Lindos were able to develop a small, family trade into one of the Island's most respected names in the grocery business. Nearly 40 years ago, the late Harry and Marion Lindo built their reputation on excellent service, quality merchandise and reasonable prices. Today, it's Lindo's hallmark, and evident in both their Devonshire and Warwick locations. According to president and managing director, Giorgio Zanol, his mother and father-in-law prided themselves on the quality of their goods and the first-rate service they gave to each customer and insisted that their children do the same. "It's Lindo's tradition, that customers are the most important. Without them, we couldn't give anything,'' said Mr. Zanol. "Lindo's grew as a business because of (Harry and Marion's) belief in family togetherness and the fact that they listened to the customer. Keeping the family together and working together, giving the customer what they want, is what we are famous for. And when it comes to our customers, nothing is too much for Lindo's or its employees.'' The Lindo's legacy, Mr. Zanol explained, actually began in 1960 when his in-laws opened their first store -- a butcher shop. "Even before I came to Bermuda in 1964, (Harry and Marion Lindo) had a small meat store,'' he said.

"They had a shop, from which they mostly sold fresh meat, which was situated in Garthowen Estate in Devonshire. My father-in-law was trained as a butcher by his father, Manuel, who operated as a butcher at Devonshire Bay selling the animals he slaughtered at wholesale prices. "In the 1960's, (Harry and Marion) bought this property on Watlington Road (the site of the present-day Lindo's store in Devonshire), and built their house there. Under the house they had a small grocery store from which they still sold a lot of fresh meat, but also fresh vegetables and some groceries.'' Mr. Zanol, now the president of the business, said that he and his brother-in-law, William Moniz, began working at the store in 1968 at which time there was a grand total of approximately 500 feet of retail space. "It was in 1970 or 1971 that we first really thought about going bigger,'' he said. "At that time the store had about 500 square feet of retail space and after we expanded, it went up to 3,000 square feet. In those days, we thought that's great! We went from having no cash registers at all, to three. So we were very proud of ourselves. "But at Lindo's, we have always listened to our customers, and they kept asking why we didn't expand even more. So in 1982, we went from 3,000 square feet to 7,000 square feet of retail space. We really didn't want to go too big too soon. We didn't want to lose our good relations with our customers. But we found that even with the expansion, we were still able to give our traditional first-class service and offer quality products and good prices. It's our pledge and always has been.'' Although their customers were happy with the expansion, they continued to ask for more retail space and, four years later, the Lindo family began to give such demands serious consideration. "In 1988, we opened the Lindo's Market that you see today. It went from approximately 7,000 to 12,500 square feet of retail space with the help of the entire family. My brother-in-law and I began working here in 1968 and my wife, Jackie, and sister-in-law, Cassie Moniz, are working in the business as well as my younger brother-in-law, James Smith. "Meanwhile, our children, the younger generation have also joined us. All ten of them initially began helping either in the warehouse, packing groceries, or doing various chores.

After they finished school, they all said they were interested in joining the business and are all now working at Lindo's except one, who is still in school but works part-time on weekends and the holidays.'' Six years passed before the family considered expanding their business once again. "It was in 1994 that we had a chance to buy the former Giant Foods store in Warwick,'' said Mr. Zanol. "We saw the need to expand and thought it would be good to have a nice store in Warwick and give Warwick customers the same type of service and quality that the people who shop at Lindo's in Devonshire are accustomed to.

We knew, that in order to give our customers the service and the quality of merchandise that we wanted, we had to make the store bigger and better and it was in the late part of 1996 that we started renovating. The renovations lasted for over a year and we are very proud of the end result. "Lindo's Family Foods was designed with Bermuda's architectural style in mind. We wanted to take the old front of the building and make it look like a real Bermudian building, and we feel we have managed to do that. Inside, the store has approximately 13,000 square feet of retail space as compared with roughly 8,000 square feet that it had before. We extended the fresh fruit and vegetable department and will have lots of frozen and fresh meat showcases with every cut of fresh meat available. We also have the most extensive liquor department in a supermarket on the Island. "We've put in a new freezer, actually everything is brand new. We have changed everything. We have state-of-the-art refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. We have a generator that, in case of power failure, is capable of running the whole building -- everything from the freezer, to the lights, to the elevator if necessary. We put in scanners, new computer cash registers. Everything is state-of-the-art. It's the cleanest and the most up-to-date grocery store in Bermuda. We are proud to give Warwick and Bermuda the most modern

12 A history of caring structural changes, added Mr. Zanol, is the fact that the Lindo's tradition of caring for its customers, will be very much evident. "Great service has always been important to us,'' he said. "The younger generation of our family are now also part of the Lindo's team and we're teaching them to give the same service that we have always given our customers at Lindo's. We are passing on that legacy to our children.'' PHOTO The late Harry Lindo Marion Lindo Lindo's Market in Devonshire sits on the same property as the store started by Harry and Marion Lindo Lindo's Family Foods prides itself on great service, quality and prices A wide selection of cheeses from around the world may be bought pre-cut and wrapped or sliced to order at Lindo's Family Foods