BUSINESS NEWS

A to Z CELEBRATING 57 YEARS OF SERVICE Family Supermarket Thriving In 2008
By Mark Hallburn
Publisher
PutnamLIVE.com

It’s been a landmark in downtown Hurricane for 57 years, and A to Z Supermarket is planning on celebrating well past the century mark.

“We’re just going to continue what we’ve been doing,” says co-owner David Hodges. “Great service for all of our customers, quality meats, deli, bakery, and produce. The customer is number one.”

When Denver Hodges opened A to Z in 1951, Dwight D. Eisenhower  was President of the United States, the New York Giants won the National League Pennant, and the Super Bowl didn’t even exist-yet.

In those days A to Z was located on Second Street, with the post office on the other side. Denver started With a meat cutter, a box person, and two cashiers, and himself,” David recalls. “We grew up in that store. I think when he got it, I was 16, 17 years old, still in Hurricane High School. When his meat-cutter quit, he wanted me to work, but I still had high school.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David, his mother, Janet, and his brothers, Ronnie and John, as well as sister Anna Lou worked the family farm, raising cattle, hay, corn, and tobacco. “We always had two gardens, and then I worked in the store on weekends and holidays until I got out of high school.”

A to Z’s customer base grew quickly, so the store moved into its current larger location at 2823 Main Street in 1957.

“I had to guard the store over Halloween because we didn’t have it locked up,” recalls Joyce Hodges, David’s wife, who was pregnant with her first son, Robert Lee, at the time. “The store was still under construction.”

The new store opened March 12th, 1957, burned down shortly after Christmas, 1963, rebuilt with more square footage, and expanded the produce section in 1979.

“We’ve remodeled about every five years, David says. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fast-forward to 2008. Today, A to Z has about 12,000 square-feet of sales floor,  and David and Ronnie still work the supermarket.  David’s son, Daniel is A to Z’s Manager, handing orders for the store while David and Ronnie work upstairs keeping the books. It started as a family store and the Hodges plan on keeping it that way. Despite corporate competition, A to Z’s simple plan of great service and quality food keeps their customers coming back for more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A to Z carries all of the major brands at competitive prices. However, that’s just the start. The store’s bakery, deli, and produce section provide customers with delicious pre-cooked meals, custom cakes and pies, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

In addition, Danny has access through A to Z’s suppliers to special order a huge variety of items for customers.

“If customers find a new product that they want,” Danny says, “All they have to do is let us know, and we do our best to make it available.” That’s a service  that Danny is very proud of, as it allows him to meet his customer’s special needs as well as their desire for something different.

“There are thousands of products on our shelves,” Danny says. “But we have access to millions more if people want them, just by specially ordering them.”

While David, Ronnie, and, later, Danny, grew up in the store, so have many of their customers. The Hodges now serve grandchildren of the customers that started with A to Z in the 1950’s, so, naturally, the store has a baby section with Luvs, Gerber,  and Enfamil products, again, priced competitively with corporate stores.

Customers notice A to Z’s superior service. Leon and Freda Hudson, of Scott Depot, recently sent A to Z a thank you card.

“We appreciate your store,” the Hudson’s write. “We shop there to get our meats, deli, and other items. Everyone is always so helpful and nice.”

Like many, the Hudson’s want to see A to Z thrive, especially now that an out-of-state supercenter has moved into Hurricane.

“Continue to stand and to be blessed,” the Hudsons continue. “God is bigger than Wal-Mart, this we know.”

“I grew up with A to Z,” says Nathan Andrews,” of Winfield. “My mother took us there every Saturday. We’d have steaks every Saturday night. I can’t imagine growing up any other way.”

A to Z’s meat department has hand-cut steaks, ribs, chicken, chops, turkey, ham, hot dogs, and hamburgers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Our ground beef is made fresh, not pre-packaged,” Danny says  “We grind it several times a day.”

Today the Meat Department Manager is Travis Barnett. The Produce Manager is Paul Dial. The Deli is managed by Melissa Thompson, and the Bakery Manager is Susan Neace.

Looking for hot food? A to Z has a wonderful deli of home-made meats, sandwiches, salads, hot dinners, deviled eggs, cole slaw, and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We slice our lunch meat to order,” Hodges says, “We also have relish and meat trays made to order, not pre-made.  We offer chicken dinners, hot dogs, hamburgers, roast beef, and turkey.”

A to Z’s deli prices compare favorably to other lunch offerings around Hurricane with shorter lines. It’s perfect for the busy “grab-and-go” businessperson who wants fresh, quality food.  You can telephone your order in before your lunch break to save you even more time. Either way the food is great!

Many people think of A to Z as a small market with a few employees. Not so. Today A to Z has about 35 employees, however, that’s just the current staff.

Through the years the Hodges have employed “thousands” of employees, David says. “The bigger part of them were in high school, and many of them started their own businesses. There’s lots of them. More than I can count.” Hodges says some of his employees have long retired, with some being replaced younger siblings as they moved on.

“A lot of times the bigger brother and sister handed down the job,” says David.

“What’s really wild is some of their kids worked here, and later their grand children worked here,” Joyce recalls.

When you add in the thousands of vendors that have brought food and other items to stock A to Z’s shelves, the “little market on Main Street” has been a huge employer for downtown Hurricane.

A to Z is also your one-stop shop for paying utility bills. Appalachian Power, Mountaineer Gas, and West Virginia American Water bills can be paid in-person at A to Z’s utility payment center which also offers rechargeable Master Cards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course there have been other changes in 57 years. Back in 1951, A to Z used mechanical cash registers. Today, A to Z is installing computerized registers with flat-panel screens. Danny Hodges is working on a web site that will soon advertise daily specials. You can click on A to Z's logo on PutnamLIVE.com to read their weekly specials. The state-of-the-art has gone from mechanics to computer chips. However, the most important thing will always stay the same at A to Z: Great Service, and a Great Selection of Great Food.

As part of the celebration, Danny Hodges invites you to fill out a drawing form to win a new bicycle, a gas grill, or groceries.

You’ll find A to Z at 2823 Main Street in Hurricane. There is plenty of convenient, free parking. The store’s telephone number is 304-562-9771 or 304-562-6195. A to Z Supermarket is open from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.