Sunset still going strong after 75 years
BY CHARLES BERMAN cberman@pioneerlocal.com February 9, 2012 10:44AM
CEO John Cortesi, the grandson of the founder of Sunset Foods, in front of Highland Park store. Sunset is celebrating its 75th anniversary. 2/6/12. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
Celebrating 75 years
Sunset Foods has scheduled 10 weeks of give-aways and in-store surprises to celebrate the family grocery chain’s 75 years in business on the North Shore.
Feb. 8-14: All five stores will raffle four $75 Sunset Foods gift cards. Ten more $75 gift cards will be given out during each of the remaining nine-week celebration.
Feb. 15-21: One customer will receive a Backyard Barbecue Party ($750 value).
Feb. 22-28: Two cooking classes will be given away at each store.
Feb. 29-March 6: One $750 Party Package will be raffled by the catering division.
March 7-13: Take Me Out to the Ball Game ticket package.
March 14-20: A back yard football grill/corn roaster party will be raffled.
March 21-26 Another Take Me Out to the Ball Game ticket package will be supplied.
March 27-April 3: One private cooking class party will be awarded.
April 4-10: A Ravinia Festival picnic package will feed 10 ($750 value).
April 11-17: A golf outing package for a foursome will be awarded to one customer ($1,500 value).
April 18-22: On day 75 of the give-away series, Sunset Foods will announce the winner of the two grand prizes: a trip to Punta Cana ($2,500 value) and a pair of $2,500 diamond earrings.
Article Extras
Updated: March 17, 2012 8:05AM
Honoring his grandfather’s founding business credo, Sunset Foods CEO John Cortesi once flew back from Florida with several boxes of a special, regional cracker at the request of one of his loyal customers.
That’s just one example of the unrivaled customer service that has kept Sunset Foods thriving into its 75th year on the North Shore, the third-generation company president said last week in preparation of special events planned in all five Sunset Foods stores during the next 10 weeks.
“It’s stories like that that show how our 900 employees are wired with customer service as our top priority,” he said, “and that’s always started at the top.
“This is an incredible milestone and an incredible accomplishment.”
Opened in February 1937, the original 25- by 30-foot storefront was rented by John J. Cortesi and his uncle, Adeodata Fontana. That first store was located next to Sunset Park, at 635 Central Ave., where the downtown Highland Park Post Office is now located.
Cortesi was 14 on his first day of work with the family grocer. His initial task was cleaning up garbage strewn outside the Lake Forest store.
After earning degrees in business and marketing, Cortesi returned to the family business.
“From then on, I virtually worked in every area of the store,” Cortesi said.
Climbing the ladder
While Cortesi was moving up the company ranks working in the scanning, grocery and produce departments, 54-year employee Allen “Totto” Perin was embarking on a similar path.
Perin was the company’s 59th employee when he began bagging groceries and stocking shelves at 18 years old in 1957. Now he is the Sunset Foods vice president of operations leading a work force closing in on 1,000.
At 20 years old, Perin was offered a job as the meat department manager. At the time, he was deciding between the promotion or heading to trade school to become an electrician.
Perin’s five-decade career with Sunset Foods started on the advice of his father.
“He told me people will always need to eat,” Perin recalled.
When Sunset Foods expanded to its second location, in Northbrook in 1961, Perin raised his hand to become the butcher in the new store. After taking note of mounting customer requests, he initiated the addition of the chain’s company-wide seafood case.
Customer driven
“I was taught right away that the customers were our teachers.” Perin explained. “That’s stuck with me.”
The Cortesi family still prides itself on that customer-driven mission, which is now also on display in Lake Forest, Libertyville and Long Grove. The 50,000-square-foot Long Grove store opened just one year ago as the company’s fifth, and most ambitious, enterprise.
“We will continue to get better than we are today,” Cortesi pledged before listing a series of changes in the grocery industry that has solidified Sunset Foods as a regional food-shopping destination.
The family leadership has responded to the consumer-driven demand for organics, gluten and sugar free products, healthier and locally sourced options, freshly prepared take-out sections, in-store cooking demos and immediate customer communication via social media.
Trends in the American diet and consumer spending discipline during recent economic challenges also have forced the family business to reinvent, Cortesi said.
“I’m proud of how we have been able to evolve,” said T.J. Tazioli, an Sunset Foods employee who worked his way up to vice-president of marketing.
“Prepared foods has always been a strength for us,” Tazioli added. “We were doing that before it became trendy. And when it became trendy we responded and improved it even more.”
Despite continuous and rapid change, Tazioli said Sunset Foods never lost its spot as the “gold standard of personalized service.”
“We’ve had competition come and go but we’re still here,” said Perin in lock step. “Our customers look for our employees and we know their names. I’ve waited on four generations of customers and have become part of their family.
“No one comes near our Sunset service.”
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