Company History
1979: Richard Downey opens the first Richard’s Whole Foods in Sarasota, Florida. From the beginning, Richard’s purpose has been to offer a variety of quality natural and specialty foods, as well as supplements to the public at affordable prices. This is a philosophy the current owner, John Rorer, has sustained as Richard’s continues to grow. - 1997: Rorer and two partners buy the 6-store Richard’s chain from Richard Downey’s widow.
- 1997–2005: Richard’s grosses approximately $3 million when purchased in 1997. Sales doubled in the first two years through upgrading and remodeling of the stores. By 2004 the company had grown to almost $9 million, 11 stores and over 70 employees.
- 2005: Rorer comes to an agreement with his partners and takes over as sole proprietor of Richard’s Whole Foods.
- 2006–2009: Rorer aggressively overhauls the company’s management team and operational structure. He recreates the brand to be more memorable and initiates phased remodels of all stores.
- 2009: Richard’s Whole Foods is renamed to Richard's Foodporium™
- 2009: Richard’s Foodporium™ becomes the FIRST natural & specialty foods retail franchisor in the nation.
- Today: Richard’s Foodporium™ is a $12 million chain of corporate stores. Revenues continue to grow with the addition of franchise locations. Richard's is part of a larger network of affiliates, under the umbrella of Opportunity Central, LLC, with a dedicated distribution center and packaging company. This growth is largely attributed to Rorer’s strong business sense, vision and a dedicated Management Team.
Download Richard's Foodporium™ Franchise Opportunity PDF brochure here
