Hawaii’s oldest and largest supermarket chain had humble beginnings, 64 years ago this Sunday. It was founded by Maurice J. Sullivan, who left his native Ireland in 1927 for New York with $7 in his pocket.
Sullivan got a job with A&P Tea Co., the country’s largest grocery chain. He worked his way up from sacking potatoes to become a manager. He built a strong reputation within the company and soon was being sent to A&P’s problem stores to turn around their business.
During World War II, Sullivan enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed at Hickam Air Force Base. Placed in charge of procuring product for the Officers’ Mess Hall, “Sully” would travel the island looking for fresh produce. One such trip brought him to the Lanikai store, run by the Lau family.
Shoo She Pang “Mama” Lau and her daughter Joanna befriended him, and soon he would visit them on his days off to work at the store.
After the war the Laus asked Sully to help them run their business. Knowing he would not be satisfied running a small mom-and-pop store and worried that Hawaii was too small, he declined and returned to Buffalo, N.Y.
A few weeks of winter, though, were enough to change his mind, and he returned to the islands. If he were to run the Lanikai store, he told the Laus, he had two conditions. First, they would remodel the store, and second, they would promise to one day help him fulfill his dream of opening a supermarket. They agreed.
The Laus were friends with Hiram Fong, who had just purchased some property at the corner of Kapiolani Boulevard and Harding Avenue in Honolulu.
Mama Lau persuaded Fong to lease her space for a supermarket. With the hard work of Mama, Sully and Joanna and $20,000 in capital, the store opened on May 6, 1948. At Joanna’s suggestion, the store was called Foodland Super Market.
“I persuaded Theo Davies and Amfac,” Sullivan said, “the two biggest grocery wholesalers, to give me enough merchandise to stock our store with the promise that I would pay them one week after we opened.” Sullivan also talked the newspapers into giving him advertising on credit.
Hundreds of shoppers appeared in response to their full-page ads. The crowds were so large that the front doors had to be locked, allowing only a few people in at a time. Employees raced to restock the shelves.
“The biggest reason people flocked to the store was our low markup,” Sullivan said. His philosophy was to “treat our customers well and they will come back.”
Before Foodland, clerks waited on Hawaii customers, Sullivan recalled. “At May’s Market (1855 to 1956) on Beretania Street, they must have had 20 clerks.” Having seen the first A&P supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1935, Sullivan thought their self-service model would work in Hawaii.
Foodland was so successful that Sully and the Laus opened a store a year for the next 10 years.
Joanna and Sully fell in love, and they married on Feb. 14, 1958. They had four children: Kitty, Jenai, Colleen and Patrick.
The chain now includes 31 Foodland, Foodland Farms and Sack N Save stores, and employs approximately 2,500. This fall, Foodland will open its 32nd store: Foodland Kapolei.
In addition to Foodland, Sully opened Food Pantry (to serve Hawaii’s growing visitor market), Dunkin’ Donuts, Hallmark card stores, Morrow’s Nut House, Swiss Colony and jewelry retailer Coral Grotto.
Sullivan was the original Hawaii franchisee for McDonald’s. The first one opened in Aina Haina, near the Sullivan home.
Sullivan died in February 1998. Joanna celebrated her 90th birthday last July. Their daughter, Jenai Sullivan Wall, is now chairwoman and CEO. “Whenever we would travel he would look for things to bring back and franchise or bring into our stores,” Jenai said. “Even today we are inspired by his entrepreneurial spirit and are always looking for new products and services to bring to our Hawaii consumers.”
Today, Foodland has evolved into the Sullivan Family of Companies. It has expanded into visitor-oriented convenience stores, hotel gift shops, apparel stores and neighborhood markets called Malama Market, as well as Beard Papa, HI Steaks and R. Field Wine Co. It also owns 15 The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf locations in Hawaii. All told, it operates more than 150 locations in 12 states.
