Sandwich Shop to Close Friday After 27 Years

It's known for its sandwiches with names that say Beverly - Beverly Depot, Endicott, Lynch Park and Woodbury.

But on Friday, it will all come to an end.

Tastebuds Gourmet on Hale Street in Beverly Cove will close on Friday, according to owner Jan Pellegrini, who is selling the business.

Pellegrini opened the business 27 years ago after working for 11 years as an executive secretary at Sylvania in Danvers. She went back to school at Essex Agricultural School and got a loan from GTE Sylvania Credit Union to start to the business.

"I was one of the people who sat at their desk and dreamed of opening my own business," she said. "And I did it."

But things have been tough in recent years. She has three employees and said she has not paid herself for the past five years.

"Why would anyone do that?" she asked during an interview in the cozy restaurant on Thursday. "Every day I was here it was a miracle to stay open and I can't keep the miracle alive anymore."

Customer Diane Zanni dropped by Tastebuds to visit Pellegrini on the next to last day and bring her a bouquet of flowers. Zanni, who is a real estate agent, serves on the Alumni Council at Endicott College and said she started making it a habit to stop in at Tastebuds on the way to and from Endicott.

On one visit, Pellegrini told Zanni about her mother being sick.

"After that, we just bonded," Zanni said, adding that she has been a customer since 1995.

Rachel Marks plans to buy the business and reopen it in late April as "Sweet Feed."

Marks runs a business by the same name in North Carolina but is a Middleton native who is moving back to the North Shore after 20 years away.

"I'm coming home," Marks said.

Marks said Sweet Feed will focus on prepared foods and catering.

"I'm going to maintain some of what Jan does," she said. "Even though I will be doing catering it will not be black tie catering."

Her "first love" is baking and Marks said Sweet Feed was known for its chocolate chip cookies in North Carolina. She'll sell those, plus other baked goods such as coconut cake, lemon squares and brownies, to name a few.

Sweet Feed will also have prepared meals for take out. Marks said she'll even make it in your own dish if you drop it off.

"There will be a lot of stuff - when you walk in the door, you can just grab it," Marks said.

While Tastebuds has 25 sandwiches, Marks plans about five sandwiches, including roast beef and chicken salad.

"That is where the meshing of the two come in." she said.

Marks said she plans to hire Pellegrini's two existing employees and will hire one other.

She has not set her hours yet, but expects to be open from about 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. She plans to "feel things out" before settling on hours.

Marks said that she plans to run Sweet Feed in much the same way Tastebuds has run for the past quarter decade - "low-key" and friendly to its customers.