Marc Lombardi is our exceptional FH Fine Food Manager. Before joining the Friday Harbour Team, Marc worked at Longo’s, a GTA based grocery chain, as a manager across many of their departments. Looking for an exciting opportunity and the chance to expand his skills, Marc made the move to join the Friday Harbour team and has been working hard ever since to get FH Fine Food up and running.
Marc is passionate about produce and quality products, but that’s just the beginning. We sat down with Marc to learn more about him and what we can look forward to at FH Fine Food.
Tell us about yourself.
Before coming to Friday Harbour, I was a member of the Longo’s team for over 10 years. I worked in various roles which helped me learn the grocery business from the bottom up. That is where I developed my passion, especially for fresh produce and baked goods.
Which one of our Core values do you connect with the most? (Passion, Integrity, Excellence or Respect)?
I have always been known for my passion for creating a quality experience through quality products and service. With every new Guest and every new relationship, we have the opportunity to make ourselves a little better. My passion for creating a fantastic shopping experience is reflected in everything you see at FH Fine Food from the smile that greets you at the door to the products on our shelves.
What is the most exciting thing you’re working on right now?
Preparing for the Grand Opening has been very exciting. Before FH Fine Food, I had limited experience opening a grocery store from the ground up. It has been a great learning experience and has enabled me to shape the store into something I know our Guests will love. The entire process, from finding suppliers, researching other stores, determining what brands we carry and making some big decisions that make FH Fine Food what it is today, has been so rewarding.
The Grand Opening Event itself is going to be spectacular. There will be live entertainment, free samples and some special opening-weekend deals. I’m so excited for people to see what we have created here!
What have the last few weeks been like preparing for the Grand Opening?
It has been surreal. I’m getting to put everything I had envisioned for the store into action, working with a team of passionate people, and ensuring everything is just right. It’s so exciting to be able to show our Homeowners and Guests what a special place this is. For the last few months, my life has been eat, sleep, dream FH Fine Food. The team is so excited to finally get to share it with the public.
What would you like the community to know about FH Fine Food?
You can always expect fresh produce and nothing but quality products at FH Fine Food. I believe the customer should get quality products every time they visit the store and we work hard to make sure that is the case.
We will also carry innovative products – products you won’t be able to get at your standard grocery store. These include things like rosé flavoured gummies from Sugarfina and Death in Venice’s peanut butter and croissant flavoured gelato. I’ve put my time into researching unique, quality items from both recognized brands and up and coming companies. I have really enjoyed finding lesser known companies that are doing something different. You get to support a small business and provide our Guests with a unique, quality product.
What can the community find at Fine Food that they can’t find anywhere else?
In addition to unique brands like Summerhill Market, Sweet Sammie’s, Sullivan & Bleeker, Il Tagliere and our FH Fine Food Private Label products, FH Fine Food will provide a personalized shopping experience. The team is close knit and customers will recognize familiar faces every time they visit the store. The FH Fine Food Team is dedicated to being experts on all of our products and are able to assist customers with any special requests or questions.
Shopping at FH Fine Food is an entire experience that you just can’t find elsewhere. For anyone who is interested in food or wants to impress their friends and family with a great meal or special gift, FH Fine Food is definitely the place to go.
