Grandson of Fairway founder steps down

Fairway Market announced that Howard Glickberg, whose grandfather took a fruit and vegetable stand in New York and turned it into a 15-store grocery chain, is retiring.

Glickberg most recently served as vice chair of real estate development for Fairway. He will remain a member of the retailer’s board of directors, Fairway said. He worked with the company for more than 40 years, serving as its CEO until 2011.

"I've dedicated the past 40 years of my life to building the world's greatest food store," said Glickberg, 67. "It's been my life's work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the past when I would take a little vacation, I would somehow wind up visiting a supermarket. And if I saw an apple out of place I would fix it. So I've never traveled anywhere without Fairway on my mind."

Glickberg began his full-time involvement with Fairway Market in 1974. In 1975 he partnered with David Sneddon and Harold Seybert, and began adding specialty items, expanding the space and emphasizing fresh fruit and vegetables. Fairway has been noted for operating some of the most productive grocery stores in the country in terms of sales per square foot.

Howie has been indefatigable and indispensable to Fairway's growth over the past four decades," said Fairway CEO Jack Murphy. "It was his vision to bring together the corner butcher, bakery, cheese monger, fish market, and farmer's market all under one roof, and add in an unparalleled selection of traditional, specialty and organic groceries at the best prices.”