By Mary A. Crisafulli
ROXBURY—In the little town of Roxbury, two entrepreneurs opened the first grocery store in town since the 80s, roughly two years ago. The shop has come a long way since Andrew Williams and Peter Ginger opened Good Grocer at 53525 State Highway 30. On April 21, the duo welcomed the addition of a deli, something Williams had mentioned wanting back in 2023.
"To be honest, we hesitated to call it a deli at all, since the term has many definitions," he explained. The Good Grocer Deli offers prepared foods and charcuterie. The menu ranges from potato salad and mac-and-cheese to roast beef sandwiches and kielbasa peppers and onions. "We know there is a market for packaged meals, including sandwiches but also dishes like lasagne, beef and lamb meatballs, chicken parmigiana, and salmon," said Williams, "Until we opened this hasn't been an option in town for decades."
Williams further explained that everything is made in-house to ensure quality. "Rather than having a thousand options of sandwiches and sides that come pre-made from a supplier, we'd rather provide quality food at a good price made here by Roxbury cooks," he said.
Williams noted the reception has been fantastic, with people coming in for a simple sandwich and grabbing other items for dinner too.
In addition to the deli, Williams enthusiastically shared new offerings, including newspapers, ice, and more bread options. "We are investing more in our space and listening closely to our customers' requests," he explained.
Personally, it's just nice to tell my partner, Michael, to stop at the grocery store on the way home from work because I forgot the onion, or we ran out of milk. Now I can also say, I forgot to make dinner!
The duo said they are committed to providing honest and fair prices. "There are no loss leaders, points systems, or hidden fees that make some items unusually cheap and others expensive," Williams explained, "Our markups are just enough to make the items affordable and our business sustainable."
This is a refreshing note as I recently walked into a new grocery store while out of town and immediately felt overwhelmed. There were several "deals" or varying prices and many markups if not a "rewards member."
"The town and its people deserve quality products, fair prices, and to be treated well as customers and often friends," said Williams when asked about how it feels to run a general store, "Peter and I genuinely enjoy what we do, and our staff will always make you feel welcome."
Williams and Ginger have hand-picked each item on store shelves. "We don't carry ten brands of peanut butter; we carry one classic and one specialty brand," said Williams, "Ask us; we can tell you about anything we carry from our standpoint as cooks and consumers."
The Deli is open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. Store hours are Sunday through Thursday, 8 a.m. until 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday open until 8 p.m. For more information on the store, visit goodgrocerny.com or find them on social media @goodgrocerny.
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