Ruggieri's Market Sold to Shore's Food Market

Ruggieri's Market — a locally-owned, family business that dates back to 1915 — is changing hands.

Come August, Ruggieri's will be closed for a few weeks for a full and complete renovation featuring new cases, displays, a new prepared foods area and in-store bakery.

And when the doors open back up, a new name will be adorning the building, which has stood at 435 Atwood Ave. since the 1950s: Shore's Food Market.

Peter Ruggieri, owner and manager of Ruggieri's Market, said it was a hard decision to sell the business, but the timing was right, the opportunity was there and the buyer is another Rhode Island family that has been in the mom and pop grocery business for decades.

"We've known the family for a long time, we've done a lot of similar things over the years," Ruggieri said Thursday morning from his office behind a door near the service counter that he shares with his brother Michael Ruggieri.

Shore's is a fourth-generation market that has been in operation for fifty years. Ruggieri said its owners, Scott and Bob Shores are young, aggressive, their market on Mineral Spring Avenue in Providence is successful and they'll be doing great things at the soon-to-be former Ruggieri's.

"They're going to do a great deal of remodeling, carrying a lot of the same product lines and quality of what we have," Ruggieri said, noting the new store will have a larger prepared foods section and the in-store bakery. "It's going to be real nice."

Ruggieri said he "fought hard" for his employees. All will be hired by the new owners and that means loyal Ruggieri's customers will still get the same service from the same crew they've grown to know like family. 

"The Ruggieri family is grateful for all our customers and people who have supported us through the years," Ruggieri said. "It's going from one independent family to another and we hope [our customers] will support them too."

Ruggieri said he's proud to sell the business as a successful enterprise — quite an accomplishment considering the cutthroat grocery business, intense competition and the fact that so few mom and pops markets remain.

The decision was fueled by a variety of factors, including Michael Ruggieri's recovery from a stroke recently, which cost him most of his eyesight.

"It's life. I'm still here," he said. 

But it wasn't just that. The family felt strongly that the store was due for an upgrade and remodeling. At the same time, the Shores family was in the market for a second location. The two families have known each other for years and years, almost like a sister operation.

The Shores' then approached Ruggieri's. They talked about it for a while, going back and forth. At 61, Peter Ruggieri said it was an opportunity "for all of us," and that's what led to the decision to sell.

The Ruggieri's story begins in 1911 when Maria and Antonio Ruggieri came to the United States with five children in tow. Soon their family grew to 13 — 9 having worked in the market at some point during their lives.

The first Ruggieri's was at 1801 Cranston St. in 1915. The small store purveyed Italian products as Antonio rode the early-morning trolley to the produce market in Providence to pick the vegetables for that day. Maria and daughter Mary Ruggieri then would run the store during the day as Antonio worked in a rock quarry to earn a living.

The store soon entered the meat business, which has become the store's speciality over the years. In 1955, Antonio's son, Gerard "Charlie" Ruggieri took over and bought the Atwood Avenue property. The store has expanded several times over the decades since then.

What are your favorite Ruggieri's Market memories? Share them in the comments.