One of The Hill’s best-known Italian markets has closed. John Viviano & Sons Grocery Co., at 5139 Shaw Ave., shut its doors this spring as third-generation owner John Viviano III retired, St. Louis Magazine reported.
The Viviano family sold the building to the DiGregorio family, which owns DiGregorio’s Italian Market on Daggett Avenue. Reporting on the exact last day varied: the magazine’s story noted an April 30 closing, while its headline pointed to a final week of sales running through May 3.
From cheese shop to landmark
The business began in 1950 as a small cheese and food shop run by John Viviano Sr. Later generations grew it into a large store with an online business, and St. Louis Magazine described it as the city’s largest Italian market. The family moved to the Shaw Avenue building, which has more than 7,000 square feet, in 1979.
Why it closed
Retirement was only part of the story. According to a FOX2 report cited by St. Louis Magazine, rising costs and competition had hit the business hard in recent years. The magazine also pointed to fewer everyday shoppers, the expense of keeping up an aging building and equipment, and trouble hiring for specialized jobs. “It’s a bittersweet situation, but it was time,” Viviano told FOX2. His children have other careers, and he planned to move to Sarasota, Florida, St. Louis Magazine reported.
What comes next
John DiGregorio told St. Louis Magazine the family had not yet decided how it would use the building, but wanted to keep the character of both the property and the neighborhood. We will report on plans for the building when they are announced.
The DiGregorio family’s own Italian market remains open at 5200 Daggett Ave., Monday through Saturday, according to its website.
Shoppers looking for the Viviano name can still find it at Viviano Festa Italiano stores in Fenton and Chesterfield. Those are run by other members of the family and are separate businesses outside The Hill.
For more on the neighborhood’s past, see our History of The Hill timeline.
Sources: St. Louis Magazine, FOX2, DiGregorio’s Italian Market (website).
