MILWAUKEE — It’s the end of an era for the owners of a beloved Brady Street business that’s been around for nearly 80 years.
By October, Glorioso’s Italian Market will be taken over by Chicago-based grocery chain, Valli Produce.
“They don’t have any intentions of changing anything,” said general manager Michael Glorioso. “All the photos, décor, employees and recipes will stay the same.”
Long-time customer, George Barg, said he hopes that holds true. He said he loves starting the day with coffee and conversation at Glorioso’s.
“I always get treated courteously,” Barg said. “I love the deli. I love being able to get a meatball sandwich that’s truly an authentic Italian meatball sandwich.”
Glorioso said he plans to stay on for at least a year to help the new owners acclimate. He said Valli Produce has expressed interest in opening other Glorioso’s Italian Markets in Wisconsin.
“I think it’s going to be awesome,” Glorioso said. “The intention of the new family is to build more stores and capitalize on the Glorioso’s brand. If I was a bit younger, that’s exactly what I would do. We’re excited to see them go forward and see our family name go forward,” he said.
Glorioso said he has fond memories of growing up in the business.
“My earliest memories of growing up in the grocery store, we had nine or 10 family members there, and just a handful of employees,” he said. “I would go into the wooden barrels and grab the olives out, and kind of eat my way through our deli.”
Glorioso’s father opened Glorioso’s Italian Market with his brothers in 1946. Their father — an immigrant from Sicily — operated a produce cart in Milwaukee.
The store originally opened across the street from where it now operates. In 2010, the family transitioned to its current location for more room. They turned the original building into a space for cooking classes and catered events.