8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) September 25, 2003

SMART & FINAL INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-10811	95-4079584
(State of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

600 Citadel Drive City of Commerce, California	90040
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (323) 869-7500

Item 5. Other Events.

Filed as an exhibit hereto is a News Release, dated September 25, 2003, filed by Smart & Final Inc., entitled “Food Retail Industry Veteran Joins Smart & Final as President & COO.”

Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(c) Exhibits.

Exhibit No.	Description
99	News Release of Smart & Final Inc. dated September 25, 2003

The statements in this Form 8-K Current Report concerning management’s expectations constitute “forward looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward looking statements. In order to comply with the terms of the safe harbor, Smart & Final Inc. (the “Company”) notes that such forward looking statements are based upon internal estimates which are subject to change because they reflect preliminary information and management assumptions, and that a variety of factors could cause the Company’s actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the Company’s forward looking statements. This report includes “forward looking statements” including, without limitation, statements as to the Company’s liquidity and availability of capital resources.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: September 25, 2003	SMART & FINAL INC.
:	By:	/s/    RICHARD N. PHEGLEY
		Richard N. Phegley
	Its:	Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.	Description
99	News Release of Smart & Final Inc. dated September 25, 2003

EX-99

[LOGO]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT:

Randall Oliver

(323) 869-7607

FOOD RETAIL INDUSTRY VETERAN JOINS

SMART & FINAL AS PRESIDENT & COO

COMMERCE, Calif. (September 25, 2003) – Smart & Final Inc. (NYSE – SMF) today announced that Etienne Snollaerts has joined the company as president and chief operating officer.

Snollaerts comes to Smart & Final from Casino Guichard-Perrachon (Groupe Casino), a global leader in the food retail industry with consolidated annual revenue of approximately $26 billion. Snollaerts has broad operational and executive management experience and has served Groupe Casino in various positions in retail distribution, store operations, buying and merchandising, supply chain management, information technology and international operations. As a member of Groupe Casino’s executive committee, he has been responsible for overseeing its North American investments, including its approximately 60 percent ownership interest in Smart & Final. He also has been a member of Smart & Final’s board of directors since 1998.

At Smart & Final, Snollaerts will have responsibility for all of the company’s store operations and supply chain. He will report directly to Ross Roeder, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer.

“We are extremely fortunate to have a leader with Etienne’s expertise and experience join Smart & Final in this key role,” Roeder said. “Etienne has an exceptional record of success in food retailing and distribution, and as a result of his activities with Groupe Casino, he is already familiar with Smart & Final and our activities. He joins us at an important juncture in Smart & Final’s history, as we reposition our company to focus on our core western U.S. stores business.”

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Smart & Final

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Snollaerts added, “I am delighted to join Smart & Final, a company with a rich past and an exceptionally bright future.”

Prior to joining Groupe Casino, Snollaerts was a management consultant with Alexander Proudfoot Company (now Management Consulting Group PLC), a leading international consulting firm specializing in management systems for food and beverage, financial services and various other industries.

He earned his undergraduate degree in business administration at European University in Antwerp, Belgium and his MBA in international management at the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas.

Founded in 1871 in downtown Los Angeles, Smart & Final Inc. operated 228 non-membership warehouse stores for food and foodservice supplies in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho and northern Mexico at the end of the 2003 second quarter. For more information, visit the company’s Website at www.smartandfinal.com.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

This Smart & Final press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and other expressions of management’s belief or opinion which reflect its current understanding or belief with respect to such matters. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including known and unknown factors as included in the company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those projected. All of these forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by management of the company, which although believed to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict; therefore, undue reliance should not be placed upon such statements. Accordingly, any forward-looking statements included herein do not purport to be predictions of future events or circumstances and may not be realized. Except as specifically set forth herein, the company undertakes no obligation to update any such forward-looking or other statement.

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