FOCUSED ON FRESHNESS
South Windsor grocer features local produce
South Windsor has the option of paper or plastic again.
A new grocery store in Yorktown Plaza is bringing local produce to a community that’s been a food desert for 20 years. DeMarco’s Fine Foods set up shop where Liquidation World and N&D Supermarket used to be. N&D served the area for 45 years before closing in 1998. Since then, residents have had to travel further for food. DeMarco’s aims to bring that service back. Every day, owner Ray DeMarco and his fiancee, Felicia Fantetti, hear how much people enjoy being able to shop in their own community again.
“People have nostalgia for the old N&D,” DeMarco says. “They see that we have the same values in serving this community, so they ’re interested in our store. “There are a lot of elderly people around here that don’t drive. They can walk right over. A lot of families here prefer to avoid Walmart, or getting on Dougal or Huron Line when they only want to pick up a few things.” DeMarco’s brings in fruits and vegetables from across Essex County. “We only want the things that are essential to a healthy lifestyle,” DeMarco says. “There will be the odd pretzel, or local pies, but the main thing is fresh local produce.”
Before its April 7 grand opening, the store underwent a yearlong renovation. DeMarco says that when he signed the lease in March 2017, the space was completely gutted. Now, it’s his dream come true. He modelled the store after personable European markets he’s seen on trips to Italy.
“I think smaller, more intimate retail spaces are the way of the future,” says DeMarco. With less overhead and fewer staff, he’s keeping his expenses down. DeMarco says he’s worked in Windsor’s grocery business for more than nine years. Fantetti says he’s talked for years about opening his own place. She’s the one who first spotted the plaza vacancy. “I grew up in South Windsor, so I remember N&D,” says Fantetti. “When Liquidation World closed, I thought this would be the perfect spot.”
DeMarco says his goal is to serve the community in ways that bigger stores never could. “We have conversations with our customers about what they want to buy. Big stores don’t connect with customers, and that’s what we want to do.”
So far, business has been steady. DeMarco says there are days when he and Fantetti call in family members to help keep up with demand. “Customers have been very understanding. We’re still working out the numbers, and seeing what to order from one week to the next. They know this is our first time around, and we’re only going to get better from here.” Kim Schincariol lives in the area. She’s stopped in for produce three times already, and says she hasn’t been disappointed.
“It’s a nice little addition to the area,” says Schincariol. “I like the local flare of this store. I like to support local business, and this one’s family owned and operated.” The next step for DeMarco is to offer a grocery delivery service. Some day, he could see the business expanding to other underserved locations. Until then, he’s excited to have brought local food back to South Windsor.