#HIGHLAND PARK MARKET NEAR MERIDEN CT WINDOWS#

“Him and his wife were just gracious, wonderful people.” “He was a hands-on type of guy,” Secondo said. The owner took pride that his name was on the building and could be seen stocking shelves, bagging groceries or talking with customers. The purchase of those buildings wasn't connected to a nearby condominum project that has been under consideration since the 1980s for Forgione Drive.Įarlier this month, the houses on Forgione Drive were demolished to make way for the project, which includes luxury townhouses and condos.Īrt Secondo, former Town Councilor and former Greater Southington Chamber of Commerce president, said Giantonio and his wife Dolly were always seen in the store.

Lovley said he'll be making improvements to the buildings, whose tenants include a Dollar Tree store, Domino's Pizza, Hong Kong Kitchen and Pizza House. Lovley and Valenti purchased the properties at 200 Main St.

Local developer Mark Lovley and partner Anthony Valenti, a real estate broker from Newington, recently bought the Main Street plaza from the Forgione family. The building next door became a CVS pharmacy, then a Blockbuster video store, before the current Family Dollar store. Giantonio later took a job with Highland Park Market in Manchester. His inventory went to his Coventry supermarket. “If peple are going to do their weekly shopping at Food Mart or Edward’s and then stop here for a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread, you can’t make it,” Giantonio told the Record-Journal at the time of his store’s closing. Residents used Guido’s for convenience items, but did the bulk of their shopping elsewhere. “Southington we love you,” it read.īut even with public support and high sales following the grand re-opening, by the summer of 1986 Giantonio told the Record-Journal he still couldn’t make the business work in the face of competition from larger grocery stores.

#HIGHLAND PARK MARKET NEAR MERIDEN CT WINDOWS#

The reprieve prompted a message in the store windows along Main Street announcing the store’s grand re-opening. A week after, though, another company bought the building and established a more affordable rent. In January 1986, the landlords raised Giantonio’s rent 400 percent which nearly closed the business. Guido’s Supermarket, owned by Guido Giantonio, was a downtown landmark for 14 years until it closed in the summer of 1986.įor most of that time, the building was owned by the Forgione family. SOUTHINGTON - New owners of the Family Dollar plaza said they have improvements planned for the area where downtown’s last supermarket once operated.

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