The biggest food news in Central Virginia is the opening of Foods International in Lexington at exit 191 at the interchange of I 81 and I 64. With more than three years in the planning, Erik King held the Grand Opening in late January. This beautiful food emporium reflects his family’s food experiences and his extensive first hand knowledge of specialty foods and expertise in national and international food distribution. Erik left the family food business and joined Haddon House some 25 years ago. He became VP of Sales and Marketing, opening some 300 stores as the demand for specialty food items caught on and flourished. “It was my father who taught me the value of specialty foods—they are the items that allow small markets to compete with the chains. Specialty foods do not have to be expensive—quality is economy—the specialty foods in Foods International are priced lower than those in the chain stores.”

I recently had breakfast with Erik and his father, Donald King. The King family has been a major player in Central Virginia foods for over 50 years, providing selections of specialty foods rarely available in the south before the 1980s—except perhaps in Atlanta and New Orleans. Since the 1960s the Kings have forged a significant reputation for offering customers a source for their specialty food desires.

“I’ve always been fascinated by foods,” Mr. King said. “I’ve traveled all over the world, frequenting as many food shops as I could during the war (WWII). My wife was from Norway, enhancing my insight into international foods. Back in Charlottesville, after the war, Bob Roberts and I established King & Roberts—a wholesale food distributor, serving central Virginia. I prefer the retail side of the food business, so I opened a small retail market that moved several times before opening a bigger store known as Carriage Foods, in the Meadowbook Shopping Center (before Barracks Road Shopping Center was built). My motto has always been, ‘If the customer wants it—you get it!’ In those days, we carried specialty items not seen before in Charlottesville. We were the first to carry Breyer’s Ice Cream and Stouffer’s Frozen Foods—doesn’t sound like much now—but it was a big thing then. We carried bagels and rye bread, imported wines from France and our butcher selected and offered custom-cut, prime meats.

“Deli foods fascinated me. I worked in a famous New York delicatessen, just for the experience and to learn about available products to bring to Charlottesville. Soon, we opened a restaurant serving the finest New York delicatessen foods, including Reuben Arnold’s Cheesecake, flown in several times a week. I was the second area restaurateur to serve liquor by the drink, continuing to provide customers with what they want. We opened convenience stores that were far ahead of their time, offering customers specialty items along with the typical inventory. Our next big move was to establish Foods of All Nations. My son, Erik, was the first manager there.”

Mr. King tells the story of one famous visitor, Craig Claiborne, who happened into Carriage Foods while waiting for a flight. “He was very down to earth, stayed 4 or 5 hours—I sent him home with a Virginia ham. When Claiborne’s first New York Times Cookbook came out, one of the few sources listed was our store. Since that time many notables have visited Foods of All Nations. When I encounter people who have visited Charlottesville, they inevitably mention Foods of All Nations as one of their favorite stops.”

That will soon be the case with Erik’s new venture, Foods International, in Lexington. This beautiful food emporium reflects his family’s first hand food experiences and offers many items not here-to-for available in a 75 mile radius. “Our inventory consists of about 50% non-perishable specialty food items, the other 50% is fresh and perishable: deli, butcher shop, bakery, prepared foods and full catering, produce, and more.” Eric defines specialty foods as those items beyond the 2,000 or so items now sold in chains, (that used to be considered specialty items) those things not found in mass distribution warehouses—primarily selected from specialty houses and cottage industries and local producers.

“At Foods International, we dominate category selection—by that I mean we don’t have three selections of balsamic vinegar—we have10-20 of the best in the world. This is true of many items: oils, pastas, teas, condiments, beverages and many other products.” A trip to Foods International is a culinary travelogue, a true adventure. The current inventory is based on Eric’s considerable first hand experience in specialty foods. “Our initial inventory will change and grow all of the time based on customer requests and my ongoing search for the best and newest of what the food world has to offer—following my father’s credo, ‘If the customer wants it—you get it!’”

“I learned a thing or two from Sam Walton—‘a computer will tell you what you sold, not what you could have sold.’ I listen to customers and am constantly on the lookout for new items to introduce. Walton also incorporated local businesses into his early stores—stores within the store. Here at Foods International we have incorporated the services of a local florist and a coffee grinder, and we will do more of that as time goes on. We carry products from local producers like Wade’s Mill, Homestead Creamery and local eggs. We will carry local seasonal produce and add other local items as they become available.”

Erik has gleaned many retail food ideas during his travels and used some of them to pattern Foods International from operations like Wegman’s in Northern Virginia and Central Markets in Texas. “Foods International is unlike grocery stores, we are actually a restaurant selling specialty foods rather than a grocery store with a restaurant. That makes a big difference in what we can offer. We buy from sources that cater to restaurants—providing the opportunity for our customers to purchase restaurant quality foods, particularly meats and wines, to prepare at home. I can offer you many of the same fine wines offered at fine restaurants, at great savings.”

The staff is being trained on an ongoing basis to know how to use the products found throughout the store. “We understand that our staff has to know how to use what we sell in order to service our clientele. We have gone a step further and provided a concierge, not just for the store but for the region as well. We want our customers to use this service to find out what this area has to offer and what the world of food has to offer. Keep in mind our family motto, ‘If the customer wants it—you get it!’” The young Donald King, his grandfather’s namesake, better known as Deke, follows in the family tradition as the delicatessen manager and his father’s right hand man. Now that the grand opening has occurred, Erik hopes that the demands on his time will diminish so that he can be more available to explore the store with customers.