In 1963, brothers Giuseppe (Joe) and Salvatore Gramaglia arrived in the United States with their father, Antonio, and mother, Graziella. Less than a decade later, they founded A&G Italian Fine Foods. This year, the business is celebrating its 55th anniversary, and Joe hopes its legacy continues for many more years. “A&G is a real mom-and-pop store carrying on the old traditions,” he says.
Today, there are four locations, and his nephews – Anthony, Giancarlo, Marco, and Joseph - are also involved in the business. “They're great kids, and they do everything from sweeping the floors to greeting customers with a smile.”
Old-school customer service is one of the things he believes makes A&G so successful. While the younger generation often likes ordering food online and having it delivered, Joe, who works at the Warren location, feels it's essential to get to know customers to offer the best service and products.
When looking for authentic Italian specialties, you often must go to a specialty shop like A&G. And, even with the ever-increasing prices, when it comes to providing quality items, they’re not going to lower their standards.
“We believe in quality,” he says. “For a business, there must be a balance between offering the best merchandise, keeping it affordable, and being able to make a living. Those big-name delivery services can tack on as much as 30%, and usually the food they’re providing isn’t as good.”
A large majority of their clientele enjoys the traditional foods on display, such as imported and domestic Italian cheeses, salami, homemade Italian sausages, and other specialty meats. Pastries like cannoli and sfogliatelle, homemade gelato, and biscotti are also a big hit.
The products themselves have changed over the years, depending on what’s in demand, but some things never go out of favor, such as the fresh mozzarella, high-quality olive oil, and the delicious, crusty breads. While many clients have been coming in for years, new generations are coming in all the time. “I like bringing the items I find in Italy to this country and introducing people to what Italy is all about,” says Joe.
Sandwiches are becoming a huge part of the business, too, and customers expect them to be filled with specialty meats like prosciutto and pancetta. He says customers are also looking for higher-quality shelf-stable pasta. “They think to themselves, ‘Well, I'm spending $20.00 to make a good pot of sauce, and I don’t want to waste it on a $1.00 box of pasta.’”
The Gramaglias are proud to help others uphold family traditions. “Food is what keeps people together,” says Joe. “People are busy these days and don’t have a lot of time to cook, but Sunday dinners are still important to many. My store is always packed on Sundays, with people coming in to buy meatballs and braciole to add to their sauce, along with good cheese and bread. It feels nice to have those little gatherings at home.”
He fondly remembers the big family dinners he used to have when his family lived in Brooklyn. “We had a basement where we used to do these big dinners, and back then, we had hundreds of small food shops to choose from, and they were all good. Today, there are so few of these mom-and-pop stores left, and that’s why we need to support them. They are a big part of the American way of life.”
To find out more, go to AGFineFoods.com.
