The story behind how Foster’s Food Fair began over 30 years ago starts with David Foster, a Caymanian who had previously worked with Jacques Scott as a managing director before launching out on his own with the first Fosters supermarket.
 
The year was 1980 and the Cayman Islands had been experiencing a financial and social boom, as what was once a quiet fishing village joined the fray of world financial centres.
 
Almost overnight the beloved Isles became the pearl of the Caribbean and during the windfall; the most expensive European cars would leave the George Town Harbour, only to be driven on dirt roads filled with pot holes. This paradoxical shift of worlds, which many believe is a phenomenon that has never truly been fully examined, paved the way for the Island’s population to surge, as well as for commerce to thrive and thus Foster’s Food Fair was born.
 
“It made sense at that time and still does today.....the idea of providing a community with access to food and other related services in a convenient way,” said Foster’s Food Fair Managing Director Woody Foster.
 
As the son of the grocery founder and the successor to a Caymanian dynasty, which has become arguably one of the most popular stores on Grand Cayman, he has found himself in a highly demanding role, which he said has required him to hold fast to the values and principles that he observed in his father.
 
His quiet confidence and determination were palpably radiant and evident in each word, as he reflected on the beginning of Foster’s Food Fair.
 
“My father saw a need at the time and once his mind was made about the idea, he sought the blessings of his immediate family and here we are today.” 
 
The first Foster’s Food Fair store at the Airport Centre/Dorcy Drive opened in 1980 and was fairly modest, with the building measuring 6,000 square feet.
 

 
However, as a result of what Woody referred to as an, “aggressive and innovative approach to marketing,” David Foster extended the opening hours of the store, and went from normal “banking hours” of nine to five, to Seven till eleven.
 
“That was really the start of everything and we just continued to grow from strength to strength from there really,” said Mr. Foster.
 
He added that he recalled how everything used to come to the Island frozen in those days and slowly and over time as all that changed, “I can remember coming to the store and there always being something new here. It was constant growth throughout the 80s and actually, that was the intent.”
 
Woody said his father’s philosophy was one of continual growth, adding that of the sayings the Senior Foster loved to recite was, “If you are not growing in business you are dying.”
 
As a by-product of this approach, in 1983 Foster’s Food Fair increased its store size considerably to 20,000 feet, almost quadrupling the store, and by 1985, another Foster’s Food Fair supermarket was opened on West Bay Road.
 
Throughout the course of time, Fosters has made many more advances and upgrades, including another supermarket location at the Strand and pharmacies at all their locations. 
 
Woody explained that it is particularly difficult to stick to this paradigm in today’s market, “where the population is actually decreasing,” but that is still the goal.
 
One major setback for Foster’s was Hurricane Ivan, which Mr. Foster said not only wreaked havoc on operations and caused the chain to have to rebuild three stores quite quickly, but also triggered a financial bubble in the Cayman Islands, which was somewhat misleading for some.
 
“Everyone had money at the time as a result, and over $2 billion flowed into the Island. This bubble and its subsequent dissipation made forecasts for the future tougher to determine. Luckily, our company is quite elastic and will adjust to different conditions fairly well,” said Mr. Foster.
 
David Foster passed away in 2005, leaving Foster’s Food Fair in the control of his children, all of whom play a role in the day-to-day operations of the supermarket.
They said their model is based on his legacy and the idea of running a value for money operation.
 
“Freshness, quality, service; these are all things we pride ourselves on and want our brand to be synonymous with,” they affirmed.
 
Another step in the evolution of Foster’s Food Fair was the addition of the Independent Grocers Alliance private label, which essentially gives the supermarket buying power and more of a say in supplier’s pricing, as they are aligned with other grocers in the IGA private label.  “It means we have a larger voice in the marketplace,” said Woody Foster.
 
Some things that were done when David Foster was alive have not continued though, such as the appreciation day held at the Pedro Castle every Christmas. Woody said the reason for this was that the Christmas celebration was something his father started at his home that grew to a level where it had to be held at Pedro but because he is no longer here, there is a bitter sweetness about the occasion for the family.
 
He said the time would come to revisit this position.
 
“We are a part of this community, not just for profit, and we want for our business ethics and morals to be unquestionable. In that regard, the supermarket’s management is determined to do things for the right reasons,” Woody said.
 
He also expressed gratefulness and gratitude to all that have graced the aisles of Foster’s Food Fair IGA throughout its 30 years of service to the community.