Arthur T. Demoulas greeted customers and employees alike today in a visit to a Chelsea Market Basket store that marked the grocery chain’s return to life. Demoulas said it was an appropriate occasion for Labor Day, since he said workers — and customers’ support for workers — had brought it about.
"Everybody ready?" asked Consultant Justine Griffin. "You lost him."
Griffin shrugged helplessly as Demoulas absent-mindedly walked away from reporters to hug an employee. He returned, wearing a
sheepish grin, to stand in front of microphones.
"So we have our reluctant celebrity," Griffin said. "And I promised him it would only be three or four questions."
Almost 100 years after his grandfather opened the first Market Basket, Demoulas stood happily in front of the company’s gleaming brick and glass flagship store in a plain gray suit and striped tie, kind of needing a haircut. Over the past many weeks, his faced has graced posters at rallies the size of rock concerts. People have written songs about him. There are car decals of his face that take up most of a back windshield.
And that whole time, says Demoulas’ son, T.A. Demoulas, his dad was watching. He saw the news stories and the headlines.
"He was restricted by all the legalese stuff so he couldn’t say much," T.A. said.
T.A. Demoulas says his dad is the understated type, but it was still tough to keep quiet as customers, in droves, found other places to shop and employees were fired, or walked off the job, or had their hours cut.
“He’s always tried to fly under the radar I think, is how I would describe it, but he felt bad that the people were out of work,” he said.
Arthur T. Demoulas restricted himself to brief statements urging the other side of his family to agree on a deal, which finally came together last week.
"It was very nerve-wracking, you know what I mean, to see all these people put their livelihoods on the line for this organization and myself, and the way in which they did," Arthur T. said. "It touched my heart and I’ll be forever grateful.”
Arthur T. worked his way slowly through the packed Chelsea store, shaking hands and posing for photos with customers pushing carriages heaped with groceries. Employees were still restocking shelves, but calmly now, after days of feverish around the clock work. At first glance the only thing missing is some of the meat in the butcher department. Demoulas walked behind the counter there and slapped people on the back.
Nearby, Tom Gordon watched and smiled. Until these last few days, Gordon was hanging out everyday on the grassy corner across from the Market Basket Tewksbury headquarters, usually in shorts, t-shirt and a cap, smoking a cigar. Now he wore a black suit and swirly blue tie.
"A suit, and I shaved and everything!" Gordon said. "Couldn’t be better. See the boss out here doing what he does best, greeting the people. It’s been a great couple days."
Gordon said he’d imagined this day and just this scene.
"He likes coming out and seeing people but not quite like this," Gordon said. "He doesn’t like the attention, he really doesn’t. I think he knows that the people of this company, the customers especially, helped him get this company back. And he feels he owes it to them to come out and thank him for it.”
People were saying thank you back. Gladys Vega told T.A. that one Sunday during the boycott she organized a candlelight vigil at this store.
“For people in the low-income community, this brings sort
of like class and services to Chelsea, so we’re grateful to be here," she told him.
Vega, who runs a nonprofit summer program says this happy ending to the Market Basket dispute sends a message.
“Of the workers power that they have, and what can be done if you organize and you stand for your rights,” she said.
“She’s right, she’s absolutely right," said Paul Fair, who says he drives here from Newton to shop. "Because you know it was it was about the greed."
“I would have never, never ever come back to the store again if they hadn’t put him back in charge," Fair added. "Why? Because he cares about the employee. That’s why people, I believe, right, supported him."
Arthur T. says it all comes down to a business model.
"What does our heart an awful lot of good is when you’re doing things out there that are good for people," he said. "We think we have a business model that is good for the hard working associates that make it work, and it’s good for the customers that we can afford them more food at affordable prices without sacrificing quality, or variety, or service, or the ambiance of a nice facility like we have here in Chelsea."
