The Village Peddler celebrates 32 years in business
ST. MARYS - Todd Fitzgerald, owner of the Village Peddler at16 Erie Avenue in St. Marys, is celebrating 32 years in business and he has had to survive many setbacks along the way, the most recent being the pandemic.
“I’ll tell you one thing I’ve learned about this town, there are a lot of good people living here. During the pandemic, I cannot tell you how many people would come to pick up a takeout order for maybe $20, and they’d hand me a $50 bill and say ‘Keep the change. We don’t want you going anywhere.’ That happened a lot,” Fitzgerald said. “They did not want to see this place go under. I had been praying and all my friends had been praying through the pandemic that we could survive somehow, and we did.”
Fitzgerald is a man who has a strong work ethic and who absolutely loves what he does. He is a perfectionist when it comes to the presentation of each of the freshly made menu items, and his loyal employees have learned from his example.
There is very little staff turnover, and he says he has not hired anyone new in more than two years.
“I try to make it enjoyable for them. I’m not always on their back with criticism. I joke with them, I tease them, and they tease me, and we have fun,” Fitzgerald said.
His employees know that the goal is to serve fresh, made-fromscratch foods in an exceptionally clean and pleasant environment, and all are dedicated to that end.
The café portion of the store opened with a limited menu, just a simple lunch of soup and a roll. It was so well received that quiches, salads, paninis, and wraps of many varieties have been added to the menu along with several kinds of desserts. Nothing is deep fried, and the sandwiches are served with pasta salad and fresh fruit. Fitzgerald makes all the soups, salads and desserts himself, and is constantly researching new varieties of each dish to feature in the daily special that is advertised on Facebook and on a large sign in front of the store.
Fitzgerald credits his parents with helping him get the business up and running. His dad was a greeter who loved to chat with the customers as he seated them. His mom was a great cook and an organizer, and both parents enjoyed helping in the store and café.
Last year, the Village Peddler started selling quarts of homemade soup, cakes, and pies at the Farmer’s Market held in downtown St. Marys every Saturday morning during the summer months.
“I really had so much fun doing that, and we did well with sales, so I am looking forward to doing it again this year. I really enjoyed getting out in the community and greeting people!” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald has been working a second job in addition to his duties at the cafe for most of the 32 years he has been open. He had come through bankruptcy early on when he had a Village Peddler gift store in DuBois before opening the store and café in St. Marys. He has gone through times when he was ready to give up, but a strong faith in God has helped him to not only survive the hard times, but to thrive while doing what he loves to do.