Bashas’ readies 90-day, 90th anniversary celebration

Next week, Bashas’ plans to kick off activities for its 90th year in business that will run 90 days, into early October.

The Chandler, Ariz.-based grocer said Thursday that events for its 90th anniversary celebration will range from gift card giveaways, donations and a local charity challenge to an attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the largest doughnut logo.

Bashas’ supermarkets began in 1932, when brothers Ike and Eddie Basha Sr. opened the first Bashas’-branded grocery store five miles south of Chandler. Since then, the retailer has become a community staple in Arizona, growing to 113 stores statewide under multiple banners. Bashas’ noted that its family name is not just on grocery storefronts across Arizona but also on the names of streets and schools.

This past December, Bashas’ officially became part of The Raley’s Cos., a new company formed by Raley’s acquisition of the Bashas’ Family of Stores. The deal, announced in October, created a Western grocer with more than 230 stores.

Bashas’ operates as a Raley’s subsidiary and maintains its Chandler headquarters as well as its distribution center in Arizona and store banners. Edward “Trey” Basha serves as president of the Bashas’ Operating Company; Michael Basha oversees distribution; and Johnny Basha supports the Native American Tribal Communities, real estate and other administrative responsibilities. Bashas’ Family of Stores banners include Bashas’, Food City, AJ’s Fine Foods, Eddie’s Country Store and Bashas’ Diné supermarkets.

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“We are honored to celebrate our 90th anniversary with our team members, customers, vendors, and charity partners,” Trey Basha, president of Bashas’ and grandson of one of the company’s founders, said in a statement. “I’d like to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone for their continued support. Our goal is to express our gratitude and use this milestone as an opportunity to be of additional service to our communities.”

Bashas’ said its 90th anniversary celebration activities include the following:

• July 11-12: On Monday, July 11, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Bashas’ bakery team members at selected stores will cut, fry, and package doughnuts in preparation for its attempt to break the Guinness World Records title the next day for biggest doughnut mosaic. The Bashas’ supermarket at Warner and McClintock in Tempe, Ariz., is the designated store location. On Tuesday, July 12, from 3:30/4 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Bashas’ will roll out the red carpet as it attempts to set the record at Basha High School in Chandler, using more than 14,000 doughnuts to assemble a 900-square-foot logo of its 90th anniversary logo. The current record, set in January 2012, included 7,040 donuts to form a 512-square-foot logo.

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• July 18-Sept. 23: The supermarket chain will kick off a “Community Choice Charity Challenge” on Monday, July 18. During the nine weeks that follow, members of the Arizona community will have an opportunity to vote for the 501(c)(3) charity that they feel is most deserving of an additional $50,000 in funds from Bashas’. Arizonans can make their selections for the most deserving nonprofit from a group of 32 organizations that are part of Bashas’ 2022 Charity of the Month fundraising program. The final voting phase will feature 10 nonprofits competing for the most votes to secure the additional $50,000. Bashas’ will announce the $50,000 nonprofit winner in the morning on Friday, Sept. 23.

“Bashas’ has provided significant contributions to Arizona on so many levels,” commented Mark Miller, president of Arizona Food Marketing Alliance (AFMA). “Every state should be lucky enough to have a supermarket chain like Bashas’. Not only is Bashas’ one of our state’s largest employers, but the people who work at Bashas’ are so friendly and genuine,” he said, adding, “They truly care about our community.”

• July 27- Oct. 4: Once a week, for 10 weeks, Bashas’ will randomly give away $500 in grocery gift cards. Each grocery week will start on a Wednesday and end on a Tuesday, beginning Wednesday, July 27, and ending Tuesday, Oct. 4, to coincide with Bashas’ weekly grocery ads. Shoppers who activate a Personal Thank You (loyalty) offer in their account each week will be automatically entered for a chance to win.

• Sept. 17-18: Companywide, the Bashas’ Family of Stores plans to give $100 to each of its 113 grocery stores in Arizona and New Mexico to perform a random act of kindness for their local community. Whether the store team decides to donate the money to a local food bank/shelter or give the funds to an individual struggling to pay for groceries, each store team will decide where the money will go, the company said.

Also, Bashas’ said it will award an additional $2,500 to two nonprofits, one in August and the other in September. Bashas’ team members will nominate a local nonprofit that has impacted their life or the life of someone they love. Bashas’ then will choose two nominations and make charitable donations to the nonprofits in the name of the Bashas’ associates who recommended them.