Nugget Markets

Nugget Markets, Inc.

Nugget Markets located on East Covell Blvd. in Davis, California
Company type	Private
Industry	Retail (Grocery)
Founded	1926 (1926) in Woodland, California, United States
Founder	Template:Plain list
Headquarters	Davis, California , United States
Number of locations	16 (As of May, 2021)
Area served	California
Key people	Template:Plain list
Products	Bakery, dairy, delicatessen, frozen foods, grocery, meat, produce, seafood, snacks, prepared foods
Services	Catering, Restaurants
Revenue	$400 million (2021)
Owner	(Stille Family (100%))
Number of employees	2,000 (2021)
Website	www.nuggetmarket.com

Nugget Markets is an upscale grocery chain owned by a family and based in Davis, California. It serves the Sacramento metropolitan region along with portions of Marin and Sonoma counties in Northern California. As of August 2022, the company operates thirteen primary Nugget Markets stores as well as Sonoma Market in Sonoma, Fork Lift by Nugget Markets in Cameron Park, and a Food 4 Less location in Woodland.

History

The company was established in 1926 by brothers William and Mack Stille in Woodland, California. Early on, Nugget Markets pioneered features such as comprehensive meat departments and refrigerated cases for produce. Expansion efforts accelerated in the late 1970s under the leadership of Gene and Eric Stille—descendants of Mack—with new store openings in Davis and acquisitions of former Alpha Beta supermarket sites throughout Sacramento during the 1980s. By the early 1990s, the business ventured into the Food 4 Less franchise sector.

In the late 1990s, Nugget Markets unveiled its Fresh to Market concept. This approach merged European-style open-air merchandising with specialty departments including Cheese Specialists and Wine Stewards to elevate product variety and enhance customer experience.

A notable strategic move took place in 2006 when Nugget Markets collaborated with a Bay Area developer to obtain leases for eight former Ralphs supermarkets around Sacramento. Of these locations, two were converted into Nugget Markets stores while others were either repurposed or transitioned to competing grocery chains.

The company's expansion continued in 2015 with the acquisition of Paradise Foods stores located in Novato, Corte Madera, and Tiburon; these were subsequently rebranded as Nugget Markets outlets. That same year introduced the “Fork Lift” concept—a hybrid market blending attributes from both Nugget Markets and Food 4 Less brands.

Additional growth included purchasing Sonoma Market and Glen Ellen Village Market in Sonoma County during 2016; Glen Ellen Village Market was later divested in 2018. In 2020, Nugget Markets relocated its corporate headquarters from Woodland to Davis to enhance operational capabilities.

In 2021, Nugget Markets reported revenues of $400 million with a workforce of roughly 2,000 employees. The company has consistently earned industry accolades, securing the #24 position on Fortune magazine’s "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for sixteen consecutive years as of 2021.

Leadership remains family-focused with Executive Chairman Eric Stille alongside CEO Greg Hill guiding the business strategy centered on premium grocery retailing committed to superior product quality and customer service excellence.

Branding

Nugget Markets is easily recognizable by its distinctive architectural entryway, which includes a tower and a robed woman carrying a basket filled with food. This emblematic figure acts as both the company’s official logo and mascot, strengthening the overall brand recognition.

Current Nugget Markets outlets

• Downtown Woodland – 157 Main Street, Woodland, California
• El Macero – 409 Mace Boulevard, Davis, California
• Lake Crest – 1040 Florin Road, Sacramento, California
• Southport – 2000 Town Center Plaza, West Sacramento, California
• Park Plaza – 771 Pleasant Grove Boulevard, Roseville, California
• Browns Valley – 130 Browns Valley Parkway, Vacaville, California
• Oak Tree – 1414 East Covell Boulevard, Davis, California
• El Dorado Hills – 4500 Post Street, El Dorado Hills, California
• Elk Grove – 7101 Elk Grove Boulevard, Elk Grove, California
• Blue Oaks – 1509 Blue Oaks Boulevard, Roseville, California
• Tiburon – 1 Blackfield Drive, Tiburon, California
• Corte Madera – 5627 Paradise Drive, Corte Madera, California
• Novato – 470 Ignacio Boulevard, Novato, California

Additional operational locations

• Sonoma Market: 500 West Napa Street, Sonoma, California
• Fork Lift by Nugget Markets: 3333 Coach Lane, Cameron Park, California
• Food 4 Less: 451 Pioneer Road, Woodland, California

Closed and cancelled sites

• Riverside – 6419 Riverside Boulevard, Sacramento
• Hillsdale – 5731 Hillsdale Boulevard, Sacramento
• Vallejo – Proposed store in northeastern Vallejo was abandoned in November 2006 due to market competition