Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/195987
A BRIEF HISTORY Marky's first opened on 79th Street in Miami, selling caviar with a few other specialty foods Marky's manufactures, such as smoked salmon and foie gras. The store initially catered to the high-end market but imports, exports, soon became known as a destination for Russian foods and drew in immigrants as well as tourists seeking authentic products. Expansion came quickly and Marky's began servicing wholesale distributes and retails customers in the Miami area. By 2000 the company added a local team of salespeople dedicated more than 7,000 to its wholesale business. gourmet foods and Marky's continued to grow as a wholesaler in South Florida, expanding its distribution caviar worldwide to cruise lines and larger specialty grocers such as Whole Foods Market. The company also began to build its web presence. At the end of 2008 Marky's occupied a 35,000-square-foot to restaurants, distribution facility (where today 65 of the company's 110 employees work). In 2010, the hotels, retailers privately owned company decided to grow even further and hired Hlubb, whose background and consumers. includes the international wine market, to move the business into a larger corporate structure with defined divisions. "I was one of the first hired outside of their local personnel," says Hlubb. "When I came aboard, it was still run as a small family business." Today, Marky's manufactures, imports, exports, distributes and retails more than 7,000 gourmet foods and caviar worldwide to restaurants, hotels, retailers and consumers. Hlubb notes that 97 percent of the foods it sells are imports and at least 60 percent are exclusive to Marky's. Some of the companies most recent exclusive imports, introduced at the 2013 Summer Fancy Food Show, include Chatka gourmet king crab from Russia and several Spanish lines, including Hacienda Guzman olive oils (the olive grove that once belonged to Christopher Columbus), award-winning Hacienda Zorita organic cheese and Pancracio chocolates. THE RETAIL STORES The company's flagship store is still on 79th Street in Miami, and is known for its large selection of caviar, foie gras, truffles, specialty cheeses, wines and Russian products such as candies and frozen pierogies. Current renovation will add a cafe and an area where customers can watch fresh Italian cheese being made. The store began at 800 square feet and is growing to 10,000 square feet. "The goal is: make our stores much more luxurious. Like a jewelry store but offering food," explains Hlubb. "Marky's has been redesigning everything, from its logo to marketing materials to its kiosk at the mall." The flagship location caters primarily to locals, South American tourists and even a steady stream of Cuban immigrants who became accustomed to eating Russian foods due to that country's influence on the island nation. Prices range from items selling for a few dollars to caviars that sell for several thousand dollars. The Marky's gourmet store in Miami "The goal is: make our stores much more luxurious. Like a jewelry store but ofering food." Retail outlets and projects in the works: Caviar and More: a kiosk in Miami's Aventura Mall (with plans to expand with a dozen more mall kiosks in other U.S. cities) Catering by Marky's: launching at presstime for the 2013 holiday season, the new South Florida venture services private, corporate and retail events Marky's Cafe: Opening in 2014 in Panama City, Panama markysgourmet.com: At presstime the original website, markys.com, is being relaunched as markysgourmet.com, adding features like the ability to get advice directly from the corporate chef or caviar manager (caviar education remains an important part of the company's business). Product drop-ships: direct to consumers for other website companies Duty-Free at JFK: By the end of 2013, Marky's will have a dedicated section within the Duty Free America's store in the British Airways terminal at John F. Kennedy airport in New York, featuring caviar and other gourmet foods. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 43