10 Questions For The Guido's Guys
Every Thursday in September, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace stores will celebrate 40 years of business. Here’s the backstory.
Chris and Matt Masiero
Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, with stores in Pittsfield and Great Barrington, Mass., has been an unequivocal success in the Berkshires. Forty years ago, Chris and Matt Masiero opened a roadside stand on Route 7 in Pittsfield. As the business grew, it became a beloved resource and community supporter in the RI region. Every Thursday this month, Guido’s is celebrating its milestone with special promotions, deals, prizes, sampling and more. Check the website for weekly details, and read on as brothers Chris and Matt Masiero share some behind-the-counter intel about their early years and what the future holds for Guido's shoppers.
1. What were you doing before you opened Guido’s, and what prompted you to start it?
Chris: I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. My brother Matthew graduated from Wentworth Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. I was working at an inn in New Hampshire and my brother was working for a construction company in Boston. Prior to this we both worked in a fruit and produce store in Beverly, Mass. We both had experience in the business along with my father who worked summers at the store when he wasn’t teaching school. It was Matthew‘s idea to start the fruit and produce store. He borrowed $2,500 from my father to buy a box truck. The rest is progressive history. I do remember my father saying to my brother and I as we were working in the store in Beverly that “someday, boys, we’re gonna have a store like this of our own.” Forty years later, here we are.
2. You named the market Guido’s after your father. What qualities did he have that you wanted to emulate in your store?
Chris: My father had seven children and he always wanted to be in business for himself but the opportunity never arose for him. He did, however, have the opportunity to see both stores and work alongside both Matthew and I — a true gift to the both of us as he lived vicariously through us as store owners. My father was a humanitarian and had an extraordinary amount of faith in God and the human spirit. He believed that what mattered most in business and in life is the difference you make in other people’s lives. The difference you make for your community, your country and for all of humanity. He also taught us that staff members are the cornerstone of your business and the way you treat them will be the way your customers get treated. These are the qualities that we want to emulate in our store. Our staff is our most precious asset.
3. You opened first as a roadside stand. At that point, did you have aspirations beyond a small, seasonal market?
Chris: Our store is a reflection of our passion for what we do. It sounds like a cliché, however, the harder we worked the more successful we became. The long hours and work was never a burden on either of us due to the fact we loved seeing growth in our business and we were so accepted by our community. So much so that we soon became known as “the boys.” To this day we both get pumped on going to work every day!
After six years in our original location at the former Berkshire Flower Company our landlord doubled the rent after he witnessed our growth potential. That’s when my brother and I looked at each other and said, "we’re out of here!"
Customer acceptance and demand made us become a full-service, year-round store.
4. Guido’s started out as a family operation, and it still is. Who else from the Masiero family is involved?
Chris: My sister Annie runs Bella Flora with her husband Chris Whalen. Aside from that we have a second generation of my brother's children and my children coming up learning the business. We have a succession plan in place that is helpful to all involved. Matt’s children are Luke, Nick and Molly. My children are Ben and Anna. They are lovely people with outstanding personalities. My wife Dawn works with us, as well as my sister-in-law, Tammy.
5. Both of you are a constant presence in the stores, stocking and running around doing whatever you do. After 40 years, why do you continue doing the hard labor?
Matt: I've never thought of Guido's as "work," more of a labor of love, something that I just always enjoyed and still enjoy although I don't get up quite as early as I once did (midnight). We are lucky enough at this stage in our careers to be able to come and go as we please and not worry about how the stores are running. We are fortunate to have great management and staff in place.
Chris: We both have always been hands-on people. We always show our staff that we would never ask anyone to do anything that we would not do ourselves. We’ve always had great success with leading through example. We have set the bar very high, and our job now is to make sure the bar stays where it is. Your staff’s passion for your business is always directly related to yours. If your passion waxes or wanes, so will theirs.
When my father was alive he was the one that always cleaned the men’s and ladies' rooms. His philosophy was that the cleanliness of those rooms is a reflection of your total store. I couldn’t agree more.
6. What are some of the trends you’re seeing in the marketplace industry?
Matt: Prepared foods, paleo, vegan products, CBD oil, pre- and probiotics, recycled packaging, non-GMO products, low sugar, low carbs, and lastly, functional drinks like kombucha are on the rise and sugary drinks are on the decline.
7. What’s next for the Guido’s enterprise?
Chris: The next major move that we will be making within the corporation is the expansion of the Great Barrington store that will commence in the fall of 2020. We are looking to expand predominately to the south; however, all four corners of the building will be somewhat expanded.
Matt: My brother and I are very excited over this move as this will be the last major one before the second generation takes over.
8. What is the single best-selling item in the stores?
Matt: It has to be avocados.
Chris: The beautiful positive energy that our staff possesses. A close second are cherries.
9. Do you have any fun stories about famous personalities who have come through the stores?
Chris: Lots and lots of personalities come through the store; however, my staff is instructed to leave them be and become a natural flow of the store as others would be.
One story I will share. My mother is a voracious MSNBC watcher. She is a huge fan of Rachel Maddow. We have the great fortune of having Rachel visit our store once or twice a month. On this particular day my 92-year-old mother, who is 4 foot nothing, is in the store. My sister Annie said to herself, “Rachel’s in the store. I’ve just done my mother’s hair. Time for a photo op!” We approached Rachel (who is by my estimation 6‘2“), who totally obliged. It was hilarious to see the disparity in height between the two of them! She came down to my mother's level, holding my mom’s hand. This photo is so precious to my mom — it made her day. Thank you, Rachel!
Matt: We tend to leave celebrities alone so that they feel free to shop and not be hassled. One day around a busy holiday a women came in with a baby and she was struggling with the carriage. It was really crowded and the baby was sleeping, and I suggested that she could put the baby in the back office where no one would bother him/her so she could shop. Well, she looked at me like I was a nut (I used to put my kids back there in the Pittsfield store when they were babies). I didn't know it was Claire Danes, star of the hit series Homeland. Now that I think about it, my suggestion was kind of weird.
10. Have you been surprised by the popularity of any of your departments or initiatives, and are there any that have been less successful?
Matt: Our marketing department has done a great job with our brand; people all over know about Guido's. Our stores have always been about quality, freshness and value, and we try setting our sights on becoming better than the day before. The Deli and Café in Pittsfield with the hot bar, juice bar and salad bar continues to amazes me with the beautiful food they serve on a daily basis. Our produce displays are like works of art. The Mazzeo family who operates the fish and butcher shops in both stores can't be matched anywhere in Berkshire County.
Our biggest mistake was venturing in the wholesale business. We would have been much better off opening a third retail location rather than opening a wholesale division.
Chris: We are both big believers that the amount of effort you put in is equal to the success that comes out. One such story is our expansion of our cheese department in the Pittsfield store. By dedicating the space and talented staff that was needed, the department resulted in beyond-expected growth, such that we are now direct importers of European cheeses and specialty foods from Europe, resulting in artisan cheeses that you will not find elsewhere in this country. We also started to make our own mozzarella last year. This resulted in one of the most popular cheeses in the department and an offshoot of this resulted in the production of caprese salad made to order with the freshly made warm mozzarella cheese. A true taste of summer!
