At Sendik’s, the color has taken on a new meaning as we’ve expanded our composting program in an effort to be even more “green.” In partnership with our friends at Waste Management, we began a composting pilot program last summer at our Germantown location. It worked so well, we were able to expand it to all of our stores last fall.

“The progress we’ve made with our compost program has been exciting to watch,” said family co-owner Ted Balistreri. “All of our stores are now composting because we think it’s the right thing to do. We want to be good neighbors in the communities we serve, and we hope to continue to increase the amount of waste we can keep out of our landfills.”

As you may have read on our blog previously, Sendik’s employees now segregate unwanted produce and plants for recycling, including flowers, fruits and vegetables past their prime and trimmings from our in-store food preparation. Those materials are then separated in designated carts and collected by Waste Management in a Rotopress. The Rotopress vehicle – one of only five in all of North America – is ideally suited for collecting food waste because it is sealed to contain odors and liquid and continually moves the material forward to ensure even weight distribution.

After being mixed with yard debris, our waste – which used to end up in landfills – decomposes into a rich, uniform soil additive that Waste Management supplies to a leading lawn care company for sale to consumers. This program allows us to keep much of our waste out of landfills every month. Since the program launch, we’ve been able to compost more than 425 tons of organics.

“Sendik’s is blazing a trail that others will want to follow,” said Waste Management’s Joel Meyer.  “They were willing to take on the risks and challenges that come with innovation because the environmental benefits are so fantastic.”

Today, Balistreri owned and operated Sendik’s Food Markets announced the winners from its Community Soup Recipe Contest. The winning soups were selected from nearly 400 entries received between January 18 and February 5. Entries were categorized and recipes were reviewed for accuracy and ease of production. Sendik’s deli development center then tested the recipes for taste and flavor profile, narrowing the field to the final 10.

Winners will receive a $100 Sendik’s gift card, a Community Soup Recipe Contest prize package and will see their soups available at Sendik’s throughout the coming year.

“We were overwhelmed by the community’s response to this contest,” said Shane Towne, Sendik’s Director of Marketing and Strategic Growth. “It’s humbling to be trusted with a family recipe, and we are honored to be able to offer these delicious soups for all of our customers to try.”

The winners are:

• Joy Barger, Germantown, Vegetarian Quinoa Soup
• Brenda Behlmer, Menomonee Falls, Italian Sausage & Spinach Soup
• Alaina Burnett, West Allis, Roasted Cauliflower Soup
• Jane Cerra, Franklin, Black Bean Stew
• Kathryn Hartung, Brookfield, Carrot, Red Pepper & Curry Soup
• Sue Liebl, Franklin, Sweet ‘n Sour Cabbage Soup
• Julie Ravely, Milwaukee, Roasted Root Vegetable Soup
• Michal Riege, Germantown, Hearty Lentil & Ham Soup
• Sue Shannon, Saukville, Hungarian Minestrone Soup
• Debbie Tritschler, Wauwatosa, Deb’s Chicken Chili

“We were amazed not only by the soups themselves but by the stories that were shared,” said Linda Lakomek, Sendik’s Deli Director. “Reading about the joy of picking out fresh vegetables at Sendik’s and the amazing weight loss experienced by eating healthy reminded us the role food plays in being a comforting part of people’s lives.”

The winners will be recognized at a reception at Sendik’s Mequon store, 10930 N. Port Washington Road, on Tuesday, March 5 at 6 p.m., which is open to media members. Media may park in Sendik’s parking lot and enter through the main lobby. They are asked to check in at the service desk upon arrival.

Customers will be able to taste these winning soups beginning in late March at Sendik’s Food Markets.

“We were blown away when we saw the final figures,” said Ted Balistreri, one of the family co-owners of Sendik’s Food Markets. “We always set a goal of topping last year’s number, but this was just incredible. It really demonstrates how generous our customers are.”

John Cary (left), executive director of the MACC Fund, accepts the donation from Margaret Harris (center) and Ted Balistreri (right), who presented on behalf of Sendik’s customers.

The funds were raised through a variety of in-store promotions during the months of November, December and January. This included:

• MACC*Stars:  Sendik’s customers purchased more than 3,000 TODAY’S TMJ4 MACC*Stars. This year’s MACC*Star was designed by 10-year-old Maggie Conlon of Brookfield, who was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma as a 5-week-old.
• Sendik’s Real Food Magazine: 100% of proceeds from the $1.99 magazine benefited the MACC Fund.
• Candy Canes: The holiday candies were sold for $1 each, 100% of which was donated. More than 78,000 candy canes were purchased by Sendik’s customers.
• Support MACC Items: In-store signage alerted customers that the purchase of select items meant a portion of the proceeds were donated to the MACC Fund.

The record check brings the five-year donation total from Sendik’s customers to $437,550. In addition to last year’s $107,300, the program raised $80,000 in 2010, $62,000 in 2009 and $59,000 in 2008.

MACC Fund president and co-founder Jon McGlocklin commented on the good news. “This is absolutely remarkable. The MACC Fund is so grateful. It is another example of the wonderful five-year commitment of Sendik’s Food Markets partnering again with their generous and caring customers to support the MACC Fund to help children battling cancer and blood disorders.”

Sendik’s Food Markets today announced the start of its Community Soup Recipe Contest. The contest will give customers the opportunity to share their family soup recipes, and winners will see their soup featured at a local Sendik’s.

“We think this contest will be a fun way to make an even greater connection to the communities we serve,” said Shane Towne, Sendik’s director of marketing and strategic growth. “Sendik’s has been sharing Balistreri family recipes since 1926, and we know our customers have amazing family recipes they’d like to share, too. We’re excited about the chance to taste and share these great recipes with our neighbors.”

Ten winners will be chosen among all the entries. Customers can enter through Sendik’s website by going to sendiksmarket.com/soup. Winners will receive a $100 Sendik’s gift card, a Sendik’s Community Soup Recipe prize package and will see their soup featured in Sendik’s deli later this spring and throughout the year.

“We’ve had no trouble finding associates to test the recipes,” said Linda Lakomek, Sendik’s deli director. “I know we’ll have great recipes to choose from. Customers enjoy the opportunity to make recommendations and talk to our chefs, so this gives them a neat way to be able to do that more formally than they can when they’re shopping. And there are lots of fun prizes.”

The contest ends Tuesday, February 5, and winners will be announced February 28.

Milwaukee, Wis. – Expanding their service in the Northshore community, Balistreri owned and operated Sendik’s Food Markets today announced it will open a store in Bayside this spring. The Bayside store will be located at 340 W Brown Deer Road, on the northeast corner of W. Brown Deer and N. Port Washington roads. It will be the eleventh location for the family-owned grocer based in Whitefish Bay and recognized by its famous “Red Bag.”

“Our new store in Bayside will give us a chance to better serve our customers in Bayside and the surrounding communities,” said Ted Balistreri, one of the family co-owners of Sendik’s. The Balistreri family, in a partnership with Devo Properties of Mequon, Wisconsin, is purchasing the property at 340 W Brown Deer road, as well as the property to the east at 326 W. Brown Deer Road and the adjacent residential property on Mohawk Road and W. Brown Deer Road. The three properties will be redeveloped allowing the building at 326 W. Brown Deer Road to be expanded.

Devo Properties principal Greg Devorkin said construction could begin soon on a 3,500-square-foot expansion at the east end of the 326 W. Brown Deer road building. When the remodel of the Sendik’s building and expansion of the additional building are complete, the two buildings will be approximately 7,500 square feet each. The Mobil-branded gas station will be owned and operated by Sendik’s and remain open throughout the renovation of the new Sendik’s store.

“This is a great opportunity for us to serve the surrounding communities by designing a store with a focus on fast, fresh and healthy offerings. We’ll be offering a quick and easy way to fill your tank while carrying on the rich tradition we have established of providing the best shopping experience, period,” continued Balistreri.

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 About Sendik’s Food Markets: Since 1926, the Balistreri family has been serving the greater Milwaukee community by combining quality food products with exceptional customer service. Their goal is to provide you with the best grocery shopping experience, period. Currently, Sendik’s Food Markets operates 10 stores throughout Southeastern Wisconsin: Whitefish Bay, Wauwatosa, Mequon, Grafton, Elm Grove, Franklin, Greenfield, Germantown, New Berlin, and West Bend.

“Executives within this modern age need to be customer-focused, tech-savvy leaders,” said Dr. David Borst, dean of CUW’s School of Business Administration. “Students in this new program will learn strong, critical thinking skills and be able to manage budgets and inventory successfully.”

Sendik’s was excited about the prospect of expanding career opportunities for students right here in Milwaukee, said Ted Balistreri, one of the family co-owners of Sendik’s. The local grocer employs more than 1,450 associates among its home office in Whitefish Bay and 10 stores throughout Metro Milwaukee.

“This program will focus on developing future leaders for our family business,” Balistreri said. “Students will learn from the ground up our style of servant leadership and will have the opportunity to apply these skills in a rapidly changing and competitive retail marketplace.”

Students who are selected for the Sendik’s Scholars Program will receive an annual $5,000 scholarship that is good for a maximum of four years. They will also receive specialized grocery retail management curriculum, an internship placement within the Sendik’s organization, opportunities for service leadership, and qualified, vetted, custom-training for career advantages on a cohort-style academic path.

Interested students need to complete an application, with selected candidates being invited to attend interviews in spring. For more information on this Program, visit https://www.cuw.edu/Programs/business/undergraduate.html or call 262-243-5700.

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About Concordia University Wisconsin
Founded in 1881, Concordia University Wisconsin’s main campus is located on 200 acres of beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline at 12800 N. Lake Shore Drive, Mequon. The University and its 10 educational centers and classroom locations are home to 7,751 undergraduate and graduate, traditional, as well as non-traditional students from 46 states and 28 foreign countries. The University offers more than 69 undergraduate majors, 14 master’s degree programs, and doctoral degrees in Physical Therapy, Pharmacy, and Nursing Practice. The University also offers a variety of adult learning opportunities.

The University is affiliated with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and is a member of the Concordia University System, a nationwide network of colleges and universities. For more information on Concordia University Wisconsin, contact the university at (262) 243-4300 or visit their Web site at www.cuw.edu.

About Sendik’s Food Markets
Since 1926, the Balistreri family has been serving the greater Milwaukee community by combining quality food products with exceptional customer service. Their goal is to provide you with the best grocery shopping experience, period. Currently, Sendik’s Food Markets operates 10 stores throughout Southeastern Wisconsin: Whitefish Bay, Wauwatosa, Mequon, Grafton, Elm Grove, Franklin, Greenfield, Germantown, New Berlin, and West Bend.

“I can’t tell you how generous our customers have been,”  said Ted Balistreri, who owns Sendik’s, along with brothers Patrick and Nick, and sister Margaret Harris. “It is phenomenal.  We’re a family business, and this is families helping feed other families in our communities.”

Ted Balistreri and Margaret Harris visited Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s warehouse Monday to both witness the delivery and present a check for $44,750 to the local food bank. The monetary funds were also raised by Sendik’s customers, who purchased Sendik’s Real Food magazines, rounded up their totals, purchased Mac & Cheese and donated bags of groceries, all in support of the grocer’s quarterly charity partner.

The donation was welcomed by Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin President Bonnie Bellehumeur. “The support from Sendik’s provides much needed food assistance for families who continue to feel the lasting effects of the recession,” she said. “This donation will help us meet the increased need for emergency food relief especially during the holiday season.”

This is the fifth year that Sendik’s has partnered with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, making the fundraising events and promotions a fall tradition for customers.

“We’re continually amazed by our customers,” said Ted Balistreri. “They understand how important their support is to the hungry of our community, and they give generously. We are honored to make this donation on their behalf.”

Left: Bonnie Bellehumeur (left), accepts the donation from Ted Balistreri (center) and Margaret Harris.

Right: Ted Balistreri is interviewed by TODAY’S TMJ4 reporter, Jesse Ritka.

This is the fifth consecutive year that Balistreri owned and operated Sendik’s Food Markets has partnered with the local food bank, which serves more than 330,000 people throughout eastern Wisconsin. Support for the donation was made possible by generous customer giving during the months of August, September and October. A variety of in-store promotions allowed customers to contribute both food and monetary donations to the food bank:

• Sendik’s Real Food Magazine: 100% of proceeds from sale benefited Feeding America.
• Backpack Buddies: Proceeds from Backpack Buddies provided a backpack filled with school supplies for needy children in the Milwaukee area.
• Mac & Cheese Promotion: For every box of Shurfine macaroni and cheese sold, Sendik’s donated one box to Feeding America.
• Sendik’s Food Drive: Customers purchased a $5, $10 or $20 bag of groceries to help feed hungry families.
• Keep the Change for Feeding America: Customers had the opportunity to round up their receipt total to the nearest dollar for Feeding America.

“We’re continually amazed by our customers,” said Ted Balistreri, who owns Sendik’s, along with brothers Patrick and Nick, and sister Margaret Harris. “They understand how important their support is to the hungry of our community, and they give generously. We are honored to make this donation on their behalf.”

 * * * *

 About Sendik’s Food Markets: Since 1926, the Balistreri family has been serving the greater Milwaukee community by combining quality food products with exceptional customer service. Their goal is to provide you with the best grocery shopping experience, period. Currently, Sendik’s Food Markets operates 10 stores throughout Southeastern Wisconsin: Whitefish Bay, Wauwatosa, Mequon, Grafton, Elm Grove, Franklin, Greenfield, Germantown, New Berlin, and West Bend.

The MACC Fund provides critical funding to help cure childhood cancer and related blood disorders, and Sendik’s has supported the organization for many years. In addition to this season-long promotion, the MACC Fund will again be the feature of Sendik’s charitable efforts during the upcoming holiday season. The 25th Anniversary Today’s TMJ4 MACC*Star will be on sale at all ten Balistreri owned and operated Sendik’s Food Markets in mid-November, and other in-store events throughout November, December and January will benefit the charity.

“We enjoyed watching the donation total grow throughout the season as we cheered on the Brewers,” said Nick Balistreri, who owns Sendik’s, along with brothers Ted and Patrick, and sister, Margaret Harris. “It’s an honor for us to lend support to the MACC Fund. Their support of childhood cancer and blood disorder research is saving lives and giving families hope.”

Coupled with the $107,300 from last year’s holiday partnership, the stolen base donation means Sendik’s and its customers have donated $123,100 for the MACC Fund in the past year.

“The MACC Fund is honored to be part of the Sendik’s Food Markets family,” said John Cary, executive director of the MACC Fund. “Their ongoing support has meant the world to the children battling serious disease.  Their teaming up with the Brewers added extra meaning to every exciting stolen bag while also providing a child Hope.”

“I’m excited to share my favorite recipes with the fans,” said Butler. “These are recipes I’ve had in my head for years, and it was fun to write them down. More importantly, the cookbook helps us do a lot of good by supporting women who are impacted by breast cancer.”

Butler will be making personal appearances at all 10 local Sendik’s stores to autograph copies of the book for customers and share information about his foundation. Customers can also support the charity by purchasing the Leroy Butler Burger. The gourmet burger is sold exclusively in Sendik’s full-service meat department.

“Leroy’s Foundation is doing great things in our community,” said Nick Balistreri, who owns Sendik’s, along with brothers Ted and Patrick, and sister, Margaret Harris. “It’s rewarding for us to be able to support this charity, and it’s fun for our customers to have the chance to meet Leroy. We look forward to raising even more money with this new cookbook.”

This is the second cookbook by Butler, following 2009′s “Leaping into the Kitchen with Leroy Butler.” The title plays off Butler’s famous, spontaneous leap into the stands at Lambeau Field, inventing the now-famous “Lambeau Leap.”