Citarella hosts Greenwich chamber’s biggest event ever
The Greenwich Chamber of Commerce will host more than 30 events and programs this year. It will have a tough time equaling the recent Chamber After Six event at the new Citarella store at 600 W. Putnam Ave. in Greenwich and at Citarella”™s next-door wine shop, which attracted some 250 attendees, a chamber record.
The 20,000-square-foot specialty food store, which had a soft opening last summer and is now fully open employing 100, presented a smorgasbord of gourmet foods and beverages.
Citarella founder and owner Joe Gurrera offered brief remarks and afterward said, “Over the years, our customers in Manhattan and the Hamptons have asked time and time again for us to open stores in Connecticut and Westchester. We looked for years for the right opportunity and found the perfect location and space for us to build our largest market to date. Our location at 600 West Putnam Ave. was selected because it”™s within a short drive of several communities including Rye, Purchase, Stamford and of course Greenwich. We wanted a location that was centrally located with high population density within a suburban area.”
“This is our first one of the year,” chamber President and CEO Marcia O”™Kane said of the event. Citing the official tally of 230 attendees, O”™Kane said walk-ins were pushing that number to at least 250. “This is the biggest networking event in the history of the chamber. It speaks to the popularity and growth of our chamber membership. We have over 30 programs and events per year and during 2015 every single one has enjoyed record attendance.”
Gurrera said the site was originally to be an office. “We were very appreciative of the town of Greenwich Zoning Board for their help with the realization of our vision ”“ transforming a facility intended for office space into a gourmet market and wine store,” he said.
“The local market has a deep appreciation for high quality, fresh food,” Gurrera said. “We believe our famous selections of seafood, prime dry-aged meat, along with our vast selection of hot and prepared foods would be a welcome addition to the community.
“Citarella is proud of our 100 year heritage starting as a small seafood shop on Manhattan”™s Upper West Side. We offer food lovers the finest ingredients and handle them with tender, loving care. Our family is thrilled to be in Greenwich and we look forward to become part of the fabric of the community like we”™ve done in Manhattan and the Hamptons.”
