Bell Markets
| File:Cala Foods.png | |
| Company type | Subsidiary of The Kroger Co. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1947 (San Francisco, California) |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Fate | Store closures |
| Successor | DeLano's IGA |
| Products | Bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, grocery, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, snacks, liquor |
| Parent | Kroger/Ralphs |
| Subsidiaries | Bell Markets |
Cala Foods was a supermarket chain based in San Francisco, California. It operated alongside its affiliate chain, Bell Markets. The final Cala Foods location ceased operations on December 1, 2011.
History
The Cala family’s seven brothers founded Cala Foods in 1947. In 1973, the chain expanded by acquiring the QFI supermarket brand. During the mid-1970s, Cala Foods merged with Bell Markets, which had been established in the 1940s by Dominick Bell and his two brothers in San Francisco.
Cala Foods distinguished itself as the first supermarket chain in San Francisco to offer 24-hour service and was among the earliest in the United States to implement checkout scanning technology.[1] Over time, the chain extended its reach from Marin County in the north down to Santa Clara County in the south.[1]
In 1988, ownership of Cala Foods transferred to the Yucaipa Companies.[1] Following the merger of Yucaipa with Ralphs Grocery Company in 1994, Cala became a division under Ralphs. By August 2006, Ralphs agreed to sell 11 out of the 13 Cala and Bell stores back to Harley DeLano, a former manager of the chain. While DeLano secured rights to operate under the Cala and Bell brand names, Kroger retained legal ownership of those trademarks. In January 2007, DeLano Retail Partners assumed control of all but one Cala Foods outlet and promptly rebranded them as DeLano's IGA. However, by late 2010 it was reported that DeLano's IGA faced financial difficulties leading to plans for closing most of its locations.[2]
The final remaining Cala Foods store was situated at the corner of California and Hyde in San Francisco's Nob Hill. This location remained under Kroger’s operation until it closed on December 1, 2011. Initially scheduled for closure at the end of 2010, it remained open an additional year.[3]
Concerns about potential demolition of this iconic building were alleviated when Trader Joe's opened a store within it in 2012.[4]
References
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External links
- Pages with reference errors
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- Articles with short description
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- Kroger
- Food and beverage companies headquartered in San Francisco
- Mergers and acquisitions in 1988
- Former supermarket chains in the United States
- Supermarkets operating in California
- Companies founded in California in 1947
- California-based companies dissolved in 2011
- Defunct supermarkets of the United States