Village Market: Secret for Success Revealed

Last week the response to Wilton Patch's story on the changing-of-hands at the Village Market lit up this website and Facebook.

Well-wishes for Tim Dolnier and Mike Picheco kept rolling in and the story, "Village Market: A Wilton Institution Since 1935 Changes Hands," received 88 Facebook likes. A single photo of Dolnier and Picheco on Wilton Patch's Facebook page got 47 likes and a dozen comments ranging from heartfelt to humorous.   

Nathaniel Mills wrote: "We used to love the VM's egg potato salad and after my sister worked there, she learned how to make it -- unfortunately, she only knew how to make 50 lbs at a time ;^)"

... and Jerry Chennell replied: "VM had two potato salad recipes. A version with egg and a crunchy offering with a healthy quantity of celery in it. After WHS soccer practice or in your case tennis, Nat), I would power-down a dollop upon arrival home. I wasn't of age to enjoy a couple hundred replacement calories by having a beer or two, so the potato salad was the next best thing..."

On Monday, Oct. 7, Patch returned to Village Market to find out how it is that an independent grocery store, without the buying-power of a chain, and with virtually no advertising continues to thrive.

Picheco and Dolner had mentioned last week that they are involved in the community but struggled initially to elaborate. "We try to contribute something to people who ask," said Dolnier. "There are a lot of constants, like the library. And sports programs like baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse... and youth leagues and high school teams."

"We've been the sponsor of the Read Aloud program at Miller-Driscoll," Dolnier continued. We provide all the books for the second grade classes and we go up and read to the kids."

Patch didn't put the pen down, sensing there was more. "There's the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. And Kiwanis. Sometimes it's as little as offering the space at the entrance for a bake sale," said Dolnier. "There's a group who sell Christmas wreaths."

Patch pressed for more. "Sometimes it's a 6-foot sub for an auction event or a sponsorship. We don't do any traditional advertising. No radio or anything like that. Instead it goes to these projects in the community," Dolnier said.

What seems so obvious a strategy is surprising in its simplicity. And the partnerships cross the town line.

At any given time, according to Dolnier, the store employs four or five adults with developmental disabilities through a partnership with  Norwalk's STAR Inc.. ""They usually work in produce kitchen. These are full time jobs, Monday through Friday, from 9-5," said Dolnier.

And the market works with the Connecticut Food Bank to fight hunger. 

"They provide us lists of food they need and we assemble grocery bags. Our customers then purchase the bags. It wouldn't work if our customers weren't so generous," Dolnier explained. "The groceries go to families in lower Fairfield County. At one point we had to suspend the project for a bit because it was so successful."

The store also supports the house tour fundraiser for A Better Chance of Wilton, the program for academically promising scholars of color. 

"And there's the Wilton Historical Society's 75th Anniversary Gala. And Ambler Farm's recent dinner," Dolnier continued. "Basically, any not-for-profit organization."

Asked if there is ever a group who is declined, Dolnier laughed when he explained there are so many golf tournaments in the summer that they had to draw the line there. "With the golf tournaments, it's either all of them or none of them...to be fair."

Saying goodbye to Dolnier and Picheco, it didn't take long before their names to came up in conversation.

"They are just an incredible resource in the community," said Janet Crystal at Wilton Library. "They've been the sponsor of the summer Music and More concert series for 13 years. They provide the funding to pay for the bands."

Wilton mom Megan Abrahamsen topped off the list of superlatives. "The Village Market has done and continues to do an amazing job of supporting local charities."

The Village Market is located at 108 Old Ridgefield Rd. Tel. (203) 762-7283