For more than a century, Goglia’s Market has been serving fresh meat and staples in the Wood Street neighborhood of Bristol. It was established in 1918 by Peter Goglia, the grandfather of …
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For more than a century, Goglia’s Market has been serving fresh meat and staples in the Wood Street neighborhood of Bristol. It was established in 1918 by Peter Goglia, the grandfather of current owner Victor Goglia. Victor’s father, Gabriel, took it over when Victor was a child, and started making the generous grinders that the market became known for.
While the current coronavirus crisis may have moved up the timeline a bit, it is not the reason this longtime shopkeeper and avid New York Yankees fan is choosing 2020 to close his doors.
“I’ve been doing this for 51 years,” he said. “I’m tired.”
“We were thinking of closing in July, anyway,” said his wife, Ann Marie. “But with things the way they are, we might as well do it now.”
This past Tuesday afternoon saw a handful of longtime customers milling around inside the small shop, giving each other distance while stocking up on a few favorites, like Victor’s homemade Italian sausage and meatballs.
One key reason he’s closing — besides looking for a change of scenery — is the rising price of goods. His margins have been shrinking, and he’s not interested in raising prices, he said, gesturing to his handwritten price list posted high on the wall behind the deli counter, largely unchanged in recent years.
He doesn’t have one single day to pinpoint when he will be locking up his doors. He’s already stopped serving deli sandwiches, but he will have lots of items available, including fresh meat, bread and vegetables for the remainder of the week.
“I’ve got a lot of pickups for Easter,” he said. “But that’s it.”
He plans to be in his market the week following Easter to clean and pack, and he’s happy to welcome customers as his stock diminishes. He is also not ruling out the possibility of maintaining one of his sidelines supplying product for bakes and other gatherings, once that type of business resumes.
The Goglias don’t have any particular plans for their retirement at this point — like everyone, they’re in a wait-and-see holding pattern.
“We certainly aren’t planning to travel anywhere,” said Ann Marie. “Not now.”