Jerry’s Foods founder Jerry Paulsen’s commitment to food and community.
Jerry’s Foods is a beloved local institution, and the community lost an icon when the founder, Edina resident Jerry Paulsen, died in April at age 89. Paulsen, who trained as a meat cutter before buying his first store, Jerry’s Lucky Dollar, in 1950 in Edina, was truly a neighborhood grocer and his local roots ran deep.“Jerry was a quiet man, but deep down he supported a lot of causes and community activities, from the schools to the churches to the food shelves,” says Carol Jackson, who worked with Paulsen for 42 years and is now a corporate manager for Jerry’s Foods. That legacy lives on at Jerry’s Foods’ three area locations, where the focus is always on great customer service and giving back to the community.
