Scott Schnuck

CEO Schnuck Markets, Inc.

Welcome to Culinaria, a new and exciting venture designed to meet the food and pharmacy needs of St. Louis’ growing downtown community!   

In 70 years of serving St. Louis customers, Schnucks has hired and developed a number of food and beverage experts, and now, we literally are turning our business inside-out, giving you access to a team that shares both passion for great food and dedication to great customer service! 

The staff of Culinaria has been hand picked to serve you based on their level of experience, their passion for food and their desire to bring you an incomparable food and culinary experience. 

Culinaria is also bringing a full-service Schnuck Pharmacy to downtown St. Louis.  Our pharmacy team’s healthy living platform will help ensure that you have the quality of care you need located just around the corner. 

Whether you are a downtown resident, commuter or tourist to our great city, we welcome you and invite you to drop in and see what’s cooking at Culinaria!

Bring out the foodie in you!

Tom Collora Jr

Store Manager

Tom Collora, the manager of the new downtown Schnucks store, is a career grocer whose 40 years includes a string of awards and honors for customer service. 

Tom started his grocery career at Schnucks in 1969 while attending college and serving in the Army National Guard.  In 1985, he was tapped to manage Schnucks Arsenal where he served for most of his career.  For Tom, grocery is not just a career, it’s a calling. 

He sees his newest challenge downtown as an opportunity to meet new people and bond with them through food.  He explains, “I literally can’t wait to open that door and let our customers see what we have been working so hard on for the past year.” 

“This store is a truly unique operation and you really have to see and experience it to really understand its true value to the downtown community.  There is literally something for everyone at Culinaria.  There are products to fit every budget and services to match every lifestyle.”  And, of course, there’s Tom. “I can’t wait to shake hands with everyone that comes in that door and say ‘Welcome to Culinaria!’”

Lisa Porta

Co-Manager

Lisa joined Schnucks as part of the National acquisition in 1995. A year later, she was promoted to customer service manager at Schnucks Woods Mill – a position she held until accepting the job as customer service manager at Culinaria in the fall of 2009. What started as a temporary assignment at Culinaria quickly developed into her permanent job as she was promoted from customer service manager to co-manager. Lisa has immersed herself in the downtown culture. “I’m excited to be part of the city as it comes back to life,” Lisa said. “Not one day is the same here; time really flies.” Lisa has worked to spread the news to area hotels, businesses and loft dwellers that downtown St. Louis once again has a full-service grocery store. Lisa contacts each convention prior to its arrival in St. Louis to offer the store’s services which has resulted in thousands upon thousands of out-of-town customers. Lisa is married and has five children. When not working at Culinaria, she loves to spend time on the beach and especially enjoys the Caribbean.

Jordan Beste

Customer Service Manager

Jordan Beste is the customer service manager at Culinaria.  She joined Schnucks as a bakery clerk at the Washington, Mo. store in 1995.  She came to the downtown store when Culinaria opened in August 2009 from the Twin Oaks, Mo. store.  Originally, in the bakery department at Culinaria, Jordan was promoted to customer service manager in June 2010.  In her position, she oversees all checkers, baggers and courtesy center clerks.  She also addresses customer compliments and concerns.  Jordan requested the downtown store because she was looking for a different kind of atmosphere, and now she says she hopes to never leave.  Calling Culinaria the “Gucci of grocery stores,” Jordan says that she has never had so much fun at work.  “We get to dance and play music at work!  I get paid to have fun,” she said.

Joe Brennecke

Perishable Manager

Joe Brennecke, perishable manager, has worked in the meat department at Schnucks for 33 years, most recently at Schnucks Woods Mill. At Culinaria, he will expand his responsibilities and take on meat, seafood, produce and floral. “Preparing Culinaria to open has been another great learning experience for me. Our industry is changing fast, and I see now that this store is our company’s answer to how we will meet the needs of our customers in a fast-paced, urban environment.” Joe is currently taking classes to enhance his expertise in seafood and floral. He’s getting a lot of ideas from his family which includes career Schnucks associates. His wife, Theresa, is deli clerk at the Schnucks Dillon store. The couple has two daughters and four grandchildren. Joe’s daughter, Jessica; is bakery manager at Schnucks Loughborough and his son-in-law, Chris Durney, is dairy frozen manager at Schnucks Hampton Village. The family home is in Catawissa, Missouri where Joe applies his skills in growing both flowers and vegetables.

Diane Auck

Preparred Food Manager

A Schnucks veteran of nearly 40 years, Diane joined Culinaria as prepared foods manager in October 2009. In her new position she oversees the deli, sandwich express, salad bar, bistro salad, grill, pizzeria and bakery departments. Before moving downtown, Diane served as deli manager at Schnucks Twin Oaks. Diane brings plenty of prepared foods expertise to Culinaria having worked in the deli for more than 30 years and serving as a deli manager for more than 20. Although a challenge, she says that she loves working downtown. “The store has an energy of its own; it’s infectious!” Diane said.  Diane is married with two grown sons and says at one time or another, her whole family has worked for Schnucks. In her free time, Diane and her husband enjoy playing golf and riding their Harley.

Bob Watkins

Center Store Manager

Bob Watkins is center store manager at Culinaria, and as the title suggests, he is responsible for everything that happens in the center of the store!  He has been in the grocery business since 1970 and joined Schnucks in 1989 as frozen foods manager at the old Des Peres store.  Before coming to Culinaria, Bob served as grocery manager at the newly-remodeled Kirkwood, Mo. Schnucks store.  Bob is excited about his new opportunity and says that the intimate size of Culinaria allows for a lot of one-on-one customer interaction and reminds him of when he first started in the business.  He says that he enjoys the atmosphere of downtown and the challenge of keeping up with customers’ constantly evolving food preferences.  With a large contingent of “foodie” customers, Bob knows he has to stay on top of new trends and get the desired products to the shelf as quickly as possible.

Kelly Ertmann

Pharmacy Manager

Culinaria pharmacist Kelly Ertmann started working at Schnucks Pharmacy in 1996 while she was a freshman attending the St. Louis College of Pharmacy.  Following graduation, she went to work at Schnucks Overland and is now looking forward to moving closer to her home in the city.  “We’re opening the first full-service pharmacy in the city in several years,” Kelly said.  “I feel as though I am getting in on the ground floor (no pun intended!) of something incredibly exciting!”  For all her excitement, you will have to wait a few weeks to actually meet Kelly as she and her husband, Pat, are preparing for another introduction!  Their first child is due in August.  “Staff pharmacist Heather Caldieraro, will take great care of our customers while I am gone,” Kelly said.  “Right now, we are working to stock the store with the same variety of medication you would find at one of our larger stores.” In addition to the new baby, Kelly and Pat are parents to two rescued beagles and two Australian Cattle dogs.  She laughed, “That doesn’t leave me much free time, but I enjoy baking and hope to do a bit of that while I am at home.”

Margie Torrillo

Event Coordinator

Margie Torrillo serves as the event coordinator at Culinaria.  Her career with Schnucks started at the Affton, Mo. store while attending college at Fontbonne University.  Excited about working in a store with a unique concept, Margie joined the team at Culinaria in November of 2009 as a checker and shortly thereafter moved into the courtesy center.  As her responsibilities grew, she took on the title of event coordinator.  In her position, Margie coordinates special events at the store as well as the store’s participation in other downtown St. Louis events and activities.  She is also responsible for teammate orientation, store administrative duties and processing the store’s delivery orders.  Thanks to Margie’s work, Culinaria doesn’t just serve as a grocery store; it is quickly becoming the place to be seen in downtown St. Louis.