The changing of the guard at Folgerelli‘s

May 24, 2006

If you’ve been in Folgarelli’s Import Food Market lately, you might have noticed a few new faces and a lot of changes. The store on West Front Street in Traverse City looks a little empty, but that’s temporary. Freezers and coolers will soon be moved in to hold mostly local and organic produce, aged beef, and grab’n’go gourmet dinners, sandwiches, soup, and salads.
Meanwhile, most of the wine was moved back into the Wine Shop, which now boasts a handsome bar for sitting and sampling the great wines.
All these changes owe to the vision of the new owners of the store—sisters Eileen Cochran and Virginia Powell and Darric Newman, a third-generation of Folgarelli owners. The gourmet shop was opened in 1979 by Donna’s parents, Boniface “Fox” and Margaret Folgarelli, who moved up north to be closer to Donna and her then toddler children.
Donna Folgarelli, known for her megawatt smile and love for English setters, will stay involved with the store through cooking classes, trips to Europe and marketing Folgarelli’s private label products. “We have our red sauce that I concocted, my mom’s dressing, my dad’s marinade, and the olive oils that we import. It’s all really fun.”
New faces also include wine guru Todd M. Brown and chef, Jason Maday, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, who whips up things like today’s special—chicken breast with a mango ginger sauce and a basmati rice with cashews. Yum.
Much of the store is staying the same, including its extensive line of gourmet products, local bakery breads, and fresh roasted coffee.
“We’re not going to mess with the sandwiches, but we are buying a pannini grill so we’ll be adding panninis,”said Cochran. “We’re hand shopping the produce, so it’s going to be really high quality stuff.”
In addition to those changes, Cochran said customer service has become a top priority. “We’re paying prompt attention to everyone who walks through the door.”