Downtown grocery store to open in September

To all those who are impatiently waiting for Trader Joe’s to open in Charlottesville and had once hoped it would locate downtown, don’t despair. Market Street Market, a grocery store and deli is getting closer to its grand opening in early September.

Owners Steven Strumlauf, a sculptor, and his son Raphael, looked for places to open a business, and “it just so happened that this space was available,” he says of the former antiques space on the corner of Fourth and Market streets. Although Strumlauf’s original idea for a business didn’t include a grocery store, he says the location made him change his mind.

“Downtown needs a grocery store,” he says.

In fact, Downtown hasn’t had a grocery store since 1982 when a fire burned down several businesses including Reid’s Super-Save Market, since relocated to Preston Avenue.

Market Street Market will offer New York style cold cuts with roast beef and pastrami sandwiches—among others—for lunch and entrees for dinner. The store will offer fresh meats, fresh produce and fine cheeses (as much local food as possible, says Strumlauf). In the future, the store will also offer delivery services for the items on the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.

Strumlauf says that the store will not carry paper products due to CVS’s proximity, but will do his best to have as many items as possible.
 
“I want to make it special,” he says. “I want to give people what the neighborhood wants.”

The response to the store has been “overwhelmingly positive.” Every day, he says, 20 to 30 people stop by and “say thank you.”

Although Strumlauf says he likes the fact that people can walk to the store, “much like what people do in New York City,” a deal has been made with the parking garage at the end of the Mall. “People can park there and get a stamp when they buy here,” he says.

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