Bon Ton Meat Market - Celebrating 100 Years

Photo by Riverwood Photography.

Celebrating 100 Years: The Lasting Legacy of A Calgary Tradition since 1921 All In Good Taste.

by Rennay Craats

Bon Ton Meat Market

Bon Ton Meat Market || 100 Years

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n a business world dominated by online shopping and social media, Bon Ton Meat Market stands out for its lack of both. Instead, the market embodies the saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” There is clearly nothing broken at Bon Ton. For the past 100 years, Bon Ton has conducted business in the same way as did the founders: putting customers first. And that is something that Greg Keller credits for the success of Bon Ton over the past century.

“We haven’t changed our business model. Sure, different products are selling and the location has changed and some of the equipment has gotten more modern, but we’ve never changed,” Keller says.

And he will never deviate from the service-centric business model that helped establish Bon Ton as the landmark institution it is today. Ed Roberts started that institution in 1921 in a 900-square-foot storefront on 7th Avenue and Centre Street SE. He built the meat market into a trusted butcher as well as a Calgary lunch-time destination. At a time before fast food, Bon Ton Meat Market had people lined up down the block during their lunch break to grab a quick and delicious meat pie before heading back to work.

Jack and Norm Middleton bought Bon Ton from Roberts in 1940 and the two, along with partners like Bill Fodor and Martin Kuhn, ran the market until 1976 when they sold to their nephew John Middleton. John carried on

Greg Keller. Photo by Riverwood Photography.

the tradition of great quality meat delivered by friendly and knowledgeable staff, and the business grew. Bon Ton moved to Stadium Shopping Centre in 1994 and added Greg’s father, Fred, as a new partner. Fred’s extensive experience and expertise in the meat business made him a natural fit for the Bon Ton business model. After a few years, John knew Bon Ton was in good hands and sold the rest of his shares in the market to Fred and Ruby Keller in 1997.

Bon Ton Meat Market || 100 Years || 2

THE BENCHMARK COMMITMENT

The only operation in Canada with their own cowherd, feedyard, inspected beef production facility, and distribution network!

• Hormone-Free beef • We are true Environmentalists; the land is our home.

We care for it, and care about it • Through our research we can deliver better beef • Beef cut by a person; not a machine • We only offer beef to you that our own families eat

“DON’T ASK WHERE YOUR BEEF COMES FROM;

WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPLY AND WORK WITH THE GREAT PEOPLE AT BON TON!

ASK WHO YOUR BEEF COMES FROM.”

CONGRATULATIONS On your 100th Anniversary

What an Accomplishment!

Proud to be your electrical service provider.

Photos by Riverwood Photography.

1725 - 27th Avenue N.E., Calgary Alberta, T2E 7E1 403.291.3303 | info@customelectric.com

www.customelectric.com

“It’s humbling to think of all these guys before us. They built a business on quality products and personalized service.

Nothing has changed,” says Greg Keller. “I’m grateful for all John and the others did before Dad because without all of them we wouldn’t have the store today.”

HAPPY 100 YEARS! Congratulations to the Keller family and Bonton employees on this amazing milestone.

It has been a pleasure working with you.

Box 555, Okotoks, Alberta T1S 1A7 (403) 938-4333

These previous owners guided Bon Ton through the Great Depression and several recessions, World War II, an ever-changing political landscape, economic booms, and the astronomical growth of Calgary. They evolved with the times but continued to sell only the highest quality products with the highest levels of service.

Still today, customers are greeted by an employee who stays with them throughout their stay to ensure they are completely satisfied.

Greg, who started working alongside his father in Fred’s grocery store at the age of 13, had been working in management positions for a large chain supermarket but always dreamed of being self-employed and operating a business selling only the finest products combined with a family atmosphere and old-fashioned values. He joined his father at Bon Ton in 1996, working side-byside to realize Fred’s dream of running a boutique meat market. When Fred retired in 2006, Greg assumed all the operational and management duties.

Bon Ton Meat Market || 100 Years || 4

“I have been blessed to have four men I consider to be strong mentors in my life who have all had a deep impact on my life and career. First of all, my father, who taught me the trade and gave me this opportunity along with instilling a strong work ethic, a commitment to real customer service and as always doing things properly the first time,” says Greg. work ethic, a commitment to real customer service and as always doing things properly the first time,” says Greg.

“I have been blessed to have four men I consider to be strong mentors in my life who have all had a deep impact on my life and career. First of all, my father, who taught me the trade and gave me this opportunity along with instilling a strong

“The second was a man named Fidel Stephenson who was a family friend as well as my boss during my corporate career. He was very grounded, highly respected and a great man. I saw his career end due to corporate politics which truly opened my eyes as to how big-business is often conducted and how fragile careers can be. Third was

Congratulations Bon Ton Meat Market

100 Years of providing incredible products and amazing customer service!

We are proud to be one of your partners and equally as proud to be your friend.

Spolumbo’s Fine Foods & Deli 1308 - 9 Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2G 0T3 Phone: (403)-264-6452

www.spolumbos.com

Bon Ton Meat Market || 100 Years || 5

Photos by Riverwood Photography.

Coming from the heart of a youngster, 26 years of service, to the admired senior, Congratulations!

What an amazing milestone, 100 years! Although we specialize in providing the care seniors deserve, it would appear that you’re still going strong!

One of the amazing things we share is this quote; “To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.” ~ Douglas Adams

You have this in spades.

Our Services Include: • Dementia care • Palliative care • Complex care needs …and more

Providing Seniors with the home care they deserve

Call us at 403-264-3839 • www.FocusOnCaring.com

a man named Ken Crump who was also one of my bosses.

Ken is the most honest, decent and well-respected man I have ever worked with. He spoke softly, always showed respect and compassion for everyone he dealt with and is a man of integrity. Lastly is “The Peach.” Ian Peachey was truly the best friend any man could ever hope to have. We lost him five years ago to cancer and there’s never a day I don’t think of him, his friendship and his legacy.”

The people in a business are critical, and those who came before Greg Keller shaped how he approached those who followed. He knows that great people are the key to success, and he surrounds himself with the best people every day. As most employees have been with Bon Ton for a long time, they have immense knowledge about the products and are happy to share all they know with customers, whether that is advising on the best cut of meat, cooking instructions or suggesting a new recipe.

Employees are the number one asset at Bon Ton. The enthusiastic and dedicated team works hard every day to ensure they maintain and exceed the standards set by Keller and the owners before him.

This dedication to great service is what attracts customers to Bon Ton as well as retains suppliers. Harvest

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This dedication to great service is what attracts customers to Bon Ton as well as retains suppliers. Harvest Meats has provided deli products to the market for 25 years and is still impressed by Bon Ton’s approach.

Meats has provided deli products to the market for 25 years and is still impressed by Bon Ton’s approach.

“It’s the way they do business: one-on-one individual service. It’s the way things used to be,” says Peter VanderMeulen, key account manager at Harvest Meats.

This service level paired with the best products available led to Bon Ton’s significant growth and success over the years, going from a small downtown shop with a few employees to a 7,000-square-foot shop in Crowfoot Centre run by 30 fantastic staff. While it has changed with the times, Bon Ton still uses the same 70-year-old cast iron meat pie machine. The feel is that of a time gone by, and this is by design. Keller resists the push to go online and embrace social media; he would rather invest in his staff and the lost art of personalized customer service.

celebrating 100 years

www.stonebrookfoods.com

Proud to be Bon Ton's Primary Supplier of Premium AAA Alberta Beef and Milk Fed Veal

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“You wouldn’t be able to buy the beef that Quality signs since 1947

you buy at Bon Ton at any other store in Calgary. Greg is very specific about what

Neon Sales congratulates Bon Ton for achieving this milestone anniversary.

his beef has to be. He doesn’t just buy AAA

Happy to be their sign supplier for over 40 years!

the very top-end of AAA beef and then he

beef, he buys a grade within a grade. He buys ensures it is aged to perfection,” says Barry Reimer of Stonebrook Foods.

Serving the Community and area for 48 years.

Congratulations on your th 100 Anniversary!

1423 – 9th Avenue SE 403-266-6274 mail@watsonrefrigerationltd.com www.watsonrefrigerationltd.com

“We’re not just selling meat here. We’re selling an experience. You’re getting looked after from start to finish, with smiling faces. I learned a long time ago that I am nothing without my staff. They are truly valued, appreciated and a part of my family. I’m very humbled and blessed for their dedication. It isn’t ever taken for granted,” he says.

Customers have a lot to smile about, too. There is very little that Bon Ton Meat Market doesn’t have in stock. The boutique market stocks high quality local products that rival the meat in the best restaurants in town.

“You wouldn’t be able to buy the beef that you buy at Bon Ton at any other store in Calgary. Greg is very specific about what his beef has to be. He doesn’t just buy AAA beef, he buys a grade within a grade. He buys the very top-end of AAA beef and then he ensures it is aged to perfection,” says Barry Reimer of Stonebrook Foods.

Congratulations on your 100th year of business Bon Ton! What a milestone of achievement.

Congratulations to Greg and his dedicated team at Bon Ton Meat Market for 100 years in business!

Stonebrook has provided Bon Ton with quality beef for decades and is proud of their relationship. The counter showcases the most popular cuts of meat, but it is in no way all that’s on offer. Bon Ton will custom package any meat products. With the rise of TV cooking and barbeque shows along with the increasingly multicultural population, Bon Ton is the first stop for many Calgary foodies looking for quality cuts of meat to test out the new smoker, attempt a celebrity chef’s recipe, or cook a dish from across the world. Tastes and habits have evolved and Bon Ton evolved with them, keeping up with what customers want. And it will always treat the more than 2,000 customers it serves each week like part of the Bon Ton family.

We are proud of our relationship that has spanned over three generations and honoured to be Bon Ton’s supplier of turkey.

Bon Ton’s suppliers are just as much a part of the family as employees and customers, and Keller has strong relationships with many local Alberta suppliers.

You are truly a leader in the industry who always and consistently reaches a helping hand back to local farmers like Bear and the Flower Farm!

Jessica Fasoli - 403-472-4456 www.bearandtheflower.com

WINTER’S TURKEYS

Free Range and Organically Grown www.wintersturkeys.ca

“Every business owner has gone through good as well as difficult times. I learned a long time ago that you are nothing without your employees and suppliers. Trust and loyalty are everything and they deserve to be treated with honesty, fairness, respect and integrity,” he says.

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The market features decadent cheesecakes and cakes from Alberta’s WOW Factor desserts, naturally raised pork products from Bear and the Flower Farms, and the unbeatable sausages, lasagnas and cannelloni from Spolumbo’s Fine Foods & Deli.

“They are one of those great local companies that you find in Calgary. They are incredibly grounded, have the best

quality, and community is everything to them. They are unbelievable to the community and the partners they help to promote in the city,” says Tony Spoletini of Spolumbo’s, who has enjoyed a relationship with Bon Ton for 20 years.

Bon Ton enlists partners to support a variety of community and charity initiatives including Ronald McDonald House, Alberta Children’s Hospital, a number of cancer

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Bon Ton’s customer focus has served it well over the past 100 years and Greg Keller, who has led for 25 of those years, doesn’t intend to mess with a winning strategy. He will build onto his predecessor’s foundation to continue the store’s success into the future. It’s a responsibility to carry on the Bon Ton Meat Market legacy and it is one he will proudly carry into its second century. fundraisers, and children’s sports. It’s important to Greg that Bon Ton is a good corporate citizen and gives back to the community that gave him so much. By both sponsoring public events and quietly supporting those in need, giving back is an important element in the Bon Ton story.

will build onto his predecessor’s foundation to continue the store’s success into the future. It’s a responsibility to carry on the Bon Ton Meat Market legacy and it is one he will proudly carry into its second century.

Bon Ton’s unique business approach makes suppliers proud to be associated with the market. Jonathan Kielstra of Mountain View Poultry has provided Bon Ton with its chicken products for more than 30 years and attributes the market’s success to that model.

Proud to be Calgary’s Consumers Choice Award for Best Meat and Deli and Business Excellence for 19 consecutive years.

“They are straight-up, honest and the customer always comes first. That’s what I know about Greg and Fred before him. They are straight shooters. The customer is always number one,” says Kielstra.

28 Crowfoot Circle NW Calgary, Alberta T3G 2T3

Bon Ton’s customer focus has served it well over the past 100 years and Greg Keller, who has led for 25 of those years, doesn’t intend to mess with a winning strategy. He

We welcome Phone-in orders and can be reached at: Phone (403) 282-3132 • Fax (403) 284-4875 www.bontonmeatmarket.com

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Always enjoy our Monday calls.

Happy 100th! Keep smiling.

From all of us at Meadow Creek Sausage & Meat Ltd. Congratulations Bon Ton on your amazing milestone of 100 years! meadowcreeksausage.ca 130 Bowridge Dr. NW, Calgary, AB • Ph: (403) 247-9800

www.windsorplywood.com

PRE PAK MEATS CALGARY LTD. Servicing the Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Trade

Congratulations Greg on your amazing milestone!

Involved in the community with pride.

Congratulations Greg and Family on your 100th Anniversary!

4818 – 32 Street S.E. Calgary, AB Tel: 403-272-4114 | Fax: 403-272-1207

prepakmeats.com

Congratulations Bon Ton on your 100th Anniversary!!

Proud to be a partner for over 25 years.

www.veritivcorp.com

Congratulations

CONGRATULATIONS ON 100 YEARS OF BUSINESS

BRED AND FED TO BE THE BEST BRANTLAKEWAGYU.CA CONGRATULATIONS BON TON MEAT MARKET FOR 100 YEARS!

Bon Ton Meat Market on

100 YEARS! www.BusinessInCalgary.com

We’ve been selling barbecues for 200 years.

Just kidding, 42 years.

BARBECUESGALORE.CA

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