It’s been a few months since the Boston Market Terminal closed for good, scattering companies to nearby warehouses, the neighboring New England Produce Center or to retirement.
Still, fresh produce lives on — even as New England area restaurants revive from a COVID-19 pandemic-induced slumber, and then a third coronavirus wave delivers confusion and renewed caution.
“We were hoping it was all coming back by fall, but now, who knows. Things were going back to normal the last few months,” said Eugene Fabio, president of J Bonafede & Sons at the New England Produce Center.
In several cities and towns of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine — including Boston — 2021 Shelby market data shows Stop & Shop has top market share, at 16.09%.
Market Basket follows closely behind with a 15.95% market share, then Walmart with 13.38%, Shaw’s Supermarket with 13.13% and Hannaford’s Supermarket at 8.4%.
Those are the top five retailers in the New England area. Whole Foods Market, Roche Bros., Wegmans, BJ’s Wholesale Club and Star Market round out the top 10.
“We’re off a little bit in overall volume, but we’re still doing all our small stores and bodegas,” Fabio said.
The market is a little slower than in the past 18 months, likely because consumers driving retail, mom-and-pop grocers, bodega and wholesale demand are back out and about, patronizing more foodservice establishments, Fabio said.
“But people who distribute to universities and hospitals never came back fully,” he said.
“The result is, there are plenty of people at hospitals, but you’re not allowed to visit them. Same with schools. People are still in school, but a lot are doing it remotely. And all the support staff aren’t there either.
“All those people were buying food.”
Community-Suffolk Inc., which operated from the now-gone Boston Market Terminal, has been renovating and remodeling its newly purchased, free-standing warehouse about 500 feet from the gate of the terminal.
“And we’ve got it about 70% remodeled now and hope to have everything done by Labor Day weekend: new racking systems, three-pallet-high coolers, new paint. And we’re continuing to modernize and make the building apply with food safety laws,” said Steven Piazza, president.
A family company for 85 years, Community-Suffolk’s fourth generation, Piazza’s niece, Gianna Piazza, helps manage the citrus operation and sells limes with her father and Steven’s brother, Jackie Piazza, at their other location in the New England Produce Center. Christopher Rhodes handles the hard squash also at those three bays.
Since the pandemic started, the company has revamped its operations to encourage more social distance. Staff tries to get as many orders as possible by fax, phone and e-mail before customers arrive in person.
“So, after the broker or buyer inspects the order, it’s packed, palletized and ready to go so the truck driver spends as little time in the facility as possible,” Steven Piazza said.
Community-Suffolk is also continuing its upped daily, weekly and monthly cleaning and sanitizing protocols.
Even with less square footage in the new facility, the company has maintained the same rate of wholesale and foodservice customers, he said.
The volume of busines was great this summer, despite the highest freight rates seen in recent memory, Piazza said.
“Previous to this new variant, everyone was dying to get out and congregate. We were really bouncing back, and everybody was willing to participate in restaurants,” Piazza said.
“Now it seems like we’ve taken a half step back as we wait and see where this variant goes and see how strong these vaccinations are, if there’s a booster, and what the rules will be and if we have to return to fully outdoor dining again.
“Because we can’t take another one-two punch.”
