It’s been a year since Alan Hitchcock and family decided to sell their stores to the Haug family of grocery stores out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Haug not only acquired a storefront, but also a tradition of friendly customer service and a dedication to the local community. In the past twelve months, Haug has been very busy improving the already outstanding Hitchcock’s family of stores. Wayne Josleyn, company Vice President, said, “It has been a great year, but with Alan Hitchcock’s departure, Chief Financial Officer Claire Bembry and Vice President Robert Harrison’s retirement, all icons in the community, we had some pretty big shoes to fill.”

So how did they do it? Wayne says the true secret of Hitchcock’s success story has been their employees. “My favorite part of the job is working with the employees, who are more than just ‘employees’, they are the people of our community.” One such team member is Pat Good who is the new Special Foods manager. In the last year, the Organic Foods section has more than doubled in size thanks to Pat. She personally knows her clients wants and needs and constantly looks for new products. Pat actually practices what she preaches as she eats natural foods and knows the products inside and out. She holds demonstrations and cooking classes inside Hitchcock’s store. In addition, Pat manages the British Foods section, which has been a huge success. Some customers drive hours to buy their British bangers (sausages), jams, Irish Bacon, Curlywurly candy bars and other goodies. “All of these make great unusual Christmas presents too”, says Ms. Good. If there is something you want but don’t see, just tell Pat and she’ll have it for you next time you come to the store, really she will!

The Hitchcock’s Butcher shop is still a mainstay for the stores and continues to sell exclusively Angus beef. “Out of all of the items Hitchcock’s sells my favorite product is a thick cut Porterhouse Steak.” said Wayne with a smile on his face. The Bakery and Deli have seen new additions including Cuban and Rye breads that are baked fresh daily, deli salads, a wing bar, and reformatted party platters, which will cost less. Of course, Hitchcock’s still maintains their fried chicken. You can also pick up buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy in the morning for breakfast, meat loaf or BBQ pork at lunchtime, or a juicy golden-brown rotisserie chicken and Baby Back Ribs for dinner. “Our hot foods are the best around, and I have the waistline to prove it!” said Wayne.