Vallarta Supermarkets appointed Jose Manuel as chief of stores, the grocer confirmed with Grocery Dive on Monday.
Manuel has been with the Hispanic grocery company for his entire 35-year career, starting at age 16 as a courtesy clerk and chicharronero, a position tasked with preparing and cooking chicharrones, carnitas and other Mexican dishes, according to an internal company announcement.
During his time at Vallarta, Manuel has held at least a dozen different titles, ranging from roles in the meat department to cashier, in addition to leadership positions like district manager, lead district manager and, most recently, vice president of operations.
“His experience across virtually every area of store operations gives him a unique understanding of what it takes to support our stores and delivery and exceptional Vallarta experience for our customers,” the company wrote in the internal announcement.
Manuel’s promotion comes during a time of growth for the Hispanic grocer. In March, Vallarta announced plans to debut a new store concept with an in-house seafood restaurant that is set to become a staple across Vallarta locations. At the start of this year, Vallarta opened its first store outside its home state of California in Glendale, Arizona.
