UPDATE: Guilford Food Center Has New Owners with Big Plans

The Marketplace Emporia, LLC, a Connecticut-based investment and management group consisting of longtime Guilford residents Dee Jacob and Jason Iglesias are purchasing the Guilford Food Center and will soon relaunch it as an expanded marketplace with cafe, officials announced Thursday.

The new business, to be called The Marketplace at Guilford Food Center, will retain many aspects of the Guilford Food Center but will expand to include on premise seating, a variety of hot and cold beverages, as well as marketplace style food kiosks in partnership with local fruit, vegetable, cheese and bakery providers.

Like many Guilford residents, the new owners have relied for decades on the Guilford Food Center for fresh meats, quality delicatessen items, and memorable catering services and are thrilled to continue these offerings with members of the Rosa family, current Guilford Food Center owners, who will stay on in this new endeavor, according to a prepared statement.

“Bill Rosa and the Rosa family created a shoreline institution in the Guilford Food Center. We could not be happier that they have agreed to stay with us as we shape this new marketplace and cafe for the people of Guilford and surrounding shoreline towns,” said Dee Jacob, chief operating officer of the new business in a prepared statement. “The Marketplace at Guilford Food Center will feature many familiar faces to current customers as well as some new faces to help expand on the vision of Bill Rosa and his family.”

One fundamental change for The Marketplace at Guilford Food Center will be the addition of a seating area that will initially accommodate up to 40 patrons to eat the breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack items they’ve purchased. Another change will be a beverages bar with a greatly expanded selection hot and cold drinks.

“We want to create an environment where local residents and visitors alike can shop for quality food, gather for a bite, or to just meet and enjoy a drink in a casual yet comfortable environment,” said new General Manager Jason Iglesias in a prepared statement. “Guilford is about community and we’re offering a spot at the center of this community for both casual, spontaneous gettogethers or more formal gatherings.”

Building on the community center theme, space will be set aside in The Marketplace at Guilford Food Center for local civic and school organizations to use for a variety of purposes.

Groups like the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, local sports teams or school organizations and clubs will be able to use this space to promote their organization’s events, fundraisers or activities.

Finally, the marketplace concept will provide a number of market-style food kiosks, which will feature a variety of food offerings from local providers to complement the existing meat and deli selections.

Discussions are underway with a number of potential vendors who represent “the best of Guilford, the Shoreline, Connecticut and New England,” Jacob said, adding “we are placing a strong emphasis on local partnering to make sure we provide only the best and freshest items in our marketplace.”

The emphasis on local sourcing and local vendors is a welcome addition to Guilford, and according to Guilford First Selectman Joseph Mazza, should help to continue the resurgence of the Guilford Center.

“I am extremely excited to learn about The Marketplace at Guilford Food Center, a new concept for an established Guilford business. This is a wonderful transformation of an existing Guilford enterprise that will bring new vitality to downtown Guilford and the surrounding area around the Green,” said Mazza in a prepared statement.

About The Marketplace at Guilford Food Center.

The Marketplace at Guilford Food Center is the exciting evolution of The Guilford Food Center, being relaunched in late Spring by new owners Dee Jacob and Jason Iglesias. It will be a spot for Guilford residents and visitors to continue to shop and now eat and meet. In addition to the quality meats, delicatessen and event catering services town residents have come to expect; the new entity will add some marketstyle kiosks featuring foods from local providers, an improved beverage selection and an on-premise place to eat or drink their purchases.