is a mix of mainstream and specialty, which evolved with consumer trends over the years. The specialty influence dates back to the 1970s, when the owners brought in gourmet groceries and cheeses as interest in those products was starting to swell. "If we had grocery before that, it was more farm stand products like jams or honeys," says Adams. Today, customers across all stores seek creative, artisanal products from around U.S. or imported. At Wappinger, shoppers are showing interest in more health-conscious purchases, says Dyal. Gluten-free and organic products are trending right now, and the company is bringing in more grass-fed beef and coconut waters. At Kingston, which sees a lot of city weekenders visiting nearby Woodstock, the clientele may be seeking out a high-end imported olive oil, he adds. Still, despite its international specialty selection, Adams Fairacre Farms is resolute in its support of regional growers and producers. Local brands are showcased throughout the store, like Bread Alone granola and My Brother Bobby's salsas, a "huge local product," Dyal says. Fresh-Made Offerings Beyond its prepared foods, Adams Fairacre Farms offers several products made fresh on-site. Fudge and chocolates in the sweet shop are available for sale individually or in bulk orders for catering and parties. The bakery department makes pizza dough by hand, as well as specialty cakes. And most notably, Adams has added its own cheesemaker. Greg Laraia came onboard in February as the store's in-house cheesemonger, making mozzarella, burrata, scamorza, and filled mozzarella rolls out of the Newburgh store. Fresh mozzarella has since become the department's top seller, says Dyal. Year-Round Events The garden center and greenhouses are a key component at each store and the third-best-selling department at Wappinger, after produce and meat/seafood. The store recently added some hobby selections in response to the growing DIY trends in food and bever- ages. Products include home winemaking and brewing kits as well as beekeeping starter kits. "We've started this year and [by April] had already sold 80 boxes of honeybees," says Dyal, who believes interest ties in with concerns over genetically modified foods. Driven by the garden center, May is the busiest sales month of the year, beating out even the fourth quarter. In the off-season the space is used for a host of events including Christmas tree sales, an annual Harvest Fest, a food festival and fair, and a local food show where 40 vendors are on hand to sample their wares. A landscaping show and a new bridal show are also on the calendar. "We'll get some business by showing products from the f loral and bakery depart- ments, but we'll also bring in local photographers and limousine companies—things that have nothing to do with us," Dyal adds. In-store, a small dining area can be repurposed for occasional events. "On Sundays during football season, we'll turn one of the buffets into a wing bar and put the game on TV and have everyone gather around the tables," he says. Tapping Internal Talent While the staff enjoys plenty of autonomy, the owners are anything but absent. Donald Adams and sons, Steve and Pat, who is the chief financial officer, are present at each store every day, checking in with staff, overseeing operations, appearance, and product quality. In some ways, the staff itself is an extension of the family due to its longevity. "Many of us have been here a long time and grown with the company," says Johnson, who started with the company 16 years ago in Newburgh. Veteran staff sometimes moves to new stores, as was the case with Dyal, who had been with the company nine years at the Kingston location when he was asked to project-manage Wappinger's launch. "This family is great about retaining employees and promoting from within," Dyal says. "They are trusting of the store management, which gives us all an extra push to succeed." Denise Purcell is editor of Specialty Food Magazine. In response to growing DIY trends, the Wappinger store now carries hobby selections like home winemaking and brewing kits and beekeeping starter kits. SUMMER 2014 151 retailerProfile_AdamsFarm.indd 151 6/5/14 8:08 AM