Welcome a FJ Wadden's
When Nicholas Wadden came to Newfoundland at the age of 15 in 1830, he did not know then the impact he would have on the generations to follow. Nicholas started his own shoe business on Water Street and was well known to the local sealers and fishermen for the quality of his shoes and at one point they referred to his boots as waddings.
Nicholas’s son Patrick continued into the shoe business after his father died at the age of 95 but it was Nicholas’s other son’s Frederick and John that started a business selling tobacco and confectionary products across Newfoundland that set the grass roots for the company that is now known as F.J. Wadden and Son’s Ltd.
Fredericks son’s Patrick and John continued the family business, constantly expanding product offerings and the company’s reach across the Island. Now increasing in size of their operations and their need to distribute products from a larger facility, this led to the purchase of a new warehouse located on O’Leary Avenue. Pat and John developed customer relationships throughout their years of ownership that still resonate today.
In 1990, Pat Jr. and Bill took ownership of the company and looked to expand in other areas by acquiring companies such as Royale Grocery, Dustbane Products, Avalon Vending Services and began distributing Coca-Cola products. They quickly outgrew their facilities on O’Leary Avenue and moved their operation to our 75,000 sqft, Mt, Pearl warehouse. During the course of their ownership, Bill and Pat grew F.J. Wadden into one of the largest most dependable independent wholesale distributors in Newfoundland.
The success of the company caught the attention of another family owned business that shared the same core values and the belief that customer service is everything. Flanagan Foodservice acquired F.J. Wadden & Son’s Ltd. in 2020 and we have since continued operating under the same principles that have attributed to our historical success.
Flanagan Foodservice serves all of Ontario and has a rich history as a Canadian and family owned business. To read further about our parent company, please visit the below link.