Personal Narrative: Demoulas Super Market Basket

Demoulas Super Market Inc. or Market Basket, is a family owned chain grocery store based out of Massachusetts with stores also located in New Hampshire and Maine. I had the opportunity when I turned 14 to work in the checkout bagging groceries. I worked all throughout high school and worked my way up into an assistant manager position right before I turned 18. With raises every 6 months and bonuses coming in left and right, I knew it was a good gig.

Everyone talked about our CEO Mr. Arthur T. Demoulas. I was fortunate enough to meet him the first year I worked there. It was Christmas Eve and I was outside getting all the shopping carts and bringing them inside. He walked up to me, shook my hand, told me who he was, and continued to thank me for my job well done. Being so young and not fully understanding his importance I took the small encounter for granted.

Or should I say something was missing? Besides three or four cars the parking lot was empty. I was in shock. Even we are closed the parking lot is more full than it was at that moment. As I parked made my way to the store entrance I could see some of my managers and fellow employees standing outside with signs. “Don’t Feed Corporate Greed” and “Market Basket Strong” were plastered all over the place. Walking into the store was kind of scary. It was a ghost town. There was no one at the checkout and only one customer service women in the courtesy booth. She looked at me smiled and said “It’s going to be a busy day” in an extremely sarcastic voice. I chuckled, smiled back, and proceeded to log myself in. My manager came inside and asked if I wanted to protest. I was skeptical at first because I wasn’t quite sure if he was kidding or not. He enthusiastically handed me a large blank piece of poster paper and a marker. “Write something but keep it appropriate” he said. “This is a peaceful protest Tommy and we want to keep it that