About Us

Meet Dave Peterson

Dave is a shareholder and president of Corralitos Market and Sausage Company. He was 15-and-a-half and a sophomore in high school when he first started working at Corralitos Market. “My dad and former owner Joe Cutler grew up pals in Sacramento. They went to elementary school together; they joined the service and went into to World War 11 together; and they jointly managed the first Raley’s Superstores in Sacramento.”

Joe later moved to Corralitos. Always a grocery guy, Joe started making smoked meats and sausages at Corralitos Market before eventually buying it. Dave’s parents visited with Joe quite often, and then made the permanent move to Corralitos themselves.

As business began booming at the market, Joe was in need of an all-around kitchen helper and clean-up guy. Enter a young Dave Peterson come. “I was making $2.50 an hour and my first paycheck was $17.46,” he says. “I was loving it and felt on top of the world! I worked alongside Joe, who was more like an father, and he shared his recipes and taught me his techniques.” As time moved on, Joe became less hands-on and relied more and more on Dave who had become part of management, and then eventually president the market in 1992.

Dave recalls being offered on a few occasions, prior to 1992, the chance to move on and join the corporate world in the grocery and meat industries. “Each time I thought, ‘I’m happy here, and if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.’ I’m glad I didn’t move on.’” Asked about a favorite aspect of his work, Dave says, “I love talking with the public. I might get a phone call where someone is planning a wedding, a graduation or a big party for the holidays. They may ask about appetizers, hors d’oeuvres or a main course, and I can offer ideas. When I see them after the event and get great feedback about how much they and their guests loved our food, that just makes my day!

“I will always try to help people out,” Dave continues. “Even if I think I can’t find what a customer is searching for, at least they’ll know I tried. There are times when I’ve surprised even myself discovering sources for exotic foods.”

Meet Ken Wong

Ken is a shareholder, vice president and the grocery department manager.  He began his career at Corralitos Market in 1976 as a checker. Ken had made the switch from a large, Watsonville grocery store — it was unionized and a little too corporate for Ken’s tastes. As time progressed, he saw ownership of this smaller and more personal venue as a possibility — down the road — and the benefits of forming a partnership with fellow employee Dave Peterson.

“Dave and I got along really well,” says Ken. “We talked for a long time about one day joining forces and possibly taking over when Joe Cutler, the owner at the time, was ready to retire. I remember the day Dave and I shook hands on our future association.” Eventually, Joe retired in 1992 at which time Ken and Dave assumed the day-to-day operations.

“Dave is in production and I’m in administration,” says Ken. “It’s a good checks-and-balance. We both share a passion for the business, with quality and service being the two main facets we emphasize. No relationship is perfect but Dave and I know the importance of give-and-take.”

It’s no secret that family-owned Corralitos Market is the geographical pride of Corralitos. It’s a gathering place where customers share good, and sometimes not so good — but important —information on a need-to-know basis. “We continue to be a vital hub for hearing the latest community news flooding, fires, and, of course, the 1989 earthquake,” says Ken.

“This is a tight-knit community, but still people respect the privacy of others,” continues Ken. “People are honest. Lots of times I’ll come to work and someone will pay me for a newspaper (from our outdoor newsstands) they picked up maybe two weeks or even a month ago.” Is it any wonder that Ken points to the customers and staff when asked about his favorite aspect of the market? His choice to work in this small community has reaped positive results for him, for Dave, and for the Corralitos area.

Meet JoEllen (Jonne) Tartala

Jonne, Joe Cutler’s youngest daughter, is a shareholder and the corporate secretary, and  has “only” been working at Corralitos Market and Sausage Company since 1963. “I started here when I was fifteen-and-a-half and never left!” she says. Her father, Joe Cutler, started the sausage end of the market and then bought the store in 1957. Jonne’s initial responsibilities were running the cash register, along with stocking and dusting the shelves, and sweeping the floors — the same duties as the market’s present-day cashiers’.

Nowadays, Jonne is behind the counter as a sandwich maker and condiment provider (“chopper”). She also helps to put together products for the Saturday Cabrillo farmers market, as well as managing the busy shipping department. She’s busy! Though Jonne’s worked here “forever,” she still really enjoys herself. “It’s been fun being at the market all these years,” she says. “That’s why I’m still here. I like the variety of jobs I have here and especially enjoy interacting with the public and being around my co-workers. This is a great community center!”

Jonne says she likes being associated with a business where everyone takes pride in their work and the products they produce, which customers “just love.” Jonne says, “It’s always fun traveling with my husband around California, Oregon and Nevada, while he’s wearing his Corralitos Market cap. We’ve had people point and say, ’Oh, I’ve been there!’ A customer once told me he offered a stranger beef jerky on a ski lift. When he was asked where it from and was told Corralitos Market, the man replied, ‘I know that place!…’ It’s really amazing to hear and experience these wonderful stories. It never gets old.”

Meet Jeff Christensen 

As the smoked meat processing manager, Jeff is always on the move. His primary focus is making sure Corralitos Market’s specialized products – smoked sausages, turkey breasts, whole turkeys and hams, bacon, jerky and fish — are available. He also processes orders for wild game brought in by customers. “I never get bored here,” says Jeff. “And I really enjoy the camaraderie that you’ll only find at a family-owned market like this.”

As good as their many smoked products are — over 50 first-place award-winning plaques on the deli and butcher shop walls — Jeff remains humble. “I do take a lot of pride in the work we do,” he says. ”I hope that it shows.” Jeff has worked at Corralitos Market for more than 22 years, and so one might think he knows know it all. “I’m still learning,” says Jeff. “It’s a craft. You never stop learning. Plus there are always new government regulations to follow. In the past, a customer would drop off a carcass and simply tell us what they’d like us to do. Ha! Now we’ve got various forms to fill out before we can start the work.”

Jeff doesn’t seek accolades, but he says it does feel good when a customer tells him they brought their meat to Corralitos Market to be processed because of their reputation for excellence. “No two days are the same,” says Jeff, “and I’m always up for a challenge. Recently, a gentleman brought in his own boneless duck meat and pork, along with spices and the rest of the ingredients. He handed us a piece paper and said, ‘This is my grandfather’s recipe — please make this.’ And so we did. We were honored to do so.”

Kay Sheets: Kay is Joe Cutler’s oldest daughter and is a director and a shareholder in the company. Kay, who now lives in Visalia, CA with her husband, Jeff, was the original sandwich maker and shipper for the market.

Doug Tartala: Doug was hired in 2002 as the chief financial officer after retiring from a career in public accounting. He currently serves as CEO/CFO and as a director.