Roche Bros. prices itself on never having laid off any of its employees, who rally around the service culture at the family-owned chain. Growth as been steady and deliberate for 60 years, resulting in 18 locations, all in the Boston area and southern Massachusetts. In honor of its 60th anniversary, Roche Bros. last month kicked off 60 days of celebration, featuring retro pricing specials and other events.

• 1952 Brothers Bud and Pat Roche open a meat and produce store in Roslindale, Mass.

• 1957 The first store expands to include grocery offerings.

• 1959 The Roche brothers open a second store in Needham.

• 1967 Store No. 3 opens in West Roxbury.

• 1970 Roche Bros. opens in Westwood, with a store that includes a bakery, a florist and an in-store restaurant.

• 1974 Natick store opens.

• 1980 First Sudbury Farms store opens in Sudbury, Mass.

• 1981 Wellesley store opens.

• 1983 Second store under the Sudbury Farms banner opens in Randolph.

• 1988 Millis Roche Bros. store opens.

• 1990 Third Sudbury Farms location opens.

• 1992 Bridgewater Roche Bros. store opens.

• 1993 Norton Roche Bros. opens.

• 1995 Acton Roche. Bros. opens.

• 1996 Quincy Roche Bros. opens.

• 2001 Burlington Roche Bros. opens.

• 2002 Replacement store in West Roxbury boosts size to 46,000 square feet, becomes state-of-the-art flagship for the chain as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Read more: Roche Bros. No. 20 in SN's Top 50

• 2003 Easton Roche Bros. opens, becoming second state-of-the-art location.

• 2004 First Cape Cod store opens in Mashpee.

• 2005 Marshfield Store opens. Home delivery launches.

• 2007 Roche Bros.’ 18th store opens in Westborough.

• 2012 Roche Bros. 60th anniversary honors the memory of founder Pat Roche.

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