Cala Foods
| Company type | Private (formerly) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Supermarket |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Founder | Cala family (seven brothers) |
| Defunct | 2011-12-01 |
| Fate | Store closures; brand rights retained by Kroger |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | San Francisco Bay Area, California |
| Owner | The Kroger Company (final owner) |
Cala Foods was a supermarket brand that operated in San Francisco, California. It functioned alongside its affiliate, Bell Markets. The final Cala Foods location ceased operations on December 1, 2011.
History
Founded in 1947 by seven brothers from the Cala family, Cala Foods expanded its reach by acquiring the QFI chain in 1973. During the mid-1970s, Cala Foods merged with Bell Markets, which itself was established in the 1940s when Dominick Bell and his two siblings launched a grocery store in San Francisco.
Notably, Cala Foods was the pioneering supermarket chain in San Francisco to operate around the clock and was among the earliest in the United States to implement checkout scanning technology. The chain eventually extended its footprint from Marin County in the north to Santa Clara County in the south.
In 1988, ownership of Cala Foods transferred to the Yucaipa Companies. Subsequently, in 1994, following a merger between Yucaipa and Ralphs, Cala became a division under the Ralphs Grocery Company. By August 2006, Ralphs arranged to sell 11 out of 13 Cala and Bell stores back to Harley DeLano, who had previously managed the chain. Although DeLano obtained rights to operate under the Cala and Bell names, Kroger retained trademark ownership. In January 2007, DeLano Retail Partners assumed control of all but one Cala Foods store and promptly rebranded them as DeLano's IGA locations. However, by late 2010, financial difficulties led to announcements that most DeLano's IGA outlets would be shutting down.
The Kroger-operated store located at the corner of California and Hyde in San Francisco's Nob Hill neighborhood stood as the last remaining Cala Foods outlet until it closed on December 1, 2011. Although initially scheduled to close at the end of 2010, its operation was extended for an additional year.
Amid concerns about potential demolition of this iconic building, Trader Joe's chose to open a new branch within the same premises in 2012.
References
External links
- Articles with short description
- Kroger
- Food and beverage companies headquartered in San Francisco
- Mergers and acquisitions in 1988
- Former supermarket chains in the United States
- California-based supermarkets
- Companies established in California in 1947
- Companies disbanded in California in 2011
- Supermarkets based in California