As director of foodservice for the eight-unit Central Market supermarket chain, David Sonzogni is one of the people helping to further blur the line between grocery stores and fine-dining restaurants.
In his position, Sonzogni, who during his 30-year career has competed on the U.S. Culinary Olympic Team and worked for restaurant chains, casinos, resorts and as a private chef for President Richard Nixon, oversees foodservice in all departments of the Dallas-based chain, from the bakery to the deli to prepared foods.
“It is a chef’s dream to work in a store like this,” Sonzogni says, noting that visiting chefs often say that they haven’t seen anything like it, where everything is at their fingertips.
Central Market bills itself as a “destination, fresh market for people who are passionate about food.” The supermarkets are stocked with foods from around the world and the aisles feature “best-in-class” specialty items, officials say.
The produce department boasts products from both local and global growers. The meat market carries Angus beef that is raised and fed according to Central Market’s specifications. Chicken arrives directly from the farm. More than 30 varieties of handmade sausage are available each day in addition to house-marinated meats.
Seafood is a key customer draw, and is flown in fresh four to six times a week. In Central Market’s Cafe on the Run, customers can pick up premade chef specialties to serve at home, or eat at the in-store cafe.
While Sonzogni oversees research and development and innovation, each store has an executive chef and team that prepare the food daily from scratch in each store. There is no central commissary.
The chefs select their ingredients from their market’s various departments. They create menus from what inspires them, working with seasonal favorites and exotic ingredients from around the globe.
“Our chefs shop the best items to put together menus based on bounty of the store,” Sonzogni says.
For instance, meats are ground daily to the chef’s specifications for the Market Cafe Burgers.
In the Central Market Cafe, chefs prepare foods at various stations before customers’ eyes, offering both entertainment and an educational experience for those interested in assembling their own meals at home. At the stir-fry station, vegetables from the produce department make their way into dishes, enhancing the perception of freshness.
“Customers know the ingredients from the store and watch them make the food—it sells itself,” Sonzogni says, noting that he sees husbands and wives shopping together as a “night out.” He says these customers tell him they learn something new every time they visit the store through tastings, displays and demos.
8trends for ’08 INTEREST IN WIDER VARIETY OF SEAFOOD FLAVOR EXPERIMENTATION WHOLE GRAINS FAST-PACED FOOD UNUSUAL BREADS SOPHISTICATED PALATES ETHNIC MELTING POT JUNIOR GOURMETS FAD ABOUT TO FLOP? LIQUID-NITROGEN FROZEN FOODS
“Our job is to educate their palate, and that is exactly what we do,” he says.
In addition, both adults and children can enjoy cooking classes at the Central Market Cafe. For kids ages 5 to 17, summer cooking camps are available where kids learn basic kitchen skills and fundamental cooking techniques while exploring a variety of cuisines and cooking styles. Children also learn to prepare such items as Vietnamese spring rolls and Spanish tapas.
Thai, Vietnamese and Latin are just a few of the cuisines offered to Central Market customers, who tend to be adventurous eaters, Sonzogni says. He notes that more than 25,000 people from many different cultures walk through the store weekly.
The chefs try to appeal to everyone with a large variety of new and innovative items, Sonzogni says, adding that Central Market customers are always exploring new flavors and textures and want to see new items in the chef’s case every time they visit the store.
“If we develop a new and exciting item and can get it into people’s mouths,” Sonzogni says, “it is guaranteed to win.”
CENTRAL MARKET HEADQUARTERS: DallasUNITS: 8REGION: Texas, mostly in major cities such as Austin, San Antonio, Houston and DallasPRICES: vary by locationLATEST ROLLOUT: gelateria in each store, where 24 flavors are made daily in small batches according to traditional Italian recipesSLOWEST SELLER: undisclosed
He notes that an executive chef at a typical fine-dining restaurant may serve 20 to 25 specials in an evening, but a chef at Central Market may sell more than 300 specials in one night. Ethnic flavors typically succeed because of the store’s diverse audience, he adds.
As consumer interest in nutrition increases, so is the interest in whole grains, Sonzogni says. At Central Market, more than 100 varieties of bread are baked fresh daily from scratch. Customers can enjoy breads made from such exotic grains as quinoa, amaranth, kamut and tef, he says.
The bread category has grown substantially since Sonzogni started to incorporate these once little-known grains. Central Market is constantly rolling out new items to stay ahead of the game, he says.
Sonzogni—who says, “In the food business, when are you ever satisfied?”—notes that he finds inspiration from frequent travel, books and his wealth of industry knowledge. He says he is never satisfied and that there is always something new brewing somewhere in the business. Rolling out more than 200 new prepared-food items per year requires constant innovation, he says.
Sonzogni says the key to success is to resist the temptation to jump on the bandwagon of fads that are here today and gone tomorrow. In the end “go with your gut and do what you think is right,” he says.
