Rudy’s Markets celebrates 50 years serving community with Gold Bar Giveaway, $100K Hunger Match
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Rudy's Markets Inc. is celebrating its 50th anniversary throughout 2026 with a monthly Gold Bar Giveaway and a $100,000 matching donation program to combat hunger in Central Oregon. The initiatives mark five decades since the company was founded in 1976.
The company says it's currently Central Oregon's only locally founded, 100% employee-owned grocery business. It operates nine stores across the region, including the Newport Avenue Market, Oliver Lemon's and Ollie's Kitchen brands. The transition to employee ownership occurred in 2015, when the founding family sold the business to its workers at no cost.
The hunger relief initiative includes a commitment to match customer donations at checkout up to $100,000, the company said in Thursday's news release. The donations are accepted year-round at all company locations.
The matching funds are designed to help partner non-profits purchase food at wholesale costs, which the company says will stretch the impact of every dollar for families facing food insecurity.
As part of the golden anniversary, the company is hosting a monthly Gold Bar Giveaway. Twelve winners will each receive one real gold bar throughout 2026. Customers are automatically entered into the drawing once a month, when they use their Foode Flash card at checkout. No purchase is necessary to enter the giveaway and official rules are available in-store and online.
Lauren G. D. Redman, "Leader of the Pack"/CEO and president of Rudy's Markets Inc., described the anniversary as a moment of reflection on the company's local ties.
"Turning 50 is worth celebrating, but for us, it's also about gratitude," Redman said. "Over all these years, our purpose hasn't changed. We exist because of this community, and we believe our success should benefit everyone who shops, works and lives here."
The company traces its history to 1976, when founder Rudy Dory opened his first grocery store in La Pine with $914 in his pocket. Rudy and his wife, Debbie, eventually grew the business to include nine stores across Oregon.
In 2015, the Dory family sold the company to its employees at no cost, establishing it as a 100% employee-owned entity.
Dory said the transition to employee ownership was a way to recognize the staff who contributed to the company's growth.
"When we started this company in 1976, the goal was simple: serve good food and treat people right," Dory said. "Choosing to become 100% employee-owned was about honoring the people who built this business day in and day out. Celebrating our 50th anniversary by giving back — through fighting hunger and investing in our community — feels like the most natural way to say thank you."
Today, Rudy's Markets Inc. operates three separate brands in the region. These include Newport Avenue Market in Bend, Oliver Lemon's in Sisters and Terrebonne and Ollie's Kitchen in Redmond. The stores specialize in high-quality food, hard-to-find items and products from local producers.
The Gold Bar Giveaway and donation matching program will continue through the end of 2026. Official rules for the giveaway and further details on the anniversary initiatives are available at newportavemarket.com.
