News : Fareway’s Bret Nelson Retires After 40 Years with the company

Handing over the keys to the new meat manager, Louie

Helping Grandpa out!

At Bret's retirement party

For the last 40 years, Bret Nelson has served with Fareway. For 22 1/2 of those years, Bret has been the friendly face behind the meat counter in Vinton. Whether you needed advice on how many pounds of roast to buy or the best way to cut a chicken, Bret was the man to ask. Over the years, he’s likely taught hundreds of young employees the fine art of slicing lunch meat—a skill their future spouses no doubt appreciate.

Last Saturday marked Bret’s final day on the job, and many longtime customers stopped by to wish him well. There were hugs, handshakes, and even a few tears as the community said goodbye to one of its familiar faces.

Bret’s career with Fareway began in Charles City and took him through several Iowa towns—Washington, Storm Lake, Urbandale, Ankeny, and Knoxville—before landing him in Vinton. In a show of appreciation, representatives from many of those stores made the trip to join in the celebration of his retirement.

When Bret and his wife, Tina, moved to Vinton, their three children were in 8th, 7th, and 3rd grades. On Saturday, four of his six grandchildren ages 4,4 3,2 brought balloons to Fareway to walk him out for his last day, marking a full generation since the Nelsons first arrived. 

“I’m going to miss the people,” Bret shared. “The customers were why I did the job. I enjoyed helping them with their holiday meals and preparations. That’s what I’ll miss the most. I’ve made a lot of good friends in town.”

Vinton has certainly been made a little warmer by Bret’s kindness, steady smile, and his years of service behind that familiar counter.

I suppose if we said something to Bret like, "Well done!" he might instantly envision a steak. We'll say, "Thank you, Bret, for all of your advice when we needed it. Thanks for being patient and teaching our kids...when they needed it. Thanks for being one of the good guys out there that we're proud to say we know!"

Congratulations on this amazing accomplishment, and here's wishing you a wonderful retirement!