John’s No Frills makes premium products, competitive prices and community service top priority.

John Ciarallo sees business as more than just selling premium products. To the owner of John’s No Frills, it’s about serving the community, cultivating its potential and helping it grow. And the reason is straightforward: “If the community is successful we’ll be successful, too,” Ciarallo says.

This has been the driving force behind John’s No Frills since it opened in Nobleton three years ago. Over that time, this spotless supermarket, where food safety is of the utmost importance, has become the go-to source for discerning customers craving a range of high-quality organic fruits and vegetables, federally inspected meat and other name-brand goods at the best prices.

We’re here to serve the community as best as we can. Our reward is seeing customers come through the door

—  John Ciarallo

“We have a very sophisticated clientele. They understand the difference between cheap and value,” explains Ciarallo, a 35-year veteran of the grocery industry. It’s not that those low prices represent lesser products, either. “We’ve always stood for quality and value,” he adds. “We’re just happy to make a slow nickel rather than a fast dime.”

What’s important to Ciarallo is seeing customers return each week, happy with the food purchased and the money saved. As a franchise owner, he’s devoted to service. If you can’t find a certain product, ask and he’ll do his best to bring it in. Nobleton, after all, is a tight-knit community. The people that walk through his doors are more than just customers, they’re friends. And they deserve to be treated as such.

For Ciarallo that also means supporting local causes. Not only is he a regular sponsor of house league sports teams, he’s a staple of community events and fundraisers, including King’s Food Bank and the Pink Tree Foundation’s annual softball tournament in support of breast cancer research. “We’re very active with the King Chamber of Commerce as well,” says Ciarallo. “We want to create a destination for new businesses to develop and flourish in King Township.”

Because of these unwavering business standards and focus on the community, John’s No Frills has been a perennial winner of best grocery store in the Readers’ Choice Awards, as well as the recipient of the Chamber’s Excellence in Large Business Award last year.

But, for Ciarallo, it’s not about the hardware. “Trophies are nice to have, but I don’t measure myself by the awards,” he says. He’s proud to provide local employment, often first-time jobs to students, and to see the community prosper together. “We’re here to serve the community as best as we can. Our reward is seeing customers come through
the door.”

13255 Hwy. 27
Nobleton, Ont.
www.nofrills.ca

photo by carlos arturo pinto