Hilander is a small chain of supermarkets in the metro area of Rockford, Illinois. The stores are operated by Schnucks, which acquired the chain from The Kroger Co. on September 21, 2011
Joseph Castrogiovanni and his wife Rose founded Sanitary Meat Market in 1919. Castrogiovanni later renamed the chain Hilander. After a couple decades, their sons Alfred C., Anthony, Jonathan and Joseph, joined in the family business. The Castrogiovanni family ran the Hilander Foods chain until 1997.
In September 28, 1998, The Kroger Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, acquired the Hilander Foods chain. Kroger ran the chain under its Central division which includes Pay Less Food Markets, Owen's Market, JayC Food Stores, and Scott's Food & Pharmacy. Alfred Castrogiovanni died in 2010, at age 87. In late 2011, The Kroger Co. sold the chain to Schnuck Markets, Inc. Schnucks plans to keep running the stores under the Hilander Foods banner, but may rebrand the stores in the future. As of 2011, there are seven Hilander stores: five in Rockford, one in Cherry Valley, and one in Roscoe.