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No Ordinary Corner Grocery
Don't judge a book by its cover — or, in this case, a store by its facade.
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Business New Haven
4/17/2000
By: Priscilla Searles
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From the outside, the Whitneyville Food Center at 1248 Whitney Avenue in Hamden looks like any other small corner grocery. But shoppers are in for a surprise when they open the door for the first time.
The first impression one gets of the store is how neat and organized it is - not a thing out of place, not a piece of paper or a leaf of lettuce on the floor. And speaking of the floor, it's carpeted, a shock for new customers unaccustomed to such amenities when shopping for a loaf of bread.
Even the products on the shelves are lined up is if someone used a template. The entire store has the feeling of a small Fortnum & Mason's of London, minus the help dressed in formal attire.
Owned by Patrice Notarfrancesco, Whitneyville Food Center was founded 31 years ago by her in-laws. In 1973 Patrice's husband joined the business and Patrice helped out during the holidays. But when her father-in-law died in 1991 and her husband passed away just weeks later of leukemia, Patrice was forced with a dire choice.
“I had four children to support and to make matters worse, my husband died on the Monday before Thanksgiving, leaving me with a lot of customers expecting turkeys,” she recalls. I took Tuesday off and went into the store on Wednesday to make sure customers' orders were filled.
It was clear that business needed her to keep going - and she needed the business.
But she couldn't just step into her husband's shoes; there were challenges to be faced. “One of the biggest problems was dealing with the purveyors that had been supplying the store with goods. This isn't a woman's business. They didn't have faith that I could deliver and wanted me to personally guarantee the bills,” she recalls.
Today Whitneyville Food Center is not only alive and well, it is a distinctive shopping experience. “I decided to make changes, so a year ago I gutted the place and started over,” says Notarfrancesco. “We stayed open the whole time. I worked with an architect and made it a community affair. . There were big changes week to week and customers made lots of suggestions.
One was to enter the takeout market. “We introduced prepared food after the restoration and prepared dinners. I had been listening to people for a long time before I began the changes. Because there is no choice - you just close your eyes and go with your gut feeling - you listen to what people want because you're small and you can't carry everything. And a lot of our customers are elderly or shut-ins, so delivery is an important part of our business.”
One of the more unusual services offered by Whitneyville is dinners delivered right to customers' doors. Menus are faxed to customers, who select what they're most hungry for.
“We have keys to many customer's homes so we put the food in the refrigerator and when the customer comes home, dinner is there,” explains Notarfrancesco. “It might herb-crusted salmon, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus vinaigrette and a lemon square.
One reason for Whitneyville's continued success is that “Everyone here has a specialty, and it works because we're really service-oriented and we don't want people to wait,” says Notarfrancesco. “You can go anywhere and buy groceries but you don't always get service. People ask for advice and they want answers.
“Some of our employees are new and some have been here for a long time. Our produce man has been here for many years; he used to deliver on a bicycle. If he says a cantaloupe will be ready on Tuesday, you can count on it. And the variety of gourmet items, special coffee blends and foods not easily found - along with fruit baskets and service - have made us a success,” says Notarfrancesco.
Clearly not one to sit still for too long, Patrice Notarfrancesco isn't waiting for the paint to dry on the renovations - she's already making plans for the next round of additions to the Whitneyville Food Center. Next on the agenda: a full line of organic foods, including organic produce. There's an old rule that says you should never go to the grocery store hungry but when it came to Whitneyville Food Center throw that rule out and bring your imagination. The possibilities are endless.
Priscilla Searles
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