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Back in the Basket [Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass. :: ](Cape Cod Times (Hyannis, MA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 29--SAGAMORE -- MaryEllen Mastrorilli has never shopped at Market Basket. That's about to change. "I have a store that's closer to home, but I'm just so impressed with these people," the Plymouth resident said. "We have to support these folks." Mastrorilli stopped by the supermarket chain's Sagamore location Thursday morning, hours after the announcement that the company's board of directors had approved an offer from beloved CEO Arthur T. Demoulas following two months of employee and customer protests. "It was a good feeling coming to work this morning," assistant store manager Gerry Banks said. "I couldn't wait to come in and call our part-time employees." Demoulas was ousted in June by a board of directors controlled by rival cousin Arthur S. Demoulas, causing workers in all of the chain's 71 stores to stage protests. Hundreds of warehouse workers and drivers refused to deliver food, leading to empty shelves and tens of millions in lost revenue. Many customers stopped shopping at Market Basket as a show of solidarity. The Sagamore store experienced a 95 percent drop in sales, Banks said. Before the protests, the store had an average of 28,000 customers per week; in the midst of the protests, that number had dropped to 600 customers per week, he said. "It was so cool, the support we got down here," said Banks, who has worked for the company for 20 years. Demoulas announced Wednesday evening that he would pay $1.5 billion to buy the 50.5 percent of the chain owned by Arthur S. Demoulas and his allies. The following morning, Arthur T. Demoulas celebrated with employees in a rally at the company's Tewksbury headquarters, where he described the workers' six-week action as an insurgence. "The public watched in awe and admiration because you empowered others to seek change," he told the crowd of several hundred workers, some of whom shouted "We love you" and "Welcome back" as Demoulas spoke. "Seeing all of you here today is like seeing a little piece of heaven on earth," Demoulas said. "I am in awe of what you have all accomplished." In Sagamore, part-time employees showed up Thursday morning eager to work, the first time in weeks they had been in. "It's nice to know our perseverance paid off," said Jeff Huxstep, who works at the fish counter. Huxstep, a part-time employee, had not worked for three weeks. "It's nice to be back." And customers were eager to congratulate the employees on their success and praise them for their fortitude. Bourne resident Dave Lipof, who said he has shopped at the Bourne location since it opened in 2012 but had boycotted the chain during the dispute, arrived at the store shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday. Referring to his shopping cart, which was filled with products he said he couldn't find at other stores, Lipof said, "That's Market Basket." Lipof said he had supported the boycott because Market Basket has "excellent products, excellent service and excellent prices." Brad Butler, a sales manager for Captain Parker's Chowder Co., arrived bright and early Thursday to make a delivery to the Sagamore store, one of 69 Market Basket stores that carry the company's signature dish. This was the first Captain Parker's delivery in weeks. Butler said the West Yarmouth-based company had boycotted with employees and customers to show "loyalty." "They've been so good to us," Butler said. Banks said management at the Sagamore location was "making sure all orders are getting placed" and expected to be back at full capacity by next week. The crisis -- which affected the chain's 71 stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine -- prompted the intervention of Gov. Deval Patrick and New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan as well as the state attorney general's office. On July 31, Attorney General Martha Coakley and New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster issued a letter to Market Basket leadership to remind them of wage and labor laws after the offices saw an increase in phone calls from concerned Market Basket employees. A week later, Coakley's office opened a dedicated Market Basket hotline, which received over 50 complaints. Meanwhile, Cape officials were happy to see the Sagamore store back in business and lauded Demoulas for his leadership. "We've had many dealings with Market Basket," said Marie Oliva, president and CEO of the Cape Cod Canal Region Chamber of Commerce. "They've all been positive under the management of Arthur T." The chamber named the grocer its business of the year in 2013, a year after the Cape store opened near the Sagamore Bridge. Selectman Peter Meier, chairman of the Bourne board, called the employees' boycott "historic." "It was a huge sacrifice and a risk on the employees' part," Meier said. "I've been in retail business for a good part of my life and I've never seen a family atmosphere like this." Material from The Associated Press was used in this report. Follow Amy Anthony on Twitter @AmyAnthonyCCT. ___ (c)2014 Cape Cod Times (Hyannis, Mass.) Visit the Cape Cod Times (Hyannis, Mass.) at www.capecodonline.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |