Graska Named Save Mart Manager of Year

SN STAFF

MODESTO, Calif. — Save Mart Supermarkets here said Tuesday that Chet Graska, manager of a FoodMaxx store in Santa Rosa, Calif., has won the 2010 Nicholas J. Tocco store manager of the year award.

According to Frank Capps, the chain's chief sales officer, "Chet Graska has grown as a leader over the past two years to be a champion of our best practices. This [award] simply reinforces that his leadership is not just at store level — Chet continues to inpsire many as a global leader [with]in the FoodMaxx banner."

Graska became a Save Mart employee in 2003 when Save Mart purchased the Food4Less chain in Northern California from Fleming, where he had worked his way up to store manager over 10 years. His store won a food safety and sanitation award in both 2008 and 2009 for being among the top facilities for cleanliness and food safety in Sonoma County.

The manager of the year award is named after Tocco, the late co-founder of Save Mart. Nominees must meet the company's standards for store performance, customer service and community involvement. The winner receives an etched blown glass vase, a travel certificate and cash; runners-up receive a cash award and a framed certificate.

The two runners-up for the 2010 award were John Bettencourt, manager of a Lucky store in Livermore, and Roy Torres, manager of a Save Mart in Atwater.