History
The Story of Savenor's
Savenor’s Market has been a Boston family tradition for more than sixty-five years. First opened in 1939 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the gourmet butcher shop and high-end grocer made a name for itself through its commitment to providing customers with the finest meats and produce anywhere in the world. Once frequented by Rockefellers, Kennedys and Schlesingers, the retailer’s brand recognition reached a pinnacle with the help of America’s first celebrity chef, Julia Child. A loyal customer long before she became a household name, she continued to source all of the meats for “The French Chef” throughout the eleven-year run of her popular PBS show. As any fan of the show could attest, Jack Savenor was frequently mentioned on-air, in addition to making several guest appearances as Julia’s beloved butcher.
With one shop already located on historic Beacon Hill, Savenor’s opened up a second retail outlet in December of 2005 at its original Kirkland Street site near Cambridge’s Harvard Square. The original store made headlines when it burned down in 1992, a catastrophe which caused devastation not only among the Savenor family, but also the culinary-minded masses who fancied its superior food products.
Ron Savenor, who currently heads both the retail and wholesale operations, took over the tradition from his father, Jack, with whom he credits creating the Savenor’s of today. Jack joined his parents’ business in 1940 at the age of eighteen, and eventually took over after his father’s death in 1942. Originally a basic grocery store, Jack expanded the business to include prime meats, imported pates, exotic game, fresh seafood and specialty foods to meet area demand. Largely as a result of Cambridge’s burgeoning foodie population, the store thrived, becoming renowned as one of the finest gourmet grocers in the world. In 1987, Ron took over the store from his father and ran it in Cambridge until 1992.
A year following the tragic fire, Ron Savenor led the business to Beacon Hill, where it soon became a neighborhood mainstay. Savenor’s was quickly embraced by the residents of its new neighborhood, who were charmed by the store’s one-of-a-kind items such as miniature glass bottles of Coca-Cola and exotic game, and appreciated the store’s refreshingly personal approach to grocery shopping, convenience and overall culinary expertise. To this day, Savenor’s remains a neighborhood gathering place, with regular customers often meeting by the store’s butcher block to discuss current events while shopping for supper.
Throughout the business’ colorful history, Savenor’s has been widely recognized by the local and national press and has been featured in countless publications including Harper’s Bazaar, Women’s Wear Daily, Boston magazine, The New York Times and The Boston Globe.
In addition to the retail stores, Savenor’s wholesale business provides the finest meats to Boston’s premier restaurants. Their wholesale list is a virtual “who’s-who” of the local culinary world. Barbara Lynch, Michael Schlow and Deborah Hughes are just a few of the chefs who rely on Savenor’s to provide them with the highest quality meats to serve to their discriminating diners.
Savenor’s high commitment to quality and customer service also serves to differentiate it from the rest. House accounts, delivery service, curbside pickup, worldwide shipping and online ordering, coupled with the store’s extraordinary offerings, reinforce the store’s reputation as “The Best on the Block.” Together, Savenor’s two retail stores and wholesale operation look forward to providing superior products, expert culinary knowledge and first class customer service for years to come.
Ron Savenor, Owner
As the grandson of Savenor’s founders Abraham and Dora Savenor, and the son of legendary butcher Jack Savenor, most would have predicted that Ron Savenor would one day own and operate the now sixty-five year old gourmet butcher shop and high-end specialty grocer—most everyone, that is, except for Ron himself.
Born and raised in Lexington, Massachusetts, Ron grew up immersed in his family’s business. From cleaning to stocking, cashiering to butchering, he has experienced every role that, together, has maintained Savenor’s reputation as “The Best on the Block” for decades. Even with such close ties to the family business, however, Ron’s true passion lay in athletics such as hockey, gymnastics and skateboarding, and he hoped to someday turn his hobby into his avocation.
As a college student, Ron was given the opportunity to capitalize on one of his hobbies when he was chosen to be one of three New Englanders to represent the region as part of Pepsi’s national skateboarding demo team. His strong leadership skills caught the attention of the team’s director, who eventually appointed him to lead the tour as official PR representative and emcee. As such, he became the face of the team, even appearing in several national print and broadcast ads on behalf of the Pepsi initiative. Ron’s position with the team enabled him to travel the country doing something he loved, and eventually led to a stint on the pro skateboarding circuit.
Upon graduating from Nasson College in Maine with a degree in Business Administration, Ron found himself at a crossroad. Though he had long harbored dreams of one day joining the circus or attending stunt school, his instinctive business sense led him to thoroughly consider officially joining his family’s thriving business. The opportunity to work with his beloved father proved too strong an enticement, ultimately making Ron’s decision to join the family business in 1983 the easiest decision of his life.
Working side-by-side with Jack for seven years, Ron refined far more than his butchering techniques, though he did perfect those skills by watching his father, one of the country’s most celebrated butchers. For Ron, an even more important lesson was learned by seeing the impact that Jack had on his customers, staff and neighborhood on a daily basis. It was from this that Ron truly came to understand and embody the same passion that Jack radiated, which was arguably the driving force behind the once basic grocer’s ultimate success.
Following Jack’s retirement in 1989, Ron took over as Savenor’s owner and master butcher. Under his leadership, Savenor’s has experienced substantial growth, including the opening of a second retail location, expanded delivery and an increased wholesale operation. He has stayed true to his family’s vision of making customers happy everyday by providing them with the best in quality meats, produce and gourmet foodstuffs while never abandoning Savenor’s underlying commitment to exceptional and unwavering customer service.
Ron currently resides in Acton, Massachusetts with his wife, Amanda, and their two children, Oliver and Isabelle.
Juliana Lyman, General Manager
Juliana Kolson-Lyman joined the Savenor’s family in the spring of 2004 as the Company's General Manager. She brings to the sixty-five year old family-owned business a broad background in all aspects of food production, as well as proven management skills. Most importantly, she possesses the creative vision necessary to support the future growth of one of Boston’s most important culinary landmarks.
Juliana’s management career began in the theatre, where she worked in various stage management roles in Portland, Oregon and Boston. While she enjoyed the opportunity to indulge her love of theater and, at the same time, gain practical management skills, her passion for food led her to the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts where she received her certificate in culinary studies.
As a pastry cook under acclaimed Pastry Chef Judy Mattera at The Federalist restaurant at XV Beacon Hotel, Juliana solidified her passion for all things food. She then worked as a pastry cook at Centro in Cambridge before assuming the role of catering chef at Roslindale’s Gourmet Caterers where she experienced food production on a grand scale. When the opportunity arose to manage the wholesale operations for the well-known Rosie’s Bakery, she jumped at the chance and spent two years learning the management side of the food business. Upon moving to Savenor’s in April of 2004, Juliana’s challenge lay in stimulating business for the small, family-owned gourmet butcher and grocer in the face of rising competition and large scale commercialization.
Under her relatively short watch, Savenor’s has already experienced substantial growth. From opening the family’s second retail store to growing the wholesale business to modernizing technology to allow for online ordering, Juliana has positioned Savenor’s as a viable company poised for strong future growth. Staying true to the Savenor’s family credo, Juliana and her team remain committed to discovering the best in gourmet food products and providing exceptional customer service.
