Foodland family works together to build brand

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

Foodland franchisee Kurt Geiser says working alongside his family has helped him to build his brand in Caledon

Geiser owns the Caledon East Foodland location, as well as the store in Schomburg, which he just recently took over. With this past Sunday being Father's Day, Kurt took a moment to appreciate the work his children have put in over the past 20 years at the local store. 

“Being able to go to work each day, see my family and enjoy lunch and breaks with them is what keeps me motivated. It's so special and something I do not take for granted,” Kurt said. “I've been able to teach my kids so much about the grocery business but have learned so much from each of them over the years.”

Geiser has worked at Foodland for the past 35 years, owning his own franchise for 23 of them. His wife and three children also play strong roles in his franchise. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing issue at the store, particularly as it related to staffing levels, family members, such as his daughter Stephanie, a teacher, has stepped in on evenings and weekends to help where she can. His wife Donni and son Nicholas have been working away at the garden centre, while his other son Matthew runs the Caledon East store. 

“It's always an extra set of eyes. They always have your back, we learn off each other,” said Geiser. “I wouldn't be able to do it without them.” 

The Geiser children have been involved with their dad's business since they were kids and have grown up learning and gaining retail experience. 

“Since they were small kids, 20 years ago, they've all contributed. They've all been around us during working hours, coming into the store, even if it was just colouring pictures in the office,” said Geiser. “They were always with us around the business. They went to university and college, but they always had something to fall back on. My daughter and son moved on, but they still contribute to the store.” 

While Geiser worked over at the Schomberg location, his son Matthew has been putting in long hours at the Caledon East location while business is booming. 

“Working with family is great,” explained Matthew. “You get to be around them all the time and always run ideas off of. You get to be yourself with them, and don't have to worry about having to be politically correct and you can tell them how it is.”

Through his dad, and his own experience working at Foodland, Matthew had his work cut out for him running the Caledon East location, but enjoys it, nonetheless. 

“It's been a crazy time to take over, but it's been a great learning experience,” he said. “I jumped in with both feet, went straight to business and learned the ropes quickly.”

With the rise of traffic, and business due to the pandemic, Geiser and his team have put in safety protocols to keep their family, staff, and customers safe. They are making sure physical distancing rules are in place, controlling the number of people allowed in the store at once, consistent cleaning of the carts, plastic shields on the cash registers and that all staff are provided with shield masks.

For more info, visit ontario.foodland.ca.