DeLUCA'S MARKET OWNER VIRGIL
AIELLO HAS BEEN AT THE SCENE OF
A FIRE AT HIS CHARLES STREET
STORE SINCE LAST WEEK AND HE HAD
BEEN DIRECTING CUSTOMERS TO THE
NEWBURY STREET STORE UNTIL
HEALTH INSPECTORS SHUT THAT DOWN
TOO.
OUTSIDE ON CHARLES STREET TODAY,
WASTE MANAGEMENT CREWS HAUL OUT
TRASH BAG AFTER TRASH BAG OF
DAMAGED GOODS.
JUICE, YOGURTS AND GALLONS AND
GALLONS OF MILK.
INSIDE, WORKERS CLEAR SHELVES
AND EMPTY REFRIGERATORS.
IT'S BEEN A WEEK SINCE A
FOUR-ALARM BLAZE TORE THROUGH
THE BEACON HILL LANDMARK,
CAUSING AN ESTIMATED $1 MILLION
IN DAMAGE.
THEN ON MONDAY ANOTHER CLOSURE.
BOSTON'S HEALTH DIVISION SHUT
DOWN THE NEWBURY STREET LOCATION
AN A TIP THAT FIRE DAMAGE GOODS
FROM CHARLES STREET WERE BEING
SOLD THERE.
>> CARDBOARD BOXES THAT WERE
SOAKED, THE INSPECTOR WOULD
TOUCH SOME OF THE PRODUCTS AND
HER HAND WOULD COME OFF WITH
SOOT.
>> OWNER AIELLO ADMITS TO MOVING
BOTTLED WATER, BUT SAID THAT THE
PRODUCTS WERE FINE.
>> CANNED GROCERIES IN A BOX
THAT WERE PERFECTLY GOOD, I'D
TAKE HOME TO MY FAMILY TO
CONSUME MYSELF.
>> Emily: AND THERE WAS ANOTHER
MAJOR VIOLATION.
THE MARKET'S SALAD BAR WASN'T
COLD ENOUGH, WHICH THEY SAY WAS
SWARMING WITH FLIES.
>> IT WASN'T JUST ONE OR TWO.
BUT AN INFESTATION.
>> Emily: NO WORD ON WHEN EITHER
LOCATION WILL REOPEN.
AND JOINING ME IS VIRGIL AIELLO.
WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Emily: I SAID I COULD STILL
SMELL THE SMOKE ON YOUR JACKET.
>> WELL, IT'S A WORK IN
PROGRESS.
>> Emily: WHAT'S FIRST ON THE
NEWBURY STREET STORE?
YESTERDAY YOU WERE HOPEFUL TO
HAVE IT OPENED BY LAST NIGHT.
WHAT HAPPENED?
>> IT HASN'T QUITE OPENED YET.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL BE
OPENED TODAY OR TOMORROW
MORNING.
WE ARE TAKING ALL THE STEPS
NECESSARY TO OPEN THAT STORE.
>> Emily: YOU ADMITTED TO ME
YESTERDAY, YOU SAID YOU MADE A
MISTAKE BRINGING THE STUFF OVER,
THE WATER --
>> WE DID.
WE DID.
THAT WAS A MISTAKE.
AND THE HEALTH INSPECTION
DEPARTMENT CAME IN, THESE ARE
FULL INSPECTIONS OF THE STORE.
I WANT TO SAY THAT AS A RESULT
OF ALL THIS, AS BAD AS IT IS,
THE RESULT IS THAT DeLUCA'S IS
GOING TO BE BETTER THAN EVER.
IT WILL BE FRESHER THAN EVER.
CLEANER THAN EVER.
AND BETTER OPERATED THAN EVER,
BECAUSE WE MADE A LOT OF
MISTAKES.
I WAS THE FIRST ONE TO -- YOU
KNOW, I'M THE FIRST ONE TO ADMIT
I MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE.
BUT WE ARE GOING TO IMPROVE
THINGS AND BRING THEM TO A
POINT, YOU KNOW, TO A LEVEL THAT
WAS NEVER EVEN REACHED BEFORE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED
AS A RESULT OF THIS IS THAT MY
PEST MANAGEMENT COMPANY QUIT IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE WHOLE
OPERATION.
AND -- BUT FORTUNATELY, THERE
WAS ANOTHER COMPANY STANDING
RIGHT THERE, ECHO LAB, OUT OF
NORWOOD.
A VERY FINE COMPANY, THAT --
THEY CALL IT A PEST ELIMINATION
COMPANY AND THEY HAVE COME IN
ALREADY WITH A NEW PLAN FOR US
TO ELIMINATE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE SALAD BAR WAS
THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE WERE
FLIES IN THE -- AND THE
TEMPERATURE WASN'T PROPER.
WELL, THAT'S CORRECTED BY OUR
REFRIGERATION PEOPLE, BUT ECHO
LABS IS PUTTING IN THESE STATE
OF THE ART FLY LIGHT CATCHERS.
AND THEY'RE ENVIRONMENTALLY
SOUND AND THEY'RE GOING TO DO A
TREMENDOUS JOB.
>> Emily: DO YOU REALLY NEED A
SALAD BAR?
>> DO WE NEED A SALAD BAR?
A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE TO HAVE
FRESH SALAD AND BY THE WAY, OUR
PRODUCE IS VERY FRESH.
>> Emily: YOU BRING STUFF IN
EVERY DAY?
>> WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT OUR
STORES ARE ONLY LOCATED WITHIN
TEN MINUTES OF DRIVING TIME TO
THE CHELSEA MARKET WHERE ALL OF
THE FRESH PRODUCE FOR THE ENTIRE
REGION COMES IN TO BE SOLD AT
WHOLESALE.
AND WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL BUYERS
DOWN THERE WHO ARE THERE FIVE OR
SIX DAYS A WEEK DOING NOTHING
BUT BUYING PRODUCE FOR VARIOUS
COMPANIES.
THEY BUY FOR US.
>> Emily: I WANT TO GO BACK TO
THE ORIGINAL STORY HERE WHICH IS
THE FIRE.
THAT WAS RATHER SHOCKING.
WERE THOSE CITY PEOPLE TAKING
THAT GARBAGE OUT?
BECAUSE THEY WERE DUMPING THAT
INTO THE STREET.
THAT HAD TO BE A HEALTH AND
SAFETY HAZARD RIGHT THEN AND
THERE.
WHO WERE THOSE GUYS?
THAT WAS DISGUSTING.
>> WELL, THEY WERE PEOPLE THAT I
HAD HIRED, THAT THE INSURANCE
COMPANY I SHOULD SAY HIRED, TO
TAKE THAT DEBRIS AWAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE
RED TAPE OR WHATEVER,
REGULATIONS WERE IN EFFECT, WE
WERE PROHIBITED FROM ACTUALLY
THROWING AWAY PRODUCT FOR ONE
ENTIRE WEEK.
>> Emily: SO IT WAS SITTING
THERE AND ROTTING AND BLISTERING
HEAT BECAUSE THERE'S NO
ELECTRICITY OR ANYTHING.
>> THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY WHAT
HAPPENED.
>> Emily: THAT IS AWFUL.
>> AS BAD AS THIS IS, THAT
PRODUCT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN
CARE OF --
>> Emily: THE NEXT DAY.
>> RIGHT AWAY.
THE NEXT DAY.
>> Emily: WHY DID THEY MAKE YOU
LEAVE IT THERE?
>> WELL, SUPPOSEDLY, THEY WERE
WAITING FOR CLEARANCE FROM THE
BUILDING DEPARTMENT BECAUSE
SUPPOSEDLY THE BUILDING WAS
UNSAFE.
>> Emily: I SEE.
>> BUT THAT OF COURSE IS
DEBATABLE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT
THEY COULD ACTUALLY GO IN AND
EXTRICATE SOME OF THAT PRODUCT.
>> Emily: HAVE THEY DETERMINED
WHAT THE ORIGINAL CAUSE OF THE
FIRE WAS?
>> THEY BELIEVE IT'S ELECTRICAL,
BUT THEY'RE INVESTIGATING IT
VERY THOROUGHLY I MIGHT SAY.
THEY HAVEN'T COME OUT WITH A
RESPONSE YET.
>> Emily: EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN IN
YOUR MARKET, IT'S QUIRKY, THE
SHELVES ARE LOW, YOU HAVE A LOT
OF ONE THING.
ARE YOU GOING TO REBUILD IT LIKE
THAT?
>> VERY MUCH SO.
WE LIKE TO HAVE A LOT OF VARIETY
IN THE STORE.
IT MAKES IT PROBLEMATICAL
STOCKING THE SHELVES, BUT IT'S
SECOND NATURE TO ME.
THE STORE HAS GROWN A LOT SINCE
ITS SIZE WHEN I WAS 11.
BUT WE'VE ALWAYS NEVER HAD THE
SPACE TO PUT ENTIRE CASES OF
CAMPBELL SOUP, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND SO IT -- BUT JUST THE WAY WE
DO BUSINESS.
WE HAVE TO JOCKEY AND MOVE CANS
AROUND IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO
FIT A WHOLE CASE ON THE SHELF
AND HAVE ENOUGH DISPLAY SO
PEOPLE HAVE CHOICES.
THE WHOLE CONSENT WE HAVE IS TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE CUSTOMER HAS
AS MUCH CHOICE AS POSSIBLE IN
THE SELECTION OF GOODS, WHETHER
IT BE OLIVE OIL OR SALAD
DRESSINGS OR PASTA SAUCES OR
PASTAS.
IT'S THE IDEA TO HAVE AS MUCH
CHOICE AS POSSIBLE IN A SHORT
PERIOD OF SPACE.
>> Emily: WILL INSURANCE COVER
THE WHOLE MESS FOR THIS,
INCLUDING THE LOSS AND THE TIME
OFF FROM THE STORE AND ALL THIS?
>> WELL, THEY'LL COVER IT UP TO
THE LIMITS OF THE POLICY AND YOU
NEVER HAVE ENOUGH INRETROSPECT.
BUT IT'S FAIR ENOUGH THAT WE
WON'T BE HURT AND RECONSTRUCT
AND BRING IT BACK BETTER THAN IT
WAS BEFORE.
>> Emily: YOU HOPE THE WORKERS
CAN CONTINUE AT THE NEWBURY
STREET STORE BUT THEY HAVEN'T
BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
>> BECAUSE WE HAVE A GOOD
INSURANCE POLICY WE'LL KEEP THE
EMPLOYEES ON THE CHARLES STREET
STORE AS WELL AND WE'LL MAINTAIN
OUR STAFF.
SOME OF OUR STAFF IS VERY
FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE SOME
VERY TRAINED PEOPLE.
THEY'RE VERY GOOD AT CHEESE AND
AT MEAT AND WINE.
>> Emily: HOW MUCH LONGER BEFORE
YOU CAN BUILD THE CHARLES STREET
OUT?
>> WE WANT TO DO IT QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE.
I DON'T WANT TO GUESS A TIME
FRAME RIGHT NOW, BUT LIKE A VERY
LARGE BALL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO
START IN MOTION.
AT FIRST, IT'S SLOW TO GET IT
STARTED BUT ONCE IT GETS ROLLING
IT WILL HOPEFULLY PICK UP SPEED.
>> Emily: OKAY, VIRGIL AIELLO,
YOU CAN TAKE THAT JACKET TO THE
DRY CLEANERS RIGHT NOW.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY OUR SHOP
IS LIKE A PANTRY FOR BEACON
HILL.
WHEN YOU HAVE A PANTRY, YOU PUT
THINGS IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
>> Emily: WE ALL KNOW WHERE IT
IS.
VIRGIL, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
WHEN WE COME, THE BIG LITTLE
SHOW AT THE ICA.