Say hello to John and Darlene Haffner, the operators of Grocery Outlet in Ontario, Oregon John has been with Grocery Outlet since 1986! After growing up and getting married in Eugene, Oregon, Darlene’s work transferred to Portland. At the time, John’s uncle owned a store in Vancouver, Washington, and hired John as an employee in 1986. Five years later—on March 8, 1991—John and Darlene began operating their own store and have done so ever since.

John and Darlene make sure they are extremely involved with their community. They support to numerous charities and non-profit organizations including one of the city’s biggest annual events, The Ontario Air Fair. Every September, their Grocery Outlet supplies food for the event and has their own booth.

John and Darlene love giving back to their customers. One Christmas, when a woman’s debit card failed at their store because she had overspent for her family, the couple made sure she did not leave empty-handed. They bought her the groceries and wished her a happy holiday season.

It is their acts of kindness and desire to contribute that makes John and Darlene’s store second to none. They truly do live by the slogan, “Working hard to save you money!”