Riverside Foods has been named the inaugural Business of the Year by the Riverside Chamber of Commerce.
Peter Boutsikakis, co-owner and operator of the local grocery store at 48 E. Burlington St., accepted a trophy on the business’s behalf at the chamber’s Oct. 15 meeting.
“I was very surprised,” Boutsikakis told the Landmark. “I had cast my vote for some other businesses in town, but I actually felt very grateful, especially it being a new award from the Chamber of Commerce … It really felt like a vote of confidence.”
Boutsikakis said he hopes to display the award inside Riverside Foods so shoppers can see it once he finds a way to secure it.
“You have so many other great businesses in Riverside,” he said. “Why wouldn’t any of these other businesses be awarded, too? I’m truly grateful for that, given the fabric of cool businesses in town that do a great job.”
Boutsikakis also gave his thanks to the employees of Riverside Foods and his co-owner, Anthony Garbis.
“They all do a really, really great job. We operate like a family there, in a sense, and our customers find the value to go day after day, week after week, shopping at their neighborhood grocery store,” he said.
Arrick Pelton, president of the chamber, said the idea cropped up within discussions held by the chamber’s executive board around spring of this year. The board includes Pelton, vice president Becky Visser, secretary Adam C. Holzhauer and treasurer Auggie Garcia.
“What I always do every year with these members is say, ‘What can we do as a chamber to add value? Are we doing enough?’” Pelton said. “One of the board members brought up the idea. He’d seen other chambers, other [business development] groups doing awards.”
While other groups might issue a suite of awards, Pelton said he wanted to stick with just one award to avoid overcomplicating things during the chamber’s first go at the effort.
“The question was, ‘What’s that category going to be?’ Business of the Year was what we agreed on, and then I worked with them to craft basic criteria for the award,” he said.
The criteria included three tenets, Pelton said: excellence, community and connection.
“The first thing we called was excellence. We were looking for a member who consistently provides a great product, service or experience and demonstrates pride in what they do. The other category was community, a member who positively contributes to Riverside and shows commitment to our community and the people who live here,” Pelton said. “The [last] was connection, a member who builds relationships, supports other local businesses and organizations and helps strengthen our Riverside business community.”
Next year, Pelton said he wants to start promoting the award earlier in the year and open a two-month window for nominations to roll in before voting begins. He said it was an informal affair this year, with the chamber soliciting votes from members over email in the fall.
The other three businesses that were nominated for the award were Riverside Bank — which Boutsikakis said earned his vote — as well as First American Bank and Next Level Wellness. Riverside Foods beat them all out when the votes were tallied.
Pelton said Riverside Foods made a strong inaugural Business of the Year due to Boutsikakis’s involvement across the Riverside community.
“Peter does a lot, and his family’s been in the business there for many, many years,” Pelton said. “He always is there to do stuff if you ask him, and I feel like he does a nice job with that. He’s volunteering his time with the [village’s economic development commission], and he’s involved with the chamber. I know he does a nice job; I think he’s got a good reputation. It’s a small grocer, and I think people want to support that.”
