Village Market Food Centers comprise of two supermarket chains based in Alden, MI and Elk Rapids, MI. They are among the largest employers in Elk Rapids with more than 140 employees. The owner of the stores is local resident, Rick Young.
History
Village Market began way back in 1949 with the establishment of a small grocery store by Donald Pozolo, as well as a gas station at Don’s Grocery in the village’s east side. During its establishment, the largest store at Elk Rapids was A&P downtown. Don later purchased new land across the street for building a new store, following the lease of the earlier store. The newly constructed store became successful and many Elk Rapids residents viewed it as the de facto grocer. In 1974, Don sold the store to Harold Prince and Rick Young, both Michigan residents. The two began Young and Prince Enterprises for the sole purpose of achieving their business objectives. Young bought out Prince in 1977 and changed the name of the store to Village Market Food Center. There have been several expansions and remodeling since then. In the 1970s, a deli and bakery were added, while in the 1980s, video rentals were added. A new produce department was built in 1990s. A recent development is expansion of the alcohol department and decreased video selection.
Statistics
Headquarters: Elk Rapids, MI
Ownership: Private Company
No. of Stores: 2 supermarkets
Geography: Aden MI and Elk Rapids MI
Number of Employees: At least 140 employees
Demography: Value Shoppers, Green Shoppers
Special Services: Gas station, Video rentals
Brands
Save-A-Lot store
Important Links
Village Market Services
More ‘forced out’ than ‘bought out’, actually.