Ray's Food Place chain acquires Market of Choice grocery stores
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The owner of regional grocery chain Ray's Food Place has acquired three Market of Choice stores from Wright's Foodliner Inc. of Eugene, including two Josephine County stores. C&K Markets Inc. of Brookings will rename two stores in Grants Pass and one in Cottage Grove when the changeover occurs following closing on Oct. 31. This is a perfect fit for our geography, said Doug Nidiffer, president of Brookings-based C&K Markets. These stores are right in the heart of our traditional territory and complement our growth pattern. Speaking from Portland, Nidiffer said Wright's Foodliner management approached his company about a year ago. They were interested in exiting the area and want to build a new store and remodel another one they own, Nidiffer said. They want to move more upstate. — While the stores on Williams Highway and Seventh Street in Grants Pass fit the Ray's small-town demographic, the Market of Choice brand didn't necessarily fit. Their organic and natural food formats weren't lending themselves to the customer base in Grants Pass, Nidiffer said. C&K operates 51 stores and employs more than 2,200 people. More than half of Ray's markets have been built or remodeled since 1990. Nidiffer said C&K is going through the design and permitting phase for a 45,000-square-foot store in Eagle Point that will replace an existing operation it bought in 2003. The chain also plans to remodel its Merlin store. The three Market of Choice stores presently employ 160 people. Nidiffer said he would like to retain existing staffs and that managers have already been interviewed. Market of Choice said it will soon open a new market in north Eugene. It will also begin construction on a new store in West Linn and is finalizing plans for a market in Eugene that will replace its south-side store. There will now be five Market of Choice locations: three in Eugene and one each in Portland and Ashland. The company presently employs slightly more than 680 people. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail Ray's Food Place chain acquires Market of Choice grocery stores"[email protected].