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The local grocer is more than just a store — it’s a meeting place, and even a wedding venue!

Grocery stores are a social hub in many communities, and play an important role in our lives. So important that one couple even decided to hold their wedding in the Quality Foods where they met!
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Dianna Rivard with other founders and leaders at Quality Foods.

Grocery stores are a social hub in many communities, and play an important role in our lives. So important that one couple even decided to hold their wedding in the Quality Foods where they met!

“Walking down the aisle had a whole new meaning that day!” laughs Dianna Rivard, who has worked with Quality Foods since they opened their first store in Qualicum Beach in 1982.

After first working as a meat wrapper and moving through most of the grocery store’s departments, Rivard was promoted to the Quality Foods head office. There she’s overseen a number of special projects, including Perk Avenue, the in-store coffee shop where people could meet with neighbours and friends, do some grocery shopping, or even meet a future spouse.

“We first tried Perk Avenue in our Port Alberni store in 1995, and it became so popular we soon put a cafe into all of our stores. Community groups started using the space as a meeting place — in fact we actually had to open the store earlier so the running and walking groups could get their coffee. And then we even hosted a wedding, because the couple first met at Perk Avenue,” she says.

The original Qualicum Foods store opened by three friends in 1982. There are now 14 Quality Foods stores across Vancouver Island and coastal BC.
The original Qualicum Foods store opened by three friends in 1982. There are now 14 Quality Foods stores across Vancouver Island and coastal BC.

An Island original

The first QF grocery store opened in Qualicum Beach in 1982, when three friends in their 20s decided to resurrect a boarded up local store. Ken Schley, John Briuolo and Noel Hayward had worked together at a grocery store in Cranbrook, and despite their youth and inexperience operating a business, they managed to turn the little store into a success.

“They were a fun group of guys. It was a young company with lots of room to grow, and from the beginning they were committed to giving back to the community,” Rivard remembers.

One store became two, then 13, and this spring store Number 14 is set to open in Colwood’s Royal Bay.

“We believe a grocery store in a small town plays an important role in the community. It’s more than a place to shop, it’s a place to meet, have a coffee, or even something simple to eat,” says co-founder and current president Noel Hayward.

Quality Foods has supported local growers and suppliers since 1982, and believe it or not, they were the first grocery store in Canada to have a loyalty card, which they implemented in 1991. Through the decades they’ve stayed nimble, adapting to the needs of their clients with new departments and different services — plus advanced sanitation tools at the onset of the pandemic.

“We still have our roots and we still run Quality Foods like an Island company. It’s our people and our excellent customer service that sets us apart. We give back and get involved, and soon our visitors become more than just customers — they become friends,” Rivard says.

Find the latest flyer, shop online and learn more at qualityfoods.com.

Quality Foods has continued to evolve through over 40 years serving local communities.
Quality Foods has continued to evolve through over 40 years serving local communities.