The following is an online extra from our February 2022 Sourcebook issue.
Photo courtesy Stella’s Grocery
An iconic brand inspires loyalty and is something businesses proudly tout. It is easily recognizable and over time has earned a certain reputation. For fans, there is an emotional attachment, and at its core, there is a story. Here in Richmond, there are a handful of food and beverage businesses that have become so embedded in the city’s culture that a world without them seems unimaginable; one of those is Stella's Grocery.
What began as a vision for a small market and a natural extension of the Lafayette Street Greek restaurant, Stella’s, has grown into a mini empire of family-owned stores.
“It took on a life of its own,” says Constantine “Dean” Giavos, 30, son of restaurateurs and market owners Katrina and Johnny Giavos and creative director for the business. “We just wanted a place to sell the frozen spanakopita.”
But whether the Giavos family saw it coming or not, the people have spoken. Since the first store debuted in 2015, the family has unveiled five additional locations throughout the city, introduced a Stella’s-brand olive oil sourced from small farms in southern Greece that is sold at the markets and used in their kitchens, and established itself as a source of everything from salad shakers to take-home meals and high-end gifts.
“I remember doing the original labels for the products, and we could never do that now,” Giavos says. “It did start out as a real mom-and-pop thing, and it blew up.”
The origin of the hip neighborhood market chain begins with matriarch Stella Dikos, a Greek immigrant and chef who has been feeding Richmond for the past 50 years. Originally serving bread and Brunswick stew at The Village Cafe before unveiling her namesake restaurant and sanctuary, Stella’s, she had gained the trust of diners over decades, making the family’s introduction to the market world seem effortless.
Natural-born bestowers of hospitality, the Giavoses exude a keen understanding of the inner workings of the industry, and of people. They recognize the importance of detail, from music to packaging, and have mastered the balancing act of moving forward while also keeping people wanting more.
“There’s so much thought put into all aspects of it, from design to interiors, and it’s all just so important and there are unspoken things, but people pick up on it,” Giavos explains.
One of the most important members of the team is head buyer Jeannie Brady, who is responsible for acquiring products from local purveyors, scouting national products and keeping the shelves stocked at the markets.
“I’ve grown up with her, she’s really close with the family,” Giavos says.
Another key leader is Executive Chef Loretta Montano, once consulting chef at Little Nickel, another Giavos restaurant, who oversees the markets’ prepared-foods menu, which includes everything from enormous Greek salads to a rotating selection of pastas and grilled entrees.
While the markets are located within less than a 5-mile radius of one other, each has a distinct feature to set it apart — from the counter-service hot bar in Scott’s Addition to the meze plates and cocktails served at the European-inspired Grove Avenue outpost — and attracts its own clientele.
Giavos cites gourmet market chain Dean & DeLuca as a source of inspiration, and while the chain of upscale markets closed in 2019 after over-expansion and attempts to reach a global market (the business has announced plans to restart after completing bankruptcy proceedings), the Giavos family is focused on keeping things rooted in Richmond and “slowing down.”
"I think to me, the push would be to do wholesale foods,” Giavos says, noting that they envision selling dips, casseroles and frozen goods, and eventually a cookbook, within the next five to 10 years.
Despite an assortment of other neighborhood markets opening in recent years, along with an influx of shops introduced in response to the pandemic, Stella’s Grocery has carved out its niche in the market landscape.
“I don’t think it tries too hard, and anything we do, we try to be accessible,” Giavos says.
And chances are, if you stop in, you’ll see a member of the Giavos family in the building.
“My mom’s dad, Stella’s husband, who passed away a few years ago, would always say, ‘People want to see you in your restaurant,’ ” Giavos says, “which is so true. There’s a person behind the name, and the brand, and that’s important.”
Stella’s Grocery Locations
Malvern Gardens, 1007 Lafayette St., opened April 2015
Scott’s Addition, 3351 W. Moore St., opened April 2018
Downtown, 109 E. Grace St., opened October 2018
Westhampton, 5802 Grove Ave., opened May 2021
Manchester, 609 Hull St., opened August 2021
Westover Hills, 4930 Forest Hill Ave., opened November 2021