Background

Darlene has a lifetime of experience in the food industry and started out working in a deli at 12 years old! From there she worked in her dad’s deli. At the age of 20 she was driving past the newly opened Market Basket in Franklin Lakes and decided to stop in. She went up to the first person she saw who happened to be Market Baskets founder, Tony Chernalis. She asked if he was hiring, and he told her to start the very next day. Darlene joined our Market Basket family in 1989 and has been with us for 35 years!

“I am very dedicated to my job,” Darlene says. “I still love my job even after 35 years. Market Basket is always about the customer and making them happy and I enjoy making products to perfection for them.” Darlene is a master of all trades and departments here in our store. She started out in catering making the sandwich platters, then she moved onto working in our deli department. She has worked in our kitchen, bakery department, and is now full-time helping lead a production team at our commissary kitchen.

Expertise

We make all of our products in-house and Darlene helps ensure that they are prepared to perfection. She started out making our specialty homemade breads and toasts and expanded her range of products from there. “Not many people know about our specialty homemade toasts, breads and crisps,” she says. “We have so many delicious items we make from scratch ourselves like our Asiago and semolina crisps, sourdough cheddar, rosemary ciabatta crisps and more.”

Darlene also designs the layout and packages the butter and Italian cookie trays. She makes the cheese trays, packages our candy, nuts, our store-made Jazzy Salt, seasoning blends and even has made our hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries to name a few!

“I am always full of energy and never stop being active,” she says. “I am also 3 years cancer free, and nothing can stop me.” Being a lifetime employee of Market Basket Darlene has a multitude of memories to share. Some of her favorite stories include working during the blizzard of 1996 and preparing 40 breakfast specials with Tony Chernalis for PSEG workers helping out in the storm. “I am grateful for Tony,” she says. “Market Basket truly would not be the way it is without him. We all worked hard but we loved what we did.”

Favorite Part Working at Market Basket

Darlene says her favorite part about working at Market Basket is always having her Market Basket family to go to every day. She is an expert at her craft and loves to showcase that to others. “I enjoy making great things for the customers and have Market Basket be proud of the work that I do. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else after all these years.”

Background

Dawn started out working at Wayne General Hospital and dietary and then worked at a local supermarket running the salad bar. Dawn joined our Market Basket family in 1988 and has been with us for over 35 years!

Expertise

Dawn loves to stay busy in our deli department from setting up our counters in the morning, making our pre-packed sandwiches and waiting on customers. She enjoys making our signature sandwiches and says her favorite is our California Club.

“I am very versatile and have worked in all different departments,” she says. “One minute I  will be in the deli, then you may see me in the cheese or bakery department.“

Favorite Part Working at Market Basket

“My favorite part about working here is that our customers know us and greet us by name,” she says. “I have made so many friends with our customers. I have seen the younger ones at a little age, high school, college and then watch them grow up and get married. I love interacting with people and building relationships with those around me.”

Background

Born and raised in Uden, Netherlands – Anny grew up experiencing a world of culture before moving to the United States where she started her journey in the food industry. Anny graduated from the McDonald’s college in Maryland and then became store manager upon receiving her credentials.

“I’ve worked with food my whole life,” Anny says. She spent 8 years at a local deli among other jobs in the food industry and later found her home at The Market Basket in 1989. Anny has been a part of the Market Basket family for over 34 years!

Expertise

“The customers are my favorite part of working in the deli,” Anny says. “Getting to know them, building relationships with others and having people recognize and appreciate the work that you do is something I love.”

With all of Anny’s experience in the food industry, she has a wealth of knowledge for all things in our deli department. Annie even created one of our signature sandwiches – the “Anny’s Reuben.” This sandwich is a customer favorite filled with our corned beef, pastrami, melted Swiss cheese and sauerkraut with Russian dressing and mustard on 3 pieces of rye toast! Anny says this is one of her favorite sandwiches to make in our deli as well as our signature Turker sandwich.

Favorite Part Working at Market Basket

“Having a goal I can look forward to when I get up in the morning is one of my favorite parts about working here,” Anny says. “Everybody has to have a purpose in the morning when they get up, and I enjoy having my purpose here when I come to work. I always get to meet new customers and connect with people on a daily basis.”

Background

Al has been in the food industry for over 50 years! He started out working for a local food store in the deli, worked in liquor, and eventually became co-manager of the store. Al’s son started working in the original Market Basket store in Wyckoff, where Al was introduced to us. When we opened our store in Franklin Lakes, Al joined our Market Basket family in 1988 and has been with us for over 35 years! Al has been an integral part of the Market Basket for generations, and even all 3 of his sons have worked here as well!

Expertise

You will always find Al busy on our sales floor or in the back kitchen. He loves to stay active in his personal life and at work. Whether he is stocking shelves, placing orders for the store, or organizing supplies – Al always works hard to get the job done.

“I’m always busy, I never want to stop,” he says. “I am proud of what I do and care about everything that goes on around the store. I always call this place my second home, and I want to take care of it like it’s my house.”

Favorite Part Working at Market Basket

“The customers are my favorite part about working here,” Al says. “I have seen kids grow up, get married and have a family – it’s like I’m a part of the family.”

He enjoys working with others and building relationships with those around him. You can always find Al in store with a big smile ready to say hello to everyone who walks through our doors.

Background

Paul started out working at a local ice cream shop. He spent time learning the business and later became friends with the chocolatier that made the chocolates for the ice cream store. He learned everything there is to know about all things sweet and gained his knowledge apprenticing and learning how to make homemade chocolates and ice cream. From there, he went on to run his own business, he owned and ran a deli shop for 5 years. After selling his shop, he found his home here at The Market Basket.

With his wealth of knowledge in the kitchen, Paul transformed our store and created many of our signature products. He started by curating our very own line of homemade ice cream. We carry a variety of flavors including our black raspberry, Oreo smash, pumpkin spice, and of course classics like chocolate and vanilla ice cream. We also have homemade sorbets! He then went on to curate our line of store-made chocolates. Paul is an expert chocolatier and loves creating new products for our customers to enjoy. He helped us create everything from our raspberry cordials to our nonpareils! All the chocolate we sell in store has been created by hand from a team of our very own talented chocolatiers.

Paul not only created our ice cream and chocolate lines, but he also handles all the cheese, pastry, and gourmet grocery ordering for the store. He oversees everything in production as our general warehouse manager and has been with our Market Basket family for over 32 years!

Expertise

Paul ensures that everything in our commissary kitchen runs smoothly by handling all production responsibilities, assigning tasks to the head of our departments, and keeping track of all of the items needed for our chefs to create the delicious items we sell in store.

“I’ve always been a food lover. I like developing new items or seeking out new products for our store, and I get to do it for a living,” Paul says. Paul is proud of the entire line of chocolates and ice cream he has curated, but he says his favorite item is our caramel pretzels. “Delicious salted pretzels coated in a layer of warm melted caramel, coated with both dark and milk chocolate and drizzled with more white chocolate on top – I’ve never seen anyone do anything like it!,” he says.

Favorite Part Working at Market Basket

Helping to maintain and improve the quality of the items we sell in store is one of Paul’s favorite things about working here he says. “Hearing people say, ‘I love Market Basket’ and knowing that I had a part in that by helping to create and develop products we sell is something I love,” he says.