WILTON CT- After four months and 7,000 square feet in additions, Caraluzzi’s Georgetown market is prepared to meet the growing needs of their customers.
“Re-Modeling the Georgetown market was an opportunity to roll-out some of the successful areas we tested in our Newtown store when it opened in 2008, such as the full service butcher shop and the in-store cafe.” said Mark Caraluzzi, president and CEO of Caraluzzi’s Markets.
The Caraluzzi’s Georgetown Market café, which will include its own seating area and offer cappuccino, espresso, gelato, pastries and panini’s, has been much anticipated by the Georgetown Market’s patrons.
“I can recall the first week we opened a customer said, ‘You know this place is really nice, you should have a place to sit down and get a cup of coffee,” said Mr. Caraluzzi. “While this may not have been the quickest response, we do take all the feedback and react when opportunity comes.”
The opportunity came early in 2012 when a neighboring store relocated, leaving an empty space in the Route 7 plaza.
“We've had a great response from the customers right from the day we opened back in 2003. So when the opportunity to expand came we decided it was time. Expanding would give us the ability to respond to the growing needs of our customers,” said Mr. Caraluzzi “As an independent family owned business we are just better equipped to respond to customer demands.”
The Caraluzzi’s have been in business since 1949, when Anthony Caraluzzi Sr. invested his entire savings to buy the Bethel Fruit and Vegetable market, leaving his job of 27 years at Gristede’s Supermarket in the Bronx. Since that year, Caraluzzi’s markets has been overseen by three generations of family members and grown to include four stores. Each location has seen numerous expansions.
“We consistently reinvest in all our stores,” said Mr. Caraluzzi.
“People are eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, and they are also eating more prepared or ‘heat-and-eat’ meals,” said Mr. Caraluzzi. “We are offering prepared foods ranging from Italian entrees such as chicken parmesan to Indian and Asian cuisine.”
The Georgetown Market’s prepared foods department, run by professional chefs who cook on-site daily, includes over 100 different meals and sides to-go.
Other additional features include an open butcher’s counter, where customers can have meat custom cut to order, and an expanded seafood selection which includes local catch when in-season.
“We’ve expanded our local, organic and gourmet options throughout the store,” said Mr. Caraluzzi.
Such options can be also be found in Caraluzzi’s renovated deli, which includes store-made salads, imported authentic Italian salumi, and Caraluzzi’s own line of deli meats.
A full-service floral shop with a walk-in-cooler will greet customers entering the Caraluzzi’s Georgetown market. To their left, customers will see the market’s new produce department, which has nearly doubled in size and has expanded its selection of local, exotic and organic fruits.
After all those healthy options, customers will find the new bakery department, featuring a pastry case that includes 32 different varieties of pastries and 21 different cakes. 51 different bread varieties can be found on the bakery shelves.
The Caraluzzi’s and employees celebrated the stores grand re-opening on September 24th by cutting into a store prepared cake and handing out over 200 slices to customers.
The Caraluzzi’s will be hosting more giveaways, special sales and raffles over the next two weeks at the Georgetown Market, located at 920 Danbury Road, on the corner of Route 7 and Route 107 in Wilton.