How Rick Rabba of Rabba Fine Foods Takes the Lead

Rick Rabba’s roots in the grocery industry run deep. His father Jack, a Middle Eastern immigrant, bought a convenience store in Toronto in the 1960s and called it Variety Food Fair. Here, Rabba worked alongside his grandfather. “I have fond memories of learning to serve customers and bake banana bread under the watchful eye of my grandfather,” recalls Rabba. “He knew how to make a customer feel like royalty.”

One store became two, and three (and more) and in 1985, the growing chain rebranded as Rabba Fine Foods. Decades later, Rick Rabba is president, overseeing 37 locations across the Greater Toronto Area and, like his grandfather, his focus on customers and community is laser sharp. (And it’s still a family affair. Jack is still involved in the business and Rabba’s cousin, Rima Rabba, is head of marketing and leads the Rabba Roots Community Giving Program.)

READ: Rabba opens 37th store in Toronto

Here, Rabba discusses how running a family business shapes his leadership style and why community involvement is important to him. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Rabba is a family-run business. How does that impact how you lead it? 

When working with family members, choosing your battles is a critical part of leadership. When I speak to other independent grocers, this always seems to be a common theme. The business of running 24-hour urban markets requires a great deal of passion. The magic is in allowing the passion that one feels for family to become infectious throughout the culture, while still maintaining enough discipline and professionalism that you can focus the energy in productive ways.

From inflation to labour woes, there is no shortage of issues keeping leaders up at night. What topics are on your mind?

For me, the focus is on maintaining strong connections with our communities and ensuring Rabba Fine Foods continues to be a reliable and trusted part of our customers’ daily lives. We’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment, both for our team members and the neighbourhoods we serve. If both our community and our team rely upon and trust us, I have no trouble sleeping at night. 

Bottom-up versus top-down management. Which works best?

[At Rabba,] we believe that a good idea is valuable regardless of tenure or job title. One of our core values is that everyone is welcome to contribute and senior management is always accessible and never in an ivory tower. As a leader, I need to create a culture of trust and shared responsibility where people feel they’re able to contribute their ideas. Ultimately, this helps us make better decisions, both internally and in our community efforts. This approach is reflected in our support for local initiatives, whether it’s our annual charity golf tournament or our Rabba Roots Community Program. We focus on inclusion and equality, ensuring our efforts benefit everyone in the community.