Since 1946, Glorioso's Italian Market has been a staple in the Milwaukee community. Owned and operated by Teddy and Rosemary Glorioso, the locally owned grocer has made an indelible mark on the East Side community and beyond, selling high-quality Italian products and providing exceptional customer service.

Nearly 80 years after founding the local grocer, the family has decided to sell the business in an effort to ensure that the Glorioso’s legacy will continue to grow, expand and serve the community for generations to come.

Beginning in October, ownership of Glorioso’s Italian Market will transition to Carmine, Dominic and Paolo Presta, three brothers whose family operates Valli International Fresh Market stores in Chicago. 

“It is important for us to maintain the rich history of Glorioso’s and pass it to the next generation,” says Teddy Glorioso. “The decision to transition the business to the Prestas is based on their 47-year history  running specialty stores and their reputation as a well-run family business. This will ensure that our legacy continues to thrive and customers will continue to enjoy the same high level of service, quality and variety of Italian products that they have come to expect.”

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Meanwhile, the Gloriosos will also turn over Appetito & Sage Harvest culinary center and event space to longtime employee operator Michael Solovey, who will assume full ownership of the business and lease the building from the Glorioso family.

Not just another acquisition

General Manager Michael Glorioso, who has been instrumental in leading the growth of the family market since 2008, says that plans to transition the business have been in the works for the past five years. 

“It’s important to us that Glorioso's Italian Market continues to move forward,” he says. “We want to ensure that it continues to exist beyond our family. But we also want to ensure that the Gloriosos tradition moves forward in the right hands. For us, that means selling to a family that we know has the right background and a similar emotional attachment to the business that we have.”

Following years of research and exploring various options, Glorioso says the two families met about a year ago through a mutual connection. Brad Knab of Storemasters, a Pewaukee-based company that specializes in architectural design for grocers, had worked with both the Glorioso and Presta families. He knew that the Gloriosos were looking for a new owner, and he facilitated the first of many conversations between the two family businesses.

The connection was immediate.

“The Prestas are Italian. They have a great deal of integrity and a tremendous old-school work ethic. They know what it’s like to wake up at the crack of dawn and sometimes not go to bed until late because there’s so much to do,” Michael says. 

“When I went to Chicago to visit their business, I saw firsthand that they operate much like we do. They treat their customers and employees like family. Most of all, there’s a synergy between our two businesses. We have different strengths and together our operations really complement one another.”

Moving Glorioso's forward

Indeed, much like the Gloriosos', the Presta family is a story of immigration and pursuit of the American Dream.

It was 1965 when Alfredo Presta moved to America from Valli, a small farm town in Southern Italy. He came to the U.S. in search of opportunity and he had confidence that – if he worked hard enough – he would find success. And he did. In 1977, he opened his first produce store in Chicago.

Nearly 50 years later, three of his seven children have taken over operations for Valli International Fresh Market. The company has grown, but it continues to operate on the foundation of Alfredo’s dream and his legacy of fresh food, friendly service and hard work. 

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Carmine Presta, who will own and operate Glorioso’s Italian Market alongside his brothers Dominic and Paolo, says that when Knab made the introduction between the Presta and Glorioso’s family, they felt an immediate rapport.

“We both care so much for our families, our names,” Presta says. “And we have so much in common. We immediately understood why Michael and his father would want the Glorioso’s brand to continue, and we share that vision. We don’t want the Glorioso’s tradition to stop with Michael. We want to ensure that it keeps moving forward.”

In fact, Presta emphasizes that purchasing Glorioso’s Italian Market is more than just a business transaction. 

“Corporate stores tend to want to come in and streamline things. But we’re not corporate. We’re a family-run operation with a similar history to Glorioso’s,” says Presta. “Our father, Alfredo, came to the U.S. with nothing but a dream and the promise of opportunity. Both of our parents made sacrifices for their children… and they created successful businesses that made a difference in their communities. My father turns 81 next month, and we are proud that we are young and able to carry on his legacy.

“So when it comes to Glorioso's, our intention isn’t to change it. Michael and his father have done a fabulous job. Any buyer would be foolish to change anything about the market. We just want to keep the legacy alive and help it to grow.”

Presta notes that they will bring in a general manager from Valli, who will move to Milwaukee and assist with operations. But, beyond that, they intend to retain all Glorioso's employees, including Michael, who will remain as a consultant.

“From day one, we want to keep Michael on board,” says Presta, noting that Glorioso has agreed to work with them for at least a year. “In fact, we would welcome it if he wanted to stay with us for years to come.”

While no large-scale changes are in the plans, Presta says they look forward to leveraging their position as a larger company to make Glorioso's Italian Market even more competitive in the saturated grocery market.

“Our stores are larger,” Presta notes. “So together, our brands will have exceptional buying power. We can use that to increase Glorioso’s competitiveness in terms of pricing. There are advantages in that both of the businesses have different strengths. Our strength at Valli has always been produce, which we carry along with meat, deli, fish and bakery. But Gloriosos also has valuable things we don’t have, including a fantastic catering department and a popular private label brand.”

As for growth, Presta says that they are likely to look into opening additional store locations in the state of Wisconsin.

"Glorioso's has a following," says Presta. "And we want to make the brand accessible to people who will appreciate it."

While both parties admit that change can be difficult, Michael says he feels confident that the family made the right decision.

“We are really excited,” he says. “The timing is good. Our business is growing and we’ve found another family that has the same values that we do. We couldn’t have asked for a better scenario for moving forward.”

Read more about the storied history of Glorioso's Italian Market here.