Italian-Style Shopping In RPB At Joseph’s Classic Market

A little piece of Brooklyn’s Italian culture is present in the western communities with Joseph’s Classic Market.

The market is reminiscent of a Brooklyn Italian-style deli, bakery, butcher, grocer and restaurant all rolled into one, for a one-stop shop for fresh, high-quality products.

VIDEO: Joseph’s Classic Market

A Brooklyn native, co-owner owner and founder Joseph Acierno decided to open the market in 2005, after witnessing that the South Florida region was lacking a classic Italian-style market. He opened his first location in Boca Raton, and soon after the Palm Beach Gardens and Royal Palm Beach locations followed.

According to the store’s director of marketing, Debbie Fiore-Clark, the owner chose to open a location in Royal Palm Beach due to its family-oriented neighborhood charm, which fits the market’s style.

“The market is a place where people feel warm, and they could walk in and eat and taste things, just a real old-school Italian-style Brooklyn market feel,” Fiore-Clark said.

Joseph’s Classic Market celebrated its fourth year in the western communities on Saturday, Aug. 25, with live music, food sampling, wine tasting, prizes and specials.

Joseph Acierno Jr., co-owner and general manager of the Royal Palm Beach location, wants customers to feel like they’re a part of the family when they enter the store. “Our goal is to make the people happy, by making it a friendly, open environment for people to shop in,” he said.

The market has undergone a revamping to take the location to the next level. From the outside of the market, with a dining area, to when customers walk in to the market, there are warm and inviting colors, open space and high ceilings. “We tried to open things up a little on the floor and gave it a little bit of a facelift,” Acierno Jr. said. “A change is good for the eyes because when people walk in and see something different, hopefully it hits them with a different feel, so they can feel comfortable when they shop.”

The produce section is the first area customers enter, and the most popular section in the market, with a variety of fruits, from oranges to strawberries, and vegetables, from whole artichokes to zucchini. “Everything is fresh, and the owner, with 30 years of specialty food experience, buys high-quality stuff,” Fiore-Clark said. “He has stuff imported from New York, Italy and all over.”

For the Aciernos, it’s all about providing the freshest products to clients any way possible, from their freshly sliced turkey off the frame at the deli to freshly baked bread in the bakery. “We are all about high-quality specialty products and food,” Acierno Jr. said. “And if our clients ask for something special, like a particular cut with the fat trimmed a certain way, we do it for them.”

The market is largely known for its high-quality meats and produce. The bread and pastries are freshly baked and include some Italian specialty items such as cannolis and sfogliatelle. “We have a popular, gourmet-to-go option, which features dinner for two and includes a salad, sides, main course and dessert, and you could feed up to four people with it,” Fiore-Clark said.

The market is looking to continue working with the community through events and sponsorships. “We want to encourage the families in the neighborhood to come in and visit for the day, and for it not to be a chore to shop but a pleasant experience,” Fiore-Clark said.

Joseph’s Classic Market is located at 10479 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach, inside the Village Shoppes at the northwest corner of Southern and State Road 7. For more information, visit www.josephsclassicmarket.com or call (561) 204-4405.

Above: Joseph’s Classic Market Director of Marketing Debbie Fiore-Clark with co-owner Joseph Acierno Jr.