Mollie Stone’s COO Eyes Daily Improvement

Mollie Stone’s Markets COO Elliott Stone, son of founder and CEO Mike Stone, has a deep understanding of the grocery business, having grown up in the stores. His maternal grandfather, Rich Moresco, also owned grocery stores, one of which Mike Stone purchased to add to the Mollie Stone’s chain.

Stone’s passion for the business was evident from a young age, and he began working in the stores as a freshman in high school, at the in-store Starbucks. This was the first in-store Starbucks location in the world, which opened in 1998 as a result of his dad’s visionary thinking.

Stone’s family has a long history in the grocery business, with his father having the vision to create an incredible experience for customers and good-paying jobs and benefits for employees. Elliott’s grandfather, who owned the Grand Central store, is still alive and in his mid-90s, and takes pride in seeing his legacy carried forward.

Stone said, “There are grocers on both my mom’s side and my dad’s side of the family. Aaron and I grew up in the stores, and we have the passion to be in the business and make a difference in people’s lives through food.”

The goal at Mollie Stone’s is to keep things simple and focused on the company’s mission – making a difference in people’s lives through food. Stone emphasized the importance of knowing who’s shopping with you and having a relationship with the people that work for the company.

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Average tenure at Mollie Stone’s is about 16 years, which is very strong in the grocery industry. They present pins and certificates to team members when they hit milestones of service, and each store holds Employee Appreciation days.

Stone said, “Our people know us. We go in the stores all the time, and we have a relationship with the people that work for us.”

For a company of our size, it’s almost unheard of that we self-distribute 100 percent of our produce and our floral.

Stone said, “We control what we buy, we control the back door, we control the inspection of the product – it’s all us.”

One of the most important things that we look at in our stores is how you feel when you get there and how you feel when you leave.

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The company has invested in its current stores, making them the best they can be, with features like verdant living walls in outdoor seating areas.

Mollie Stone’s is currently working on a new project in Palo Alto, which will feature a store at street level in a new development, and this development is part of the legislative conference discussions on local business growth.

As a family-owned company, the decision to grow lies in the hands of the Stone family, and they prioritize quality over quantity. Stone said, “We don’t pressure ourselves that we have to grow. It’s quality versus quantity.”

For Mollie Stone’s, the focus is on creating a great experience for customers and making a difference in people’s lives through food. With its strong roots in the community and commitment to quality, the company is well-positioned for continued success.

Stone’s passion for the business is evident, and he continues to look for new opportunities for Mollie Stone’s. As he raises his own children, he hopes to replicate the way his parents raised him and his brother, and pass on the family business to the next generation.