MINNEAPOLIS, MN - The industry is saying goodbye to a retail pioneer after Charles Hooley, Co-Founder for Cub Foods, passed away on Sunday, June 17th, at the age of 89. Hooley’s hand in Cub Foods helped the retailer to carve out a path as one of the nation’s first big-box grocery chains.
Hooley was born into a family steeped in the food industry. His grandfather, an Irish immigrant, moved to Minnesota during the late 1800s and delivered food to lumberjacks. Following suite, Hooley’s father, Matt Hooley, opened Stillwater-based Hooley’s Grocery Store during the 1920s.
Following in their family’s footsteps, Hooley and his brother, Jack, who passed away in 2016, decided to tackle the industry with a different perspective when they teamed up with their brother-in-law Bob Thueson, and their friend Culver Davis. The four launched Cub Foods together in 1968 with a different view on grocery shopping that offered price-conscious shoppers a warehouse-style and conveyor-belt-using setup to expand purchasing power for the owners in the hopes of handing down more savings for customers. This revolutionary way of grocery shopping also included membership fees for a time, according to the Twin Cities’ Pioneer Press.
Eden Prairie-based Supervalu has since taken Cub Foods under its wing, where it has branched out to eight stores throughout Minnesota and beyond.
Hooley also held the title of Mayor for Stillwater, where he took the position in 1993.
A visitation is set to be held at Simonet Funeral Home in Stillwater on Thursday, according to Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
Our thoughts are with anyone affected by this loss.
