Look Inside: Tony's Meat Market - Wilkes-Barre, PA

Tony's Meat Market
Owner: unknown

Open: 2011-2023

Cooperative: none
Location: 124 Grove St, Wilkes-Barre, PA

Photographed: December 22, 2018

Tucked away into a neighborhood of southern Wilkes-Barre is this 4,000 square foot butcher shop/corner grocer that appears to have been in business for a very long time. Prior to 2011, it was the Grove Market, which was affiliated with AWI, a cooperative I discussed at length in yesterday's post. In 2011, it became Tony's Meat Market, which then earlier this year became the Grove Mart.

Inside, we can tell that the store has been a grocery store for a very very long time. The store was Passeri's Cash Market from 1936 through at least 1974 (and later in its life called Passeri's Master Market), although founder Joseph Passeri retired in 1966. It appears in 1966, the store was sold to Benjamin Leggieri, who around the late 70s appears to have converted the store's name to Leggieri's. Leggieri's was in business until 2002 or 2003, and in 2003, the store appears to have been owned by Thomas' Family Market (which eventually became Thomas' Foodtown elsewhere). By 2005, it was the Grove Market.

We only have a few pictures inside the store because it's very small and was difficult to photograph, but we can get a sense of the interior. At the time I visited, the store was still being supplied by C&S. Shurfine signage remained, but unfortunately no Shurfine products.

But Grove Market signage also remained!

Here's a look at the butcher and deli counter. They did have a full butcher inside the small store, and I'm not clear if Grove Mart (which sounds more like a convenience store) has kept it as the grocery store it was.

Some old signage for frozen foods on a mirror, too, although some of what was frozen foods is now single-serve sodas and beverages.

That's all for a look at this corner store with a very long history, but tomorrow, we're a couple blocks north out to Main Street to tour a store that recently closed on The Market Report!