July 23, 2025 • 40 mins
The latest in the ongoing Market Basket drama between the grocer’s board and top executives comes in the form of firings. Executives Tom Gordon and Joe Schmidt, who were on NightSide just a little over a week ago, have now been fired by the company. Why? According to a public statement from the Market Basket Board of Directors, the two were fired for, “insubordination, making false and derogatory remarks about the company and people associated with it, and inappropriate communications with colleagues.”
Dan wanted to know if you were still a supporter of Market Basket and asked what comes next?
Dan wanted to know if you were still a supporter of Market Basket and asked what comes next?
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Nightside with Dan Ray. I'm telling you Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
We like to just mention one more time that we
have a new way for you to be a part
of the Nightside broadcast. Look, we love you calling the program.
That's no question. That's what you got to do. As
far as we're concerned, we always want you to be
in touch with the program, simple as that's that's what
we like. But you also can utilize a new talkback
(00:31):
feature on the iHeartRadio app. You can do a lot
with this. Make sure you download the app and have
the free iHeartRadio app on while listening to Nightside Live
on WBS News Radio, you can tap the red microphone
talk back button in the top right corner to send
us your personalized audio message. Keep it clean now, okay,
and then we very well may play it back on Nightside.
(00:53):
It's that simple. Once again, hit the red microphone button
in the top right corner of the app while listening
to Nightside and send us your audio mess. It has
to be within thirty seconds, okay. You can get your
thoughts together thirty seconds. And you can be critical, you
can be complementary, you can be constructively critical, whatever you want. Okay,
just you know, make sure you realize it's still family
(01:14):
Radio and you can make whatever comment you want. It's
kind of another way to do a little bit of
open lines. We get some information and some input from
you that we wouldn't ordinarily get. I know a lot
of you send me text messages, and you send me emails,
and I got to be honest with I'm so overwhelmed
the amount of texts and emails and things like that
(01:35):
that I get. I kind of answer them all I try,
but every time I'm sitting there typing in answer to
a question, it's tough. It's just tough. Okay. So this
is just a way to get the communications going a
little bit better on the new and improved iheartm all right.
I would like to stay with and I'm going to
(01:56):
gamble here a little bit with the Demula story. I
don't know what percentage of my audience are Demolish shoppers.
I think there's a lot of you out there who
like Demullis. Like it because of how it's conducted itself
over the years, and I think all of you know
the story to Demulis. And again in the last hour
(02:17):
you listen to us talk with two men, men of
conviction to be honest with you and men of integrity
Joe Schmidt, director of operations and Tom Gordon, director of
grocery Operations. These guys have worked eighty eight years for
this grocery chain, Demulis. They're about ninety stores. These gentlemen
(02:39):
have basically both completed at career and they were very
close to the fellow who ran the program, Arthur Demulis,
Arthur T. Demulis, and this store had a big commotion
back in twenty fourteen and was kicked out and then
(03:01):
he came back, and that was primarily customers saying we're
not going to shop there until they bring Arthur back.
And it was an amazing story. I remember it well
because I was doing talk radio at the time. I
don't know if this is here. You not only have
Arthur T who's been shown the door, but in addition
(03:22):
you have the two gentlemen who we had on the
show last hour who have been really pretty unceremoniously shown
the door, Joe Smith and Tom Gordon. You listen to them,
you heard them. They knew when they did our show
nine days ago Monday night the fourteenth, at nine o'clock
(03:47):
they knew that they probably were going to put themselves
in trouble with the new management team. They said nothing,
in my opinion, inappropriate on our show. There was an
effort in the press release that the new management team
had put out in which they alluded to some statements
(04:13):
that had been made in the show. But I think
it was well within their rights of free speech. And
here's my position on this legally, and I'd love to
know what you think about it. If they had and
into a good faith negotiation with them for the end
of their careers with the severance package, the company would
(04:35):
have been well within its rights to say, look, we've
given you a generous severance package, we want you to
sign a non disclosure agreement and also a non public
statement agreement that anything that you would say as you
finished your career and you've enjoyed working for Market Basketball
these years, and it would have been tied and wrapped
(04:57):
up with a nice pretty bolt. That's not what happened.
They were suspended with pay, as I understand it. But
when you take someone who's been going to work for
thirty nine straight years or for forty nine straight years
and you suspend them with pay, that's a big insult,
(05:20):
and so they did my radio show on July fourteenth,
they did interviews I know with the Globe because those
were quoted, and the powers that be decided that that
was a bridge too far and they decided to terminate
them in effect for cause. Now, the cause that they
(05:44):
terminated them for, I don't know that that's going to
stand up in court, because they in effect, by going
on my radio show and by talking to the Globe,
they exercised their First Amendment rights. Now I know that
there's no government agency involved in here. I don't think
you give up your First Amendment rights by virtue of
(06:04):
the fact that you have been suspended from a company.
And this will get This will end up in litigation.
And my belief is that ultimately the Demulis Supermarkets, if
they don't take these guys back, will have to into
a fairly generous settlement. I don't know what the future holds.
(06:28):
I don't know if the customers are going back. I'd
like to just take a few phone calls here if
you'd like. If you are truly a Demuli's customer, whether
you go there every week, a couple of times a week,
or whether you go there once a month or so
to start up on some of the items that you
(06:49):
can see. You know when I say the items that
you can save two or three dollars on laundry detergent,
dishwashing detergent, paper, paper goods, paper towels, toilet paper, et cetera. Uh.
Up until now, the prices at Demulis at market Basket
have been better. Uh. And I find have found myself
(07:09):
driving to Walfam to that Demulish supermarket. But I just
want to open up the phone lines real quickly. And
if this doesn't impact you and you don't care about
Joe Schmidt or Tom Gordon h and maybe you never
(07:31):
met them, Okay, that's fine. I'd like to hear that.
I'd like to hear you tell me that if you
are a Demulis shopper, and if conversely, this has left
a bad taste in your mouth, and I can understand that,
I'd like to hear you explain that to me. Uh.
(07:51):
And because we can chop kind of take a little
bit of uh not a pole, but a little bit
of a pulse to see if shoppers still feel not
only a loyalty to the good prices and the quality
of the food, which I think Demolis is good at
(08:14):
and has been good at. But do they have a
loyalty to the people who built the company, including Arthur T.
Demulis so go to open up real quickly. Uh, if
you're a Demula shopper, I want to know does this
impact you or or if maybe you haven't heard about it.
But I assume most of you have heard about it
by now, So let's we'll take a gamble. Let's roll
(08:35):
the dice rob six one seven, two, five, four ten thirty,
six one seven, nine three one ten thirty. My name
is Dan Ray. This is Nightside. If you don't want
to talk about that, that is your choice. We can
We'll find another a different topic to talk about. But
in the meantime, let's light the lines up. Six one seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
(08:56):
What I'm trying to find out is amongst the Demulus shoppers,
and there are a lot of less listeners to this
program who are loyal to Mulla's Shops, has this in
any way, shape or form changed your relationship with the
store with the supermarket. Coming back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray Boston's news radio regard.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Let's go to the phones. There's a broader question here,
and that is your loyalty is your top priority? There
are plenty of great supermarket chains in most of our
listening audiences. Again, they get a little more sparse as
you get into the more rural areas, but all across
(09:45):
the country there are great supermarket chains, but some are
better than others. And is your loyalty to the people
who operate those institutions, or is it is your loyalty
to the name and to the prices, irrespective of how
those individuals are treated. It's I think it's an interesting question.
(10:09):
I hope you do as well. Let me go that
first up to Matt. Matt love to know where you think.
I think I know where you're going to come down.
Tell us what you think?
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Well, you know, first off, listening to the last hour,
let me prelude by saying my heart with what my
answer will be after goes out to these two men.
I don't know the full story, but for anybody to
give that amount of time into a business and that
loyalty and to be treated in that sort of way,
(10:40):
it's horrible.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
That's my I.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Could agree with you more, Matt. I just think that
if this was someone who had worked there for six
months or you know, a couple of years, you'd say, well,
you know it's time to move on. But forty nine
years and thirty nine years, that's two lifetimes.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
It's it's something that I can't it's longer than I've
been alive by almost two thirds. I mean, I mean,
no one third excuse me, but you know, for me,
I think it's important to be loyal to any company,
especially these you know in New England you know more
(11:21):
of these local I don't know how far out market
Backet spreads, but you know you want to shop where
you know where where a company does well by their employees,
where they do go it well by their customers, where
they want your business.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
You know, market market Basket may have someone will know this.
I don't know that market Basket has any grocery stores
beyond eastern Massachusetts, but it's got about ninety stores. I
could probably look it up. But if somebody knows, they
may have a store in a store to in New Hampshire,
or a store to in Rhode Island, but that would
(11:58):
be the extent of it. I'll I'll figure it out here.
You go ahead and continue your comments.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Yeah, yeah, and you know what you said before, you know,
I had worked for you know, to be quite honant,
quite honest. They didn't do me very well, uh Wegmans,
and you know, but for only six months and just
you know, job things and being able to have corporate
overthrow you and have easily be replaced, Yeah, I was.
(12:29):
You know, I lost the job for a certain amount
of time as an auditor, so that's a different situation.
But for you know, forty nine years. I guess my
ultimate point is that I don't have a market basket
right close by to me, but I would say that
absolutely I would not want to shop there any longer,
(12:51):
given how these two gentlemen retreated. I think yesterday on
your after game show, I mentioned a different company who
don't I port my values, Ben and Jerry's, and I
wouldn't want to shop with them either anymore, although I
think they have great ice cream, different ideas and different stuff.
But it's horrible and I think people should stand by
the companies that treat them well.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
The customers.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Well, there's is many supermarkets out there, and there's many
shops out there. You should stand by the ones that
treat you well and their employees. Well, I really feel
for these guys, they really do.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Yeah, I do as well. I cannot see any market
Basket stores north of Massachusetts, and I don't know that
there are any market basket stores in Rhode Island. Again,
someone I'm sure is going to be better than me
is going to call on that one. But at least
(13:46):
as I look at this map of New England, it
doesn't appear to me that they're anywhere other than in Massachusetts.
But again, they're really they have been for you years
and years and years, a great a great company for people. Yeah,
it looks to me like it's all Massachusetts at this point.
(14:08):
Un list someone wants to contradict me. Matt, appreciate your
call as always you thank you much.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
I appreciate it, and I'll I'm very quickly dan by
saying one thing I always said. I don't know if
this is the right terminology, but in sports, as a
kid and I look up to a player, you always
remember where you come from and how you start out.
A company should always remember where they come from, who
their loyalty was, and how they got big or small.
You always stand loyal or you lose everything.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
That's just my career.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
We'll see what happens. Thanks, Matt, talk to you all right.
Let me get one more in here before we got
to go to break. I'm going to go to the
Bill in New York. Now, I don't think there's any
market baskets in New York, Bill, how are you fantastic?
Speaker 6 (14:50):
Dan?
Speaker 7 (14:50):
There are no market baskets here in New York. But
I grew up in the Fitzburg Glamas area, all right.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
And then you're an expert Downer, go ahead.
Speaker 7 (15:00):
I'm sorry, I'm gonna I'm gonna give you a little
little history. We shopped at demula Is because you got
more for your dollar, you know, with you know, a
blue collar family growing up with five kids. My my
parents shopped at market Basket. And when I was old
enough to get a job, I worked at the competition
(15:22):
at Victory Markets, which was owned by the DiGeronimo family
and uh interesting, and they sold out the Hannifords sold
out the Hannifords, and that's no longer there. But you
talk about allegiance. My my niece, she's twenty seven years old,
(15:42):
she got a job with Market Basket, when she was
in high school, went to college at a great university
in Connecticut, not Yukon, but it starts with a Q.
But when I.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Figured that one out pretty quickly Quinnipiac.
Speaker 7 (15:58):
Yeah, yeah, you say better than I do. She she
stayed working there after she got out of college, and
she's still there, and she is doing very very well
for herself, and she has nothing but great things to
say about the company. The two gentlemen that were just on,
(16:20):
mister Schmidt and mister Gordon. She's met him a few times,
and she's met rd Et at least a dozen times.
Comes into her store and she's a manager, not not
the store manager, but she's in management. She's done very
well for herself. And I'll tell you Dan, the work
(16:41):
ethic that she has learned there and the mentorship she
has had is none the best. She would not she
would not call in sick. If you know her friend
said hey, let's go to a concert and have a
great night and just calling sick the next day, she
would not do it. She's gone into work sick and
(17:03):
they send her home and she gets upset about it.
But my whole point is, what a great organization, not
just for the consumer, but for the way they manage
their people and hire within the company. Wow, it's something
(17:24):
to say when you know, I used to work for
a company that only hired within, so nobody could come
in from the outside and get the job I'm looking
for because I worked my butt off to get there.
You know. Yeah, same thing with market Basket, and I'll
tell you I get a lot of respect for the organization.
(17:47):
Sorry to hear what happened with with these gentlemen and
you know RDT, But I have to praise them because
my twenty seven year old niece is not like the
average twenty seven year old kid, and I am so
thankful that that they instilled a work ethic and a
(18:10):
drive to succeed in her life that she has stayed
with them and she continues to stay with him because
she loves the job and loves loves the opportunity that
she has for the next level.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Which, by the way, I just found one market Basket
in Nashua, so they are they at least have one
in New Hampshire, and they maybe have one or two
in Rhodao. And here's the second one in New Hampshire. Okay,
so a bad one. So as I'm talking to you.
They got it. They do have a footprint in New Hampshire.
Speaker 7 (18:41):
Uh yeah, I can tell you. They they asked my
niece to go help open up a market basket in Conway,
New Hampshire, and she says, oh, you know that's a
little ways away.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
But they got one in Maine. I'm looking at one here.
They got one in Maine. So they they they're in
at least three states. It's and and and probably Rhode
Island as well. So yeah, this they got a huge
They got a huge uh footprint in New Hampshire. So
I I stand correctly in.
Speaker 7 (19:11):
New England, in New England and it's and it could
get bigger if they stayed with what they were doing.
And now now they're trying to change. I think way
why they're trying to change is they're probably trying to
sell it to you know, the big box stores or.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Well yeah, yeah, sometimes they break it up. They have
a huge, uh you know footprint in New Hampshire.
Speaker 7 (19:36):
I yeah, I stay when you when you get the
circular and uh when I live back in Limitster, you
get the circular and it says, uh, you know they're
selling beer in there. These are only the New Hampshire stores.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely definitely New Hampshire and in
Maine as well. So I wish someone had called me
and that saved me the time. Hey, Bill, thanks so
much keeping keep calling the show. Okay, I appreciate your time.
Speaker 7 (20:11):
I appreciate your time. I appreciate what you do. Dan,
and we miss you while you were on vacation. Will
you had a great time, had a great time.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Got a couple of more weeks coming up at the
end of August, and then I'll be back for the
home stretch to the elections and probably to the to winter.
But yeah, I'm gonna got a couple of weeks at
the end of August. Gotta sometimes recharge. Okay, Thanks Bill,
talk to you soon.
Speaker 7 (20:30):
Absolutely, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Dan.
Speaker 7 (20:31):
Have a good night.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
All right, we're gonna keep rolling here. We got the
news at the bottom of the hour. That's fine. Six
the only line right now, six one seven lines will
lit up. I'm a happy camper. Let's keep rolling.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
That's exactly what we're talking about. So let's keep rolling.
Going to go to Marie and Methu and Marie you
are next to the night's side. Welk up. Actually my mistake.
I hit Barbara and Rocklan. So we'll go to Barbara
and we'll come ToxT. Go ahead, Barbara, Hey.
Speaker 8 (21:02):
Dan, Yeah, you already figured out figured it out, you
were You were faster than I could call in. But
my son lives in New my son lives in Nashauwa,
New Hampshire, and there is a market Basket up in Nashua,
and that was actually a selling point when he was
looking to move to New Hampshire, when he found out
there was a market basket in the community that made
(21:23):
it more attractive.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Well, they also had at least I saw at least
one store in Maine, and they maybe one or two
in Rhode Island, so they have a really they had
a big footprint. And so I wonder I'm still trying
to find out if people are going to stick with
it no matter who runs the show, or whether they
might stand on principle as they did in twenty fourteen.
(21:47):
What's your guess?
Speaker 8 (21:49):
I think right now, especially with this economy, it's really
going to matter. I mean, I go to market Basket
because the prices are better than at other food stores
in the area. Sure, And because their produce and their
meat are better than other food stores in the area.
(22:09):
So if I can get a better quality product for
a better price, that's where I'm going to go. But again,
I always want to be able to support the workers too.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yeah. Well, in this case, it's the really the management
team you're supporting. It's not there, right. The workers I
think are fairly happy.
Speaker 8 (22:28):
But it's hopefully safe.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Yeah. Absolutely, Yeah, talk about you talk about with the economy.
I know the economy is, but this mind, what are
you paying for gas these days?
Speaker 8 (22:44):
Gas? Gas isn't awful, it's what gas is not awful.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
No, it's it's going to be it's going to be
under I can't get it under three dollars.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
Okay, so do I?
Speaker 2 (22:56):
So do? I easy that that that that location, that
price location in a long time, and that's going to
affect everything. That's why inflation is under control at this point.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
Sure, because but food, I'm still saying that food is
more expensive, especially if you tend to eat more healthy
foods and you tend to eat more foods that are
not out of a box.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Yeah. I hear you on that one. But at the
same time, I'll tell you what else is more expensive.
There's a lot of the companies that you brought their
prices up during COVID and they haven't taken their prices
down correct the point in time. Kept Pepperidge Farm crackers, Okay,
(23:46):
they are still where they were in COVID levels. And
I love Pepperidge Farm, but guess what, I ain't buying
Peppridge Farm.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
Right right now.
Speaker 8 (23:55):
There's there's definitely some sketchy things going on with price to.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Charge what they could charge ten dollars if people will buy,
let me charge ten dollars. But I'm not going to join.
I'm not going to join that parade. It's as simple
as that. I mean, plenty of other arts.
Speaker 8 (24:10):
But I think as far as quality, I mean I
have several different food stores around me, and I get
the best quality with produce and meats for the best
value at market basket.
Speaker 5 (24:23):
Well I can.
Speaker 8 (24:25):
In New Hampshire.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
I can't disagree with that at all, Barbara. And now
I'm going to go to Marie and I'm going to
get going to in the Thune and get it right.
Thanks Barbara too soon. Have a great say how do
you send for us? Good night? Let me go to Marie, Marie,
I meant to go to you before and I missed.
We got you.
Speaker 9 (24:42):
Now, go ahead, Marie, Hi, Dan, Yes this is a
first time caller, and okay, I gotta give your.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Run and applause. We love our first time callers, We
love our regular callers, We love all our callers. Go ahead.
Speaker 9 (24:55):
Yeah. Well I usually only listen late at night, but
I'm just because I have been a Market Basket Demulis
customer since I was a young kid. We grew up
in Lawrence and the Demulises, of course, started in Lowell
and then they went to Lawrence and it was the
only supermarket really that was around. We used to have
(25:18):
a Finest and that went out of business. Stopping shop
went out of business, and as Market Basket has grown
in the Merrimack Valley here, it's pretty much the only.
Speaker 5 (25:28):
Store we have.
Speaker 9 (25:29):
Like I do not have like a Shaw's. I have
to go to New Hampshire to get a Shaw's. Just
to stop in shop I can get. We have one
fairly close, but not it's a good one.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
You're going to have one.
Speaker 7 (25:43):
It's a good one to have, you say, yes, it is.
Speaker 9 (25:47):
It's it's the best. You can't go wrong. With it,
and you know, like they other lady just said, the
price is are good. You can't beat them. They have
been going up. I mean, you know, like everybody else
but produce and their prices they keep them really very
very competitive compared to anybody else. But again talking New Hampshire,
(26:08):
and that was what prompted me to call you. Now,
I live on the border. I live at Thorn, which
we bordered Salem, New Hampshire. Salem, New Hampshire has three
stores within a mile of each other. They have a
giant new superstore, they have a good size of original store,
and then a small store and they are always all
three of them are busy, busy, busy. So it's just
(26:31):
it's crazy how busy they are. But yeah, they are
in Maine. I don't know if they have two stores
now in Main but they've been in mein for about
five or six years now. Yeah, and I have a
liquor store up there too, because they've branched out. They
have liquor stores and a few of their businesses now.
(26:52):
So they, you know, in New Hampshire, like I said,
they're up in like she just said, Conway, they're up
in the area.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
There are a whole bunch of places in New Hampshire
looked in.
Speaker 9 (27:05):
New Hampshire at least. Yeah, they're in anything in the
Merrimack Valley pretty much. For most people in the Merrimack Valley,
they're the only store we have because they've pretty much
put everybody else out of the competition. You know, you
know the chain stores that are national, they just can't
compete with them. And it was the culture of author
author t not uthor s. Who's the one that got
(27:28):
out that could.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
It took me a while to work out work through
that confusion as well. Hey, ma, I gotta get I
gotta I got packed lines, which I love. Thank you
for calling. I look forward to calling your second call.
Speaker 9 (27:43):
Okay, all right, thank you, Havn.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
It's fund the way in.
Speaker 5 (27:47):
Goodnight, Thanks very much, Bye bye.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
We're going to go next. Okay, let's go up to
New Hampshire. Bernie's calling from New Hampshire and he's going
to remind us that, yeah, they got it a dozen
market baskets up there. Hey, Bernie, how are you?
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (28:00):
How are we doing tonight?
Speaker 2 (28:01):
There? I think we're doing fine. What's on your mind?
Speaker 6 (28:05):
Yeah, there's at least fifteen of them in New Hampshire
at least. Wow, that's quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
I did not realize that, and I was trying to
figure it out by looking at a map and I
finally found a good map that I was able to
get to that and it's it's look, it's a tribute
to what Arthur T. Debullis has been able to accomplish
and the people he worked with him.
Speaker 7 (28:30):
And that's what I was.
Speaker 6 (28:30):
Going to comment on.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
You know, he.
Speaker 6 (28:33):
When I went the help of other people, he came
up with a good business model. Yeah, and he brought
up to fruition and it succeeded. And now they're trying
to get away from that. And just just hearing that
show last night and the one a few weeks ago,
it's deplorable. You know what, I grew up with not
(28:54):
a lot of money, and I watched what I do.
I work very high for my money. I do well.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
My wife.
Speaker 6 (28:59):
We do help me my wife and I you know
what I stand on principal I always have. I believe
that if you don't have principles, you don't have anything.
You know, character is built for adversity, you know, it's developed.
You're not just bond with character. And I and after
hearing these stories, then I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I just
(29:22):
cannot frequent that story.
Speaker 7 (29:25):
That's that's just my opinion.
Speaker 6 (29:26):
And that's my that's my beliefs. That's what I'm gonna go.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
With, Bertie. Uh. We may be related because you just
articulated what I believe in. And I think that sometimes
sometimes I'm willing to walk into another store and pay
a little bit more money. Uh if I'm more comfortable
with the culture, simple as that, and I want to
(29:51):
be respected as a customer. Uh, don't take me for granted.
And and if I start to sense that, then my
days at market Basket will be fewer and fewer as
we go along, if you get my drift. I was
very impressed by the two gentlemen who I talked to
tonight and who I talked to uh nine nights ago,
(30:12):
Joe Schmidt nine nights ago, Joe Schmidt and Tom Gordon,
and they knew what they were doing. Uh. And for
them to end up being terminated after a total of
eighty nine years between the two of them working for
market Basket, you don't.
Speaker 6 (30:30):
Want to know what, Dan. I'm a passionate man, and
everything I have I too onto everything I do, I
do it my pleasures, A bill us nothing. I believe
that you have to give all of your efforts to
get what you need. And them people, them are two gentlemen. Them,
two gentlemen put their whole lives into that, and it's
a shame. And some people that's how it ends up.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
And some people blowing the door. They're just there, you know,
a month, two months, three months, and they're making those decisions.
That's not right, not right in a way, in the
way it's been handled. And I have a right to
say that, and they can't fire me, so we'll see.
Speaker 6 (31:09):
But I would say then, I hope you had a
good vacation and happy birthday month, and I'll talk to
you soon.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Right back at you, Bernie, say, how do your son formus?
Speaker 6 (31:18):
Okay, I will thanks you, talk to you soon.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
We take a break. It is exactly eleven forty five.
My name's Dan Ray. This is Nightside. Had a good
night tonight. Let's keep it rolling. We're talking about loyalty
to market Basket. You your loyalty as a consumer, as
a customer, the loyalty of Joe Schmidt and Tom Gordon,
who served that company for eighty nine years, eighty nine
(31:43):
years combined. I mean one was there for thirty nine
and one for forty nine. Do the math, it's eighty nine.
Trust me on that. I'm double check the number.
Speaker 6 (31:51):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
And what does it say? Will you stay or will
you go? Coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
You're on night Side with Dan Boston's news radio Cape Rowling.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Here as we head towards the midnight hour. Who do
we get next? Here? Okay, we got Kathy in Somerville. Kathy,
you were next on isigh? Welcome?
Speaker 5 (32:13):
Hi Dan?
Speaker 2 (32:14):
How are you good on all of this? Uh?
Speaker 5 (32:18):
This is hot.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (32:20):
I was calling to let you know about the stores.
They do have three, two in Maine right now. Okay,
they opened they opened one in Biddeford about ten years ago,
right before the last are issue, and then they just
opened one a couple of years ago in Westbrook, and
(32:41):
they're working on a third one in Scarborough, So Scarborough,
South Portland.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
So so it is it is now in New England
grocer grocery chain. Yeah, yeah, no longer just Massachusetts.
Speaker 5 (32:55):
Right And there's a ton of them in New Hampshire,
counted about fifteen. So yeah, and they're close. They're like
there's like that lady said. There's three of them and
sale them and they're not far from each other, and
(33:15):
they're always packed. They're always packed.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
But they move quickly. They have plenty of the one
I go to in Wallfam plenty of registered. There's got
to be twenty lines the store I go to, Shaws
that I go to, maybe there's two lines with cashiers
and the rest of are all automatic checkout machines, which
I don't.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
Yeah, I always fine. When I go to Shaws or
stop and shop, you're almost forced to use the self
checkout because you'd be in line for hours.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
There's only one.
Speaker 5 (33:49):
Or two lines with people in them.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Absolutely, you've hit that one right of the head.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
I don't want to see that that happened there, because
that's the best part. The registers are always every register
is open, you know, with a bagger and a cashire.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (34:09):
So it's the way it's It's just the way it's
supposed to be, Kathy.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
I love your calls. Call more often. I got a
three more. I'm going to try to get to here,
but gee, just keep keep calling this program. I need
your voice.
Speaker 5 (34:22):
Okay, okay, thank you have a good one.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
You too, Kathy, appreciate your loyalty. Thanks so much.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
Bye bye, bye bye.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Let's keep rolling here. We're going to go to next. Oh,
I got Paul in Dorchester. We got Tim and Wooburn
and Marie and Attenborough coming up. I'm going to get
them all in Paul in Dorchester next on nights.
Speaker 4 (34:39):
I go ahead, Paul, Hi, good evening, Sir. I was
doing a little bit of research, and it seems that
a Fat did a great job and growing the business
from one point five billion to approximately three point five
billion dollar business.
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Well, by the way, they told one of the executives
who were year said it is now an eight billion
dollar business.
Speaker 4 (35:03):
So and I also researched that the three hundred million
dollars profit that goes to the nine family members generates
approximately forty million dollars for each of those three. I
don't want to call them evil stepsisters, but they seem
(35:25):
like they're being wicked because apparently forty million dollars each
a year isn't enough for them when there is approximately
a I don't know if this is rumored or not,
but forty billion dollars is being offered by the big
box stores to buy the whole franchise and if they
can grab forty billion, I think that's what's made Benjamin
(35:49):
Franklin say one never knows a person until they share
an inheritance with them.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
And that's a good life. Heard that one before, that's
a good line.
Speaker 4 (36:02):
And and you know they and this money is the
root of all evil, and it's it's a shame that
they can't be content with the forty million that I mean,
that's that's more than any normal person can spending in
a year, and that keeps coming in. I don't know
what aspirations they have at their age, and they're no
spring chickens.
Speaker 6 (36:21):
I gotta say it.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
Would it would take you and me a couple of
years to spend forty million, don't don't you think, Paul.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
I'd have to be very creative. I don't know what
kind of I mean, I could you know? And how
much you know you can only eat one steak at
a time. I don't know you can only you can
only Paul.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
I gotta let you run because they got others in
line here. You made some great points. I'm so glad
you called, and we'll talk again.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
Fair enough, yes, sir, God bless and uh I hope
that comes up with the money to buy them out.
But he's only got five hundred million dollars so far
set aside.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
From well, I'm sure he'll I'm sure he'll figure or
try to figure something out. Let me that.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
For the Okay, Dan, good night, take it easy.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Let me go to Maria and Attleborough and then we
got Tim and woman.
Speaker 6 (37:10):
Go ahead, Marie, Hi, Dan, how are you?
Speaker 8 (37:15):
I want to tell you.
Speaker 10 (37:17):
I want to tell you that I will not go
into market Basket again.
Speaker 4 (37:23):
Uh.
Speaker 10 (37:23):
The gentleman that called earlier about his niece or something
working for them, the two men that got fired, they
were devoted like that, and they were treated with royalty.
I'm sure at one point or another. But I can't
believe they're doing this. And even though I have a
sixty dollars gift card, I will not go into market
Basket at all.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
Well, hopefully you can. They can get it resolved so
you can take it your gift card as well. But
but right, you have integrity, and that's important. You have
integrity something.
Speaker 10 (37:57):
And I will tell you this. Oh, I forgot the
name of the store, but I love this store sim Foxborough,
and I can't think of the name of it. They're
all over. Their prices are very good. And I found
out there were two in Rhode Island, in Warwick. And
(38:17):
of the other store, I forgot where you're.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Talking about two market basket stores. Yes, okay, well so
now we know they're in Maine, New Hampshire obviously in
Massachusetts based company in Rhode Island. Good research, Marie. That's great.
Speaker 10 (38:33):
All right, Dan, you have a great night.
Speaker 8 (38:35):
God bless you.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
Bye bye, right back at you. Thanks so much for calling.
I really enjoyed talking.
Speaker 5 (38:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
All right, let's keep you going here. We got one
more left and one of the best of the night
will be Tim and Wilburn. Tim, welcome back.
Speaker 7 (38:48):
How are you good?
Speaker 11 (38:53):
I go to one in Settlement that's for New Asia
and uh really once a week and I got thing,
no taxes.
Speaker 7 (39:02):
I know.
Speaker 11 (39:02):
The store is like the back of my hands. There's
always a cat here and a bag. Then you know
they're all devoted work.
Speaker 6 (39:09):
It's all them.
Speaker 7 (39:11):
Yeah, it's the shame.
Speaker 11 (39:12):
That's happened to op the key. But money changes everything everything.
I can't get their hands on another of it. And
you know, uh, but Macka the last came. I remember
the first national.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
Oh sure that goes back. Yeah, yeah, A and P
and first national Yeah, but there first.
Speaker 11 (39:30):
Nation specific key company.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
Yep, that's true. Yeah.
Speaker 11 (39:33):
My mother, my mother used to go to the wine wolving, right,
we used to go there and in those days they
used to put the food in a little basket and
come out on the rollers and uh and I have them.
The bags would be in the rollers coming out right
to the car.
Speaker 7 (39:50):
And the guy would put the bag.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
Hey, Tim, I hate to do this to you, but
but you were a little late. But I got you
in and now I got to run and we'll talk again. Okay,
all right, I'll see you there. Okay, Thanks him, have
a good one. Good night, we're done. Rob, great job, Marita,
great job. All dogs, all cats, all pets go to heaven.
That's why Pale Charlie Rays who passed fifteen years ago
(40:14):
in February. That's all your pets are who passed. They
loved you and you love them. I do believe you'll
see them again. We'll see again tomorrow. Have a great Thursday, everybody,
and I'll be on Facebook in just a couple of minutes.
A night's side with Dan Ray. Have a great Thursday, everyone.
Good night for Dan Ray,
It's Nightside with Dan Ray. I'm telling you Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
We like to just mention one more time that we
have a new way for you to be a part
of the Nightside broadcast. Look, we love you calling the program.
That's no question. That's what you got to do. As
far as we're concerned, we always want you to be
in touch with the program, simple as that's that's what
we like. But you also can utilize a new talkback
(00:31):
feature on the iHeartRadio app. You can do a lot
with this. Make sure you download the app and have
the free iHeartRadio app on while listening to Nightside Live
on WBS News Radio, you can tap the red microphone
talk back button in the top right corner to send
us your personalized audio message. Keep it clean now, okay,
and then we very well may play it back on Nightside.
(00:53):
It's that simple. Once again, hit the red microphone button
in the top right corner of the app while listening
to Nightside and send us your audio mess. It has
to be within thirty seconds, okay. You can get your
thoughts together thirty seconds. And you can be critical, you
can be complementary, you can be constructively critical, whatever you want. Okay,
just you know, make sure you realize it's still family
(01:14):
Radio and you can make whatever comment you want. It's
kind of another way to do a little bit of
open lines. We get some information and some input from
you that we wouldn't ordinarily get. I know a lot
of you send me text messages, and you send me emails,
and I got to be honest with I'm so overwhelmed
the amount of texts and emails and things like that
(01:35):
that I get. I kind of answer them all I try,
but every time I'm sitting there typing in answer to
a question, it's tough. It's just tough. Okay. So this
is just a way to get the communications going a
little bit better on the new and improved iheartm all right.
I would like to stay with and I'm going to
(01:56):
gamble here a little bit with the Demula story. I
don't know what percentage of my audience are Demolish shoppers.
I think there's a lot of you out there who
like Demullis. Like it because of how it's conducted itself
over the years, and I think all of you know
the story to Demulis. And again in the last hour
(02:17):
you listen to us talk with two men, men of
conviction to be honest with you and men of integrity
Joe Schmidt, director of operations and Tom Gordon, director of
grocery Operations. These guys have worked eighty eight years for
this grocery chain, Demulis. They're about ninety stores. These gentlemen
(02:39):
have basically both completed at career and they were very
close to the fellow who ran the program, Arthur Demulis,
Arthur T. Demulis, and this store had a big commotion
back in twenty fourteen and was kicked out and then
(03:01):
he came back, and that was primarily customers saying we're
not going to shop there until they bring Arthur back.
And it was an amazing story. I remember it well
because I was doing talk radio at the time. I
don't know if this is here. You not only have
Arthur T who's been shown the door, but in addition
(03:22):
you have the two gentlemen who we had on the
show last hour who have been really pretty unceremoniously shown
the door, Joe Smith and Tom Gordon. You listen to them,
you heard them. They knew when they did our show
nine days ago Monday night the fourteenth, at nine o'clock
(03:47):
they knew that they probably were going to put themselves
in trouble with the new management team. They said nothing,
in my opinion, inappropriate on our show. There was an
effort in the press release that the new management team
had put out in which they alluded to some statements
(04:13):
that had been made in the show. But I think
it was well within their rights of free speech. And
here's my position on this legally, and I'd love to
know what you think about it. If they had and
into a good faith negotiation with them for the end
of their careers with the severance package, the company would
(04:35):
have been well within its rights to say, look, we've
given you a generous severance package, we want you to
sign a non disclosure agreement and also a non public
statement agreement that anything that you would say as you
finished your career and you've enjoyed working for Market Basketball
these years, and it would have been tied and wrapped
(04:57):
up with a nice pretty bolt. That's not what happened.
They were suspended with pay, as I understand it. But
when you take someone who's been going to work for
thirty nine straight years or for forty nine straight years
and you suspend them with pay, that's a big insult,
(05:20):
and so they did my radio show on July fourteenth,
they did interviews I know with the Globe because those
were quoted, and the powers that be decided that that
was a bridge too far and they decided to terminate
them in effect for cause. Now, the cause that they
(05:44):
terminated them for, I don't know that that's going to
stand up in court, because they in effect, by going
on my radio show and by talking to the Globe,
they exercised their First Amendment rights. Now I know that
there's no government agency involved in here. I don't think
you give up your First Amendment rights by virtue of
(06:04):
the fact that you have been suspended from a company.
And this will get This will end up in litigation.
And my belief is that ultimately the Demulis Supermarkets, if
they don't take these guys back, will have to into
a fairly generous settlement. I don't know what the future holds.
(06:28):
I don't know if the customers are going back. I'd
like to just take a few phone calls here if
you'd like. If you are truly a Demuli's customer, whether
you go there every week, a couple of times a week,
or whether you go there once a month or so
to start up on some of the items that you
(06:49):
can see. You know when I say the items that
you can save two or three dollars on laundry detergent,
dishwashing detergent, paper, paper goods, paper towels, toilet paper, et cetera. Uh.
Up until now, the prices at Demulis at market Basket
have been better. Uh. And I find have found myself
(07:09):
driving to Walfam to that Demulish supermarket. But I just
want to open up the phone lines real quickly. And
if this doesn't impact you and you don't care about
Joe Schmidt or Tom Gordon h and maybe you never
(07:31):
met them, Okay, that's fine. I'd like to hear that.
I'd like to hear you tell me that if you
are a Demulis shopper, and if conversely, this has left
a bad taste in your mouth, and I can understand that,
I'd like to hear you explain that to me. Uh.
(07:51):
And because we can chop kind of take a little
bit of uh not a pole, but a little bit
of a pulse to see if shoppers still feel not
only a loyalty to the good prices and the quality
of the food, which I think Demolis is good at
(08:14):
and has been good at. But do they have a
loyalty to the people who built the company, including Arthur T.
Demulis so go to open up real quickly. Uh, if
you're a Demula shopper, I want to know does this
impact you or or if maybe you haven't heard about it.
But I assume most of you have heard about it
by now, So let's we'll take a gamble. Let's roll
(08:35):
the dice rob six one seven, two, five, four ten thirty,
six one seven, nine three one ten thirty. My name
is Dan Ray. This is Nightside. If you don't want
to talk about that, that is your choice. We can
We'll find another a different topic to talk about. But
in the meantime, let's light the lines up. Six one seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
(08:56):
What I'm trying to find out is amongst the Demulus shoppers,
and there are a lot of less listeners to this
program who are loyal to Mulla's Shops, has this in
any way, shape or form changed your relationship with the
store with the supermarket. Coming back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray Boston's news radio regard.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Let's go to the phones. There's a broader question here,
and that is your loyalty is your top priority? There
are plenty of great supermarket chains in most of our
listening audiences. Again, they get a little more sparse as
you get into the more rural areas, but all across
(09:45):
the country there are great supermarket chains, but some are
better than others. And is your loyalty to the people
who operate those institutions, or is it is your loyalty
to the name and to the prices, irrespective of how
those individuals are treated. It's I think it's an interesting question.
(10:09):
I hope you do as well. Let me go that
first up to Matt. Matt love to know where you think.
I think I know where you're going to come down.
Tell us what you think?
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Well, you know, first off, listening to the last hour,
let me prelude by saying my heart with what my
answer will be after goes out to these two men.
I don't know the full story, but for anybody to
give that amount of time into a business and that
loyalty and to be treated in that sort of way,
(10:40):
it's horrible.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
That's my I.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Could agree with you more, Matt. I just think that
if this was someone who had worked there for six
months or you know, a couple of years, you'd say, well,
you know it's time to move on. But forty nine
years and thirty nine years, that's two lifetimes.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
It's it's something that I can't it's longer than I've
been alive by almost two thirds. I mean, I mean,
no one third excuse me, but you know, for me,
I think it's important to be loyal to any company,
especially these you know in New England you know more
(11:21):
of these local I don't know how far out market
Backet spreads, but you know you want to shop where
you know where where a company does well by their employees,
where they do go it well by their customers, where
they want your business.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
You know, market market Basket may have someone will know this.
I don't know that market Basket has any grocery stores
beyond eastern Massachusetts, but it's got about ninety stores. I
could probably look it up. But if somebody knows, they
may have a store in a store to in New Hampshire,
or a store to in Rhode Island, but that would
(11:58):
be the extent of it. I'll I'll figure it out here.
You go ahead and continue your comments.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Yeah, yeah, and you know what you said before, you know,
I had worked for you know, to be quite honant,
quite honest. They didn't do me very well, uh Wegmans,
and you know, but for only six months and just
you know, job things and being able to have corporate
overthrow you and have easily be replaced, Yeah, I was.
(12:29):
You know, I lost the job for a certain amount
of time as an auditor, so that's a different situation.
But for you know, forty nine years. I guess my
ultimate point is that I don't have a market basket
right close by to me, but I would say that
absolutely I would not want to shop there any longer,
(12:51):
given how these two gentlemen retreated. I think yesterday on
your after game show, I mentioned a different company who
don't I port my values, Ben and Jerry's, and I
wouldn't want to shop with them either anymore, although I
think they have great ice cream, different ideas and different stuff.
But it's horrible and I think people should stand by
the companies that treat them well.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
The customers.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Well, there's is many supermarkets out there, and there's many
shops out there. You should stand by the ones that
treat you well and their employees. Well, I really feel
for these guys, they really do.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Yeah, I do as well. I cannot see any market
Basket stores north of Massachusetts, and I don't know that
there are any market basket stores in Rhode Island. Again,
someone I'm sure is going to be better than me
is going to call on that one. But at least
(13:46):
as I look at this map of New England, it
doesn't appear to me that they're anywhere other than in Massachusetts.
But again, they're really they have been for you years
and years and years, a great a great company for people. Yeah,
it looks to me like it's all Massachusetts at this point.
(14:08):
Un list someone wants to contradict me. Matt, appreciate your
call as always you thank you much.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
I appreciate it, and I'll I'm very quickly dan by
saying one thing I always said. I don't know if
this is the right terminology, but in sports, as a
kid and I look up to a player, you always
remember where you come from and how you start out.
A company should always remember where they come from, who
their loyalty was, and how they got big or small.
You always stand loyal or you lose everything.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
That's just my career.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
We'll see what happens. Thanks, Matt, talk to you all right.
Let me get one more in here before we got
to go to break. I'm going to go to the
Bill in New York. Now, I don't think there's any
market baskets in New York, Bill, how are you fantastic?
Speaker 6 (14:50):
Dan?
Speaker 7 (14:50):
There are no market baskets here in New York. But
I grew up in the Fitzburg Glamas area, all right.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
And then you're an expert Downer, go ahead.
Speaker 7 (15:00):
I'm sorry, I'm gonna I'm gonna give you a little
little history. We shopped at demula Is because you got
more for your dollar, you know, with you know, a
blue collar family growing up with five kids. My my
parents shopped at market Basket. And when I was old
enough to get a job, I worked at the competition
(15:22):
at Victory Markets, which was owned by the DiGeronimo family
and uh interesting, and they sold out the Hannifords sold
out the Hannifords, and that's no longer there. But you
talk about allegiance. My my niece, she's twenty seven years old,
(15:42):
she got a job with Market Basket, when she was
in high school, went to college at a great university
in Connecticut, not Yukon, but it starts with a Q.
But when I.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Figured that one out pretty quickly Quinnipiac.
Speaker 7 (15:58):
Yeah, yeah, you say better than I do. She she
stayed working there after she got out of college, and
she's still there, and she is doing very very well
for herself, and she has nothing but great things to
say about the company. The two gentlemen that were just on,
(16:20):
mister Schmidt and mister Gordon. She's met him a few times,
and she's met rd Et at least a dozen times.
Comes into her store and she's a manager, not not
the store manager, but she's in management. She's done very
well for herself. And I'll tell you Dan, the work
(16:41):
ethic that she has learned there and the mentorship she
has had is none the best. She would not she
would not call in sick. If you know her friend
said hey, let's go to a concert and have a
great night and just calling sick the next day, she
would not do it. She's gone into work sick and
(17:03):
they send her home and she gets upset about it.
But my whole point is, what a great organization, not
just for the consumer, but for the way they manage
their people and hire within the company. Wow, it's something
(17:24):
to say when you know, I used to work for
a company that only hired within, so nobody could come
in from the outside and get the job I'm looking
for because I worked my butt off to get there.
You know. Yeah, same thing with market Basket, and I'll
tell you I get a lot of respect for the organization.
(17:47):
Sorry to hear what happened with with these gentlemen and
you know RDT, But I have to praise them because
my twenty seven year old niece is not like the
average twenty seven year old kid, and I am so
thankful that that they instilled a work ethic and a
(18:10):
drive to succeed in her life that she has stayed
with them and she continues to stay with him because
she loves the job and loves loves the opportunity that
she has for the next level.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Which, by the way, I just found one market Basket
in Nashua, so they are they at least have one
in New Hampshire, and they maybe have one or two
in Rhodao. And here's the second one in New Hampshire. Okay,
so a bad one. So as I'm talking to you.
They got it. They do have a footprint in New Hampshire.
Speaker 7 (18:41):
Uh yeah, I can tell you. They they asked my
niece to go help open up a market basket in Conway,
New Hampshire, and she says, oh, you know that's a
little ways away.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
But they got one in Maine. I'm looking at one here.
They got one in Maine. So they they they're in
at least three states. It's and and and probably Rhode
Island as well. So yeah, this they got a huge
They got a huge uh footprint in New Hampshire. So
I I stand correctly in.
Speaker 7 (19:11):
New England, in New England and it's and it could
get bigger if they stayed with what they were doing.
And now now they're trying to change. I think way
why they're trying to change is they're probably trying to
sell it to you know, the big box stores or.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Well yeah, yeah, sometimes they break it up. They have
a huge, uh you know footprint in New Hampshire.
Speaker 7 (19:36):
I yeah, I stay when you when you get the
circular and uh when I live back in Limitster, you
get the circular and it says, uh, you know they're
selling beer in there. These are only the New Hampshire stores.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely definitely New Hampshire and in
Maine as well. So I wish someone had called me
and that saved me the time. Hey, Bill, thanks so
much keeping keep calling the show. Okay, I appreciate your time.
Speaker 7 (20:11):
I appreciate your time. I appreciate what you do. Dan,
and we miss you while you were on vacation. Will
you had a great time, had a great time.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Got a couple of more weeks coming up at the
end of August, and then I'll be back for the
home stretch to the elections and probably to the to winter.
But yeah, I'm gonna got a couple of weeks at
the end of August. Gotta sometimes recharge. Okay, Thanks Bill,
talk to you soon.
Speaker 7 (20:30):
Absolutely, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Dan.
Speaker 7 (20:31):
Have a good night.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
All right, we're gonna keep rolling here. We got the
news at the bottom of the hour. That's fine. Six
the only line right now, six one seven lines will
lit up. I'm a happy camper. Let's keep rolling.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
That's exactly what we're talking about. So let's keep rolling.
Going to go to Marie and Methu and Marie you
are next to the night's side. Welk up. Actually my mistake.
I hit Barbara and Rocklan. So we'll go to Barbara
and we'll come ToxT. Go ahead, Barbara, Hey.
Speaker 8 (21:02):
Dan, Yeah, you already figured out figured it out, you
were You were faster than I could call in. But
my son lives in New my son lives in Nashauwa,
New Hampshire, and there is a market Basket up in Nashua,
and that was actually a selling point when he was
looking to move to New Hampshire, when he found out
there was a market basket in the community that made
(21:23):
it more attractive.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Well, they also had at least I saw at least
one store in Maine, and they maybe one or two
in Rhode Island, so they have a really they had
a big footprint. And so I wonder I'm still trying
to find out if people are going to stick with
it no matter who runs the show, or whether they
might stand on principle as they did in twenty fourteen.
(21:47):
What's your guess?
Speaker 8 (21:49):
I think right now, especially with this economy, it's really
going to matter. I mean, I go to market Basket
because the prices are better than at other food stores
in the area. Sure, And because their produce and their
meat are better than other food stores in the area.
(22:09):
So if I can get a better quality product for
a better price, that's where I'm going to go. But again,
I always want to be able to support the workers too.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yeah. Well, in this case, it's the really the management
team you're supporting. It's not there, right. The workers I
think are fairly happy.
Speaker 8 (22:28):
But it's hopefully safe.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Yeah. Absolutely, Yeah, talk about you talk about with the economy.
I know the economy is, but this mind, what are
you paying for gas these days?
Speaker 8 (22:44):
Gas? Gas isn't awful, it's what gas is not awful.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
No, it's it's going to be it's going to be
under I can't get it under three dollars.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
Okay, so do I?
Speaker 2 (22:56):
So do? I easy that that that that location, that
price location in a long time, and that's going to
affect everything. That's why inflation is under control at this point.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
Sure, because but food, I'm still saying that food is
more expensive, especially if you tend to eat more healthy
foods and you tend to eat more foods that are
not out of a box.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Yeah. I hear you on that one. But at the
same time, I'll tell you what else is more expensive.
There's a lot of the companies that you brought their
prices up during COVID and they haven't taken their prices
down correct the point in time. Kept Pepperidge Farm crackers, Okay,
(23:46):
they are still where they were in COVID levels. And
I love Pepperidge Farm, but guess what, I ain't buying
Peppridge Farm.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
Right right now.
Speaker 8 (23:55):
There's there's definitely some sketchy things going on with price to.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Charge what they could charge ten dollars if people will buy,
let me charge ten dollars. But I'm not going to join.
I'm not going to join that parade. It's as simple
as that. I mean, plenty of other arts.
Speaker 8 (24:10):
But I think as far as quality, I mean I
have several different food stores around me, and I get
the best quality with produce and meats for the best
value at market basket.
Speaker 5 (24:23):
Well I can.
Speaker 8 (24:25):
In New Hampshire.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
I can't disagree with that at all, Barbara. And now
I'm going to go to Marie and I'm going to
get going to in the Thune and get it right.
Thanks Barbara too soon. Have a great say how do
you send for us? Good night? Let me go to Marie, Marie,
I meant to go to you before and I missed.
We got you.
Speaker 9 (24:42):
Now, go ahead, Marie, Hi, Dan, Yes this is a
first time caller, and okay, I gotta give your.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Run and applause. We love our first time callers, We
love our regular callers, We love all our callers. Go ahead.
Speaker 9 (24:55):
Yeah. Well I usually only listen late at night, but
I'm just because I have been a Market Basket Demulis
customer since I was a young kid. We grew up
in Lawrence and the Demulises, of course, started in Lowell
and then they went to Lawrence and it was the
only supermarket really that was around. We used to have
(25:18):
a Finest and that went out of business. Stopping shop
went out of business, and as Market Basket has grown
in the Merrimack Valley here, it's pretty much the only.
Speaker 5 (25:28):
Store we have.
Speaker 9 (25:29):
Like I do not have like a Shaw's. I have
to go to New Hampshire to get a Shaw's. Just
to stop in shop I can get. We have one
fairly close, but not it's a good one.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
You're going to have one.
Speaker 7 (25:43):
It's a good one to have, you say, yes, it is.
Speaker 9 (25:47):
It's it's the best. You can't go wrong. With it,
and you know, like they other lady just said, the
price is are good. You can't beat them. They have
been going up. I mean, you know, like everybody else
but produce and their prices they keep them really very
very competitive compared to anybody else. But again talking New Hampshire,
(26:08):
and that was what prompted me to call you. Now,
I live on the border. I live at Thorn, which
we bordered Salem, New Hampshire. Salem, New Hampshire has three
stores within a mile of each other. They have a
giant new superstore, they have a good size of original store,
and then a small store and they are always all
three of them are busy, busy, busy. So it's just
(26:31):
it's crazy how busy they are. But yeah, they are
in Maine. I don't know if they have two stores
now in Main but they've been in mein for about
five or six years now. Yeah, and I have a
liquor store up there too, because they've branched out. They
have liquor stores and a few of their businesses now.
(26:52):
So they, you know, in New Hampshire, like I said,
they're up in like she just said, Conway, they're up
in the area.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
There are a whole bunch of places in New Hampshire
looked in.
Speaker 9 (27:05):
New Hampshire at least. Yeah, they're in anything in the
Merrimack Valley pretty much. For most people in the Merrimack Valley,
they're the only store we have because they've pretty much
put everybody else out of the competition. You know, you
know the chain stores that are national, they just can't
compete with them. And it was the culture of author
author t not uthor s. Who's the one that got
(27:28):
out that could.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
It took me a while to work out work through
that confusion as well. Hey, ma, I gotta get I
gotta I got packed lines, which I love. Thank you
for calling. I look forward to calling your second call.
Speaker 9 (27:43):
Okay, all right, thank you, Havn.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
It's fund the way in.
Speaker 5 (27:47):
Goodnight, Thanks very much, Bye bye.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
We're going to go next. Okay, let's go up to
New Hampshire. Bernie's calling from New Hampshire and he's going
to remind us that, yeah, they got it a dozen
market baskets up there. Hey, Bernie, how are you?
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (28:00):
How are we doing tonight?
Speaker 2 (28:01):
There? I think we're doing fine. What's on your mind?
Speaker 6 (28:05):
Yeah, there's at least fifteen of them in New Hampshire
at least. Wow, that's quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
I did not realize that, and I was trying to
figure it out by looking at a map and I
finally found a good map that I was able to
get to that and it's it's look, it's a tribute
to what Arthur T. Debullis has been able to accomplish
and the people he worked with him.
Speaker 7 (28:30):
And that's what I was.
Speaker 6 (28:30):
Going to comment on.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
You know, he.
Speaker 6 (28:33):
When I went the help of other people, he came
up with a good business model. Yeah, and he brought
up to fruition and it succeeded. And now they're trying
to get away from that. And just just hearing that
show last night and the one a few weeks ago,
it's deplorable. You know what, I grew up with not
(28:54):
a lot of money, and I watched what I do.
I work very high for my money. I do well.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
My wife.
Speaker 6 (28:59):
We do help me my wife and I you know
what I stand on principal I always have. I believe
that if you don't have principles, you don't have anything.
You know, character is built for adversity, you know, it's developed.
You're not just bond with character. And I and after
hearing these stories, then I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I just
(29:22):
cannot frequent that story.
Speaker 7 (29:25):
That's that's just my opinion.
Speaker 6 (29:26):
And that's my that's my beliefs. That's what I'm gonna go.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
With, Bertie. Uh. We may be related because you just
articulated what I believe in. And I think that sometimes
sometimes I'm willing to walk into another store and pay
a little bit more money. Uh if I'm more comfortable
with the culture, simple as that, and I want to
(29:51):
be respected as a customer. Uh, don't take me for granted.
And and if I start to sense that, then my
days at market Basket will be fewer and fewer as
we go along, if you get my drift. I was
very impressed by the two gentlemen who I talked to
tonight and who I talked to uh nine nights ago,
(30:12):
Joe Schmidt nine nights ago, Joe Schmidt and Tom Gordon,
and they knew what they were doing. Uh. And for
them to end up being terminated after a total of
eighty nine years between the two of them working for
market Basket, you don't.
Speaker 6 (30:30):
Want to know what, Dan. I'm a passionate man, and
everything I have I too onto everything I do, I
do it my pleasures, A bill us nothing. I believe
that you have to give all of your efforts to
get what you need. And them people, them are two gentlemen. Them,
two gentlemen put their whole lives into that, and it's
a shame. And some people that's how it ends up.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
And some people blowing the door. They're just there, you know,
a month, two months, three months, and they're making those decisions.
That's not right, not right in a way, in the
way it's been handled. And I have a right to
say that, and they can't fire me, so we'll see.
Speaker 6 (31:09):
But I would say then, I hope you had a
good vacation and happy birthday month, and I'll talk to
you soon.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Right back at you, Bernie, say, how do your son formus?
Speaker 6 (31:18):
Okay, I will thanks you, talk to you soon.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
We take a break. It is exactly eleven forty five.
My name's Dan Ray. This is Nightside. Had a good
night tonight. Let's keep it rolling. We're talking about loyalty
to market Basket. You your loyalty as a consumer, as
a customer, the loyalty of Joe Schmidt and Tom Gordon,
who served that company for eighty nine years, eighty nine
(31:43):
years combined. I mean one was there for thirty nine
and one for forty nine. Do the math, it's eighty nine.
Trust me on that. I'm double check the number.
Speaker 6 (31:51):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
And what does it say? Will you stay or will
you go? Coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
You're on night Side with Dan Boston's news radio Cape Rowling.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Here as we head towards the midnight hour. Who do
we get next? Here? Okay, we got Kathy in Somerville. Kathy,
you were next on isigh? Welcome?
Speaker 5 (32:13):
Hi Dan?
Speaker 2 (32:14):
How are you good on all of this? Uh?
Speaker 5 (32:18):
This is hot.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (32:20):
I was calling to let you know about the stores.
They do have three, two in Maine right now. Okay,
they opened they opened one in Biddeford about ten years ago,
right before the last are issue, and then they just
opened one a couple of years ago in Westbrook, and
(32:41):
they're working on a third one in Scarborough, So Scarborough,
South Portland.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
So so it is it is now in New England
grocer grocery chain. Yeah, yeah, no longer just Massachusetts.
Speaker 5 (32:55):
Right And there's a ton of them in New Hampshire,
counted about fifteen. So yeah, and they're close. They're like
there's like that lady said. There's three of them and
sale them and they're not far from each other, and
(33:15):
they're always packed. They're always packed.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
But they move quickly. They have plenty of the one
I go to in Wallfam plenty of registered. There's got
to be twenty lines the store I go to, Shaws
that I go to, maybe there's two lines with cashiers
and the rest of are all automatic checkout machines, which
I don't.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
Yeah, I always fine. When I go to Shaws or
stop and shop, you're almost forced to use the self
checkout because you'd be in line for hours.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
There's only one.
Speaker 5 (33:49):
Or two lines with people in them.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Absolutely, you've hit that one right of the head.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
I don't want to see that that happened there, because
that's the best part. The registers are always every register
is open, you know, with a bagger and a cashire.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (34:09):
So it's the way it's It's just the way it's
supposed to be, Kathy.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
I love your calls. Call more often. I got a
three more. I'm going to try to get to here,
but gee, just keep keep calling this program. I need
your voice.
Speaker 5 (34:22):
Okay, okay, thank you have a good one.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
You too, Kathy, appreciate your loyalty. Thanks so much.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
Bye bye, bye bye.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Let's keep rolling here. We're going to go to next. Oh,
I got Paul in Dorchester. We got Tim and Wooburn
and Marie and Attenborough coming up. I'm going to get
them all in Paul in Dorchester next on nights.
Speaker 4 (34:39):
I go ahead, Paul, Hi, good evening, Sir. I was
doing a little bit of research, and it seems that
a Fat did a great job and growing the business
from one point five billion to approximately three point five
billion dollar business.
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Well, by the way, they told one of the executives
who were year said it is now an eight billion
dollar business.
Speaker 4 (35:03):
So and I also researched that the three hundred million
dollars profit that goes to the nine family members generates
approximately forty million dollars for each of those three. I
don't want to call them evil stepsisters, but they seem
(35:25):
like they're being wicked because apparently forty million dollars each
a year isn't enough for them when there is approximately
a I don't know if this is rumored or not,
but forty billion dollars is being offered by the big
box stores to buy the whole franchise and if they
can grab forty billion, I think that's what's made Benjamin
(35:49):
Franklin say one never knows a person until they share
an inheritance with them.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
And that's a good life. Heard that one before, that's
a good line.
Speaker 4 (36:02):
And and you know they and this money is the
root of all evil, and it's it's a shame that
they can't be content with the forty million that I mean,
that's that's more than any normal person can spending in
a year, and that keeps coming in. I don't know
what aspirations they have at their age, and they're no
spring chickens.
Speaker 6 (36:21):
I gotta say it.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
Would it would take you and me a couple of
years to spend forty million, don't don't you think, Paul.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
I'd have to be very creative. I don't know what
kind of I mean, I could you know? And how
much you know you can only eat one steak at
a time. I don't know you can only you can
only Paul.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
I gotta let you run because they got others in
line here. You made some great points. I'm so glad
you called, and we'll talk again.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
Fair enough, yes, sir, God bless and uh I hope
that comes up with the money to buy them out.
But he's only got five hundred million dollars so far
set aside.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
From well, I'm sure he'll I'm sure he'll figure or
try to figure something out. Let me that.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
For the Okay, Dan, good night, take it easy.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Let me go to Maria and Attleborough and then we
got Tim and woman.
Speaker 6 (37:10):
Go ahead, Marie, Hi, Dan, how are you?
Speaker 8 (37:15):
I want to tell you.
Speaker 10 (37:17):
I want to tell you that I will not go
into market Basket again.
Speaker 4 (37:23):
Uh.
Speaker 10 (37:23):
The gentleman that called earlier about his niece or something
working for them, the two men that got fired, they
were devoted like that, and they were treated with royalty.
I'm sure at one point or another. But I can't
believe they're doing this. And even though I have a
sixty dollars gift card, I will not go into market
Basket at all.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
Well, hopefully you can. They can get it resolved so
you can take it your gift card as well. But
but right, you have integrity, and that's important. You have
integrity something.
Speaker 10 (37:57):
And I will tell you this. Oh, I forgot the
name of the store, but I love this store sim Foxborough,
and I can't think of the name of it. They're
all over. Their prices are very good. And I found
out there were two in Rhode Island, in Warwick. And
(38:17):
of the other store, I forgot where you're.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Talking about two market basket stores. Yes, okay, well so
now we know they're in Maine, New Hampshire obviously in
Massachusetts based company in Rhode Island. Good research, Marie. That's great.
Speaker 10 (38:33):
All right, Dan, you have a great night.
Speaker 8 (38:35):
God bless you.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
Bye bye, right back at you. Thanks so much for calling.
I really enjoyed talking.
Speaker 5 (38:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
All right, let's keep you going here. We got one
more left and one of the best of the night
will be Tim and Wilburn. Tim, welcome back.
Speaker 7 (38:48):
How are you good?
Speaker 11 (38:53):
I go to one in Settlement that's for New Asia
and uh really once a week and I got thing,
no taxes.
Speaker 7 (39:02):
I know.
Speaker 11 (39:02):
The store is like the back of my hands. There's
always a cat here and a bag. Then you know
they're all devoted work.
Speaker 6 (39:09):
It's all them.
Speaker 7 (39:11):
Yeah, it's the shame.
Speaker 11 (39:12):
That's happened to op the key. But money changes everything everything.
I can't get their hands on another of it. And
you know, uh, but Macka the last came. I remember
the first national.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
Oh sure that goes back. Yeah, yeah, A and P
and first national Yeah, but there first.
Speaker 11 (39:30):
Nation specific key company.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
Yep, that's true. Yeah.
Speaker 11 (39:33):
My mother, my mother used to go to the wine wolving, right,
we used to go there and in those days they
used to put the food in a little basket and
come out on the rollers and uh and I have them.
The bags would be in the rollers coming out right
to the car.
Speaker 7 (39:50):
And the guy would put the bag.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
Hey, Tim, I hate to do this to you, but
but you were a little late. But I got you
in and now I got to run and we'll talk again. Okay,
all right, I'll see you there. Okay, Thanks him, have
a good one. Good night, we're done. Rob, great job, Marita,
great job. All dogs, all cats, all pets go to heaven.
That's why Pale Charlie Rays who passed fifteen years ago
(40:14):
in February. That's all your pets are who passed. They
loved you and you love them. I do believe you'll
see them again. We'll see again tomorrow. Have a great Thursday, everybody,
and I'll be on Facebook in just a couple of minutes.
A night's side with Dan Ray. Have a great Thursday, everyone.
Good night for Dan Ray,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com