As Busch’s Fresh Food Market enters its next half-century, President and CEO Bobby Turner is nearing his third year leading the 16-store, family-owned grocer with a focus on modernization, cultural strength and deep community connection.
Turner, who brings more than 35 years of food retail experience, including decades with Whole Foods Market, has found a strong alignment between his leadership philosophy and Busch’s long-standing values.
Turner began his career in 1988 as a bakery associate in Whole Foods’ fourth store. He grew with the company through multiple phases of expansion and change, ultimately serving as a regional president and overseeing the opening of its 500th location, a 90,000-square-foot, three-level flagship in Midtown Atlanta.
“I opened store five and store 500,” Turner said. “Those were definitely two different stores.”
After Amazon acquired Whole Foods, Turner stayed through four years of transition before choosing not to remain through another restructuring. That experience reinforced his belief that protecting culture is essential to a company’s long-term health.
“When culture changes, it’s like those old kung fu movies where they rip the heart out of the body,” he said. “That’s what it felt like. And I never want to see that happen again.”
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Today, Turner describes Busch’s as a perishables-driven, service-driven organization where community relationships serve as a true point of differentiation.
He is committed to preserving the company’s neighborhood focus, from corporate giving to store-level support of local schools, food banks and community organizations.
His leadership approach centers on service, empowerment and helping people grow.
“For me, it’s really about helping people see their potential,” he said.
Turner’s focus now is on building the systems, infrastructure and leadership capabilities that will position Busch’s for long-term success, ensuring the company’s next 50 years remain as strong, local and community-centered as its first.