Thank You Plaza Foods!!!

Hear, hear!  Grocery is a rugged, tight-margin business, and Plaza Foods is the most supportive, helpful neighbor you could imagine.  As Tanya said, they're always donating to causes and events.  Every Murietan should be grateful.

When we moved to Murieta 10 years ago, I assumed Plaza Foods was the equivalent of a large convenience store -- limited selection, low quality, high prices.  Boy, was I wrong.  Over the years I've been impressed over and over by the store's ability to compete and to offer Murieta more supermarket than maybe we should expect.

As long as they are open, I will shop at Plaza foods. They are the best neighbors we could ask for. Don't expect this kind of service and community support from any of the chains.

Chuck, so nice to hear from you.  Let me start by saying that I understand that Plaza Foods cannot be everything to everybody.  However, we strive each and every day to be the absolute best supermarket we can be.  That is my personal guarantee.  Darin Sexton.  Not Darin Brown.  My parents, Bob and Letitia Sexton, bought their first grocery store in 1977 in Sutter Creek.  My father had been in the business as a meat cutter and store manager for both Safeway and Save Mart stores since the early 60's and was an employee of Purity Stores as a teenager.  When we bought the store in ‘77 and went into business I was 12 years old.  My sister Michelle Hubbell (she was a Sexton until she married, but never a Brown) was 14 years old.  The reason I mention these facts is because I want you to have a bit of history so you may have a better understanding of our family and our experience in the grocery business.  Both Michelle and I have spent our entire lives in the grocery industry and our roots are firmly planted in what I consider "old school" qualities and traditions of the business.  I myself have worked for Safeway Stores, Andronico's Stores, Victor Meats, and Globe Food Equipment during my 30 years in the business.  Like you, I respect the traditions and values of the past. I understand that one cannot forget the foundation on which the business was built.  I acquired my unrelenting work ethic and my knowledge of the business from my father.  I also gained much experience from the companies I worked for over the years.  If you took time to ask the questions and wait to hear the answer, you too would know this. 

Crystal Cream and Butter was a part of Sacramento history.  They even loaned my parents money to help start Plaza Foods, a practice that is obsolete nowadays.  Don't think for a minute that I don't know the meaning of the word loyalty.  However, last year Crystal Cream and Butter was purchased by Foster Dairy Farms.  The Crystal plant in downtown Sacramento is closed.  The Hansen family is no longer involved.  Foster Dairy Farms has recently re-designed the Crystal label to look different. It still says Crystal but is produced by Foster Farms.  You should have asked me, I would have given an explanation for making the decision to switch to Clover.  Clover-Stornetta Dairy, by the way, is a family-owned small company much like Crystal used to be before they were purchased.  Clover puts their emphasis on quality.  They take pride in producing milk products that are as natural and real as possible. 

Oroweat bread has handed down two, count ‘em, two price increases in the past 6 months.  Watch the news, grains are on the rise.  I make it a point to compare with the other major chain stores in the region before I make a price increase so as to be sure that Plaza Foods remains competitive in pricing.  That's our obligation to this community Chuck.  I live here.  Michelle lives here.  I take offense to you implying that we are taking advantage and trying to "stick it to" our customers.  I don't tolerate nonsense either.  If you compare our prices to the commissary or any other military outlet, there's no contest.  It seems the Federal Government has a bit more buying power than our one store.  They also have our tax dollars to help cover the overhead.  Our Oroweat bread is priced the same as Raleys/Bel Air and we run weekly specials as low as $3.49 per loaf to try to help soften the blow of the rising costs.  

I truly appreciate the positive comments made about Plaza Foods in this forum (and any others).  I also understand that not all comments will be positive, and accept the challenge to do a better job.  I present myself with that very challenge each and every day.  So Chuck, thank you for your input.  In the future, please take time to ask questions, wait for answers, and really listen.  You and I share many of the same views, respect for the past, and are more alike than you realize.         

Darin Sexton  

Way to go Chuck!  And I quote "I don't tolerate nonsense".  Really Chuck??  You sure seem to be spouting off a bunch of it.  Try getting your facts straight before you jump on our local business owners.  I think it's great you can drive 20 miles into town and get a loaf of bread for $2.75 at the COMMISSARY!  Have you ever heard of the idiom "Apples to Oranges"??? Try comparing apples to apples next time. Maybe it will clear up your confusion.

Now back on to the topic.  I have been shopping at Plaza foods for many years.  Not only do they have some of the best beef in town ;) but the Sexton's are always willing to help out in the community. Plaza Foods is a HUGE asset to this community and irreplaceable.  

Thank you Plaza Foods for years of superior service!! Keep up the great work.

BTW, a special thanks to your helpful and friendly staff. 

-MW

Gotta add, Chuck, I think Mrs. Sexton is still VERY active in the running of Plaza foods.  Saw her in there just the other day, as a matter of fact.  I believe you owe the Sexton's a HUGE apology.  Not only here, but with your wallet.  There is really no reason to shop in town (not all of us have access to the Commissary...and you're welcome...those are MY tax dollars, and those of the owners/management of Plaza foods that subsidize your ability to pay half what we do in the real world).

Don't know who the Browns are, but you've been out here longer than I.  I would strongly urge you to check your facts before you jump to critisize a local business that doesn't just GIVE BACK to the community, more importantly, and much more appreciated, is that they GIVE TO this community!  And I'd bet you a loaf of bread that if you forgot your wallet you'd never hear Bel Air (or any of the others say), "that's o.k., pay us when you come next time."  Had it happen to me once. 

Thanks to Tanya for starting this thread.  We all to easily, and too often, forget to give thanks for a job well done.  The folks at Plaza Foods know how to do it right!

Myrna Solomon I have been shopping at Plaza since it opened, and was so thrilled that it did open so I didn't have to drive to town to get my groceries, especially for that one item I needed in a hurry. I loved Darin's Dad. Bob. when he worked at the store, and miss seeing him around, and, I love the way Darin and Michelle are running the store now. I actually am glad that Darin is using a local farm for our eggs, and dairy products because I want to support small local farms that care about what they feed their animals. I am also pleased that Plaza is selling more organic vegetables and other foods that are grown without pesticides. The cost of food isn't the fault of Darin and Michelle, it is the cost of oil, and the greed of huge corporations. Lets face it my friend Chuck, no one is forcing you to shop at Plaza, so keep driving 20 minutes to town to get your groceries, and I will continue to enjoy shopping at Plaza!

Darin and all at Plaza,

My family has always enjoyed our trips to Plaza Foods, in fact my kids ask to go in to see the nice people, and enjoy "helping" at the check out. Never have we encountered a more friendly and helpful environment at the grocery store.

On a side note, it's too bad that one disgruntled person in Mr. Lentz caused such a fire storm of speculation, and took up Darin's time. However, if anything good came of it, we were reminded about how special this place is, and the commitment our local business owners make to our community.

Mr. Lentz, I respect and honor your service in the military, as I do for anyone who has put on the uniform. However, do we have to be reminded about it in such loosely related topics as golf GPS systems and grocery store prices?

That aside, comparing free market prices at the grocery store with government subsidized prices for the military is horribly misleading. Don't get me wrong, folks in the military deserve to have assistance, as they are paying a GREAT price beyond what a loaf of bread costs. But the two prices can not be compared fairly, particularly if you're using it as evidence to take shots at a local business owner.

I just want to say thank you to all at Plaza! I can't tell you how many times I thankfully ran "up to the store" to pick up something I had missed on my shopping list, or plain didn't want 20 lbs. of. I won't even attempt to try to buy ice cream in town!!! As for the commisary comment, that is a privilege you earned serving our country. Let's try to remember that Plaza Foods is serving our community, and quite well by the look of all these comments!