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Profiles In Business Excellence:Sabatelle's Italian Meat Market
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The atmosphere inside the brick-and-mortar confines of Sabatelle’s fine food market resembles a miniature Quincy Market...
Vibrant green peppers, home-grown tomatoes and other produce lure the customer, as hand-stuffed olives crammed with provolone cheese and garlic vie for attention in a jar on the top shelf. Hot and cold prepared foods and frosty bottles of mineral water from the Italian city of San Pellegrino are just some examples of why Sabatelle’s offers the largest selection of Italian food in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
“We have everything here, [though] we’re primarily an old-fashioned butcher shop,” said owner Jane Sabatelle, of the market’s fresh cured meats. “You could walk in and get a steak cut one inch, half inch, whatever you like, ground meat, ground right in front of you. Everything is fresh here. We don’t load up with casing and sell from there, and that’s where our customer service comes in.”
Family owned and operated since 1978, Jane works the registers greeting generations of customers by their first name, as sons Jason and Chuckie oversee the deli and meat department.
“We have seen several recessions come and go, and I believe that we’re in one now. But, we’re really holding our own, I think, because we own our building. We don’t have the stresses that a bigger operation would have. We can depend on one another, and we have each other to rely on,” Sabatelle said.
When the going gets tough, though, the market can always count on its specialty gift baskets, the names of which include Gourmet, Fresh Fruit, Pasta, Sweet Tooth, and the most popular Italian Basket, which “includes the largest selection of imported Italian food in NEPA.” “Bella Baskets”, as they are often called, can be prepared for any occasion, including holidays, birthdays, graduations, and even weddings. Now, that’s amorè!
There is a sign that distinguishes itself from the rest of the Italian memorabilia that adorns Sabatelle’s walls. It reads: “Cows May Come and Cows May Go, But the Bull in this Place Goes on Forever.” A true testament to the tradition that has given Sabatelle’s a reputation of excellence for more than 30 years.Visit its website at www.SabatellesMarket.com.