Longtime Hopwood grocer to close its doors
Adrian’s Market, a staple grocery store for the Uniontown and Hopwood communities, will be permanently closing its doors by the end of December.
Rebecca Devereaux|Herald-Standard
Adrian’s Market employees Ronda Price, 8 years of service, Donna Miller (middle) 24 years of service and Micheal Tait, two-years of service stop for a photo inside the deli section of the market. “It’s a like a family here” says Tait the others agreeing making plans to keep in touch once the store closes just before Christmas.
Rebecca Devereaux|Herald-Standard
With a “hey sunshine” greeting, Bill Kupets, checks out a costumer in the lottery section of Adrian’s Market Thursday afternoon.
Rebecca Devereaux|Herald-Standard
Sara Schnatterly, an employee at Adrian’s Market in Hopwood, checks out a customer during her shift on Wednesday. Schnatterly along with several other employees will be losing their jobs once Adrian’s permanently closes just before Christmas.
Rebecca Devereaux|Herald-Standard
Adelia Cicconi of Hopwood has been shopping at Adrian’s Market for decades. The Hopwood market will be closing its doors permanently by the end of December.
Rebecca Devereaux|Herald-Standard
Jeffery Radvansky, an employee at Adrian’s Market for almost four years, helps out costumer Ron Valiante, 74, of Uniontown in the deli section of the store.
After 68 years in Hopwood, Adrian’s Market is closing its doors Dec. 23.
“It really sucks,” said Misty Shaw of Hopwood as she pushed her shopping cart along the store’s frozen food section. “It’s truly depressing. My heart goes out to them.”
Owner Don Chesler, 60, who took over the business from his father, Adrian, 30 years ago, said it is time to retire. He and his wife, Terri, do not have children. Nieces and nephews have developed their own careers away from the family business, he said.
The store originally opened as a roadside fruit stand in 1946 by Clara and Adrian Chesler. The business was partnered following Adrian Sr.’s death in 1966. The family, including Clara, reopened Adrian’s in February 1986. Since then, the full-line supermarket has specialized in fresh products and local appeal.
Throughout Adrian’s, there are orange signs letting customers know many items are 30 percent off. A little more than two weeks before the scheduled closing, the shelves still had fresh produce and meat for sale. There was also fried chicken, cold salads, hot soups and pies for sale. And the store parking lot was full.
Because of the popularity of the store’s prepared foods, Chesler said he and his employees would be up at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. to prepare customer favorites such as Clara’s Pickled Eggs, ham salad, cheese spreads or broccoli carbonora.
“My philosophy has been that you always take care of the customer,” he said.
That philosophy earned Adrian’s a loyal customer base.
Adelia Cicconi, a longtime customer, teared up when asked about the closing.
“I have been shopping here since 1970,” said Cicconi, who lives in Hopwood. “I have never had a bad experience. I don’t know where I am going to shop.”
Judy Wyckoff of Markleysburg said she wasn’t aware the store was closing.
“It is a shock,” she said.
Chesler said he is helping some of his 40 employees — some of whom have been with him for 28 years — find other jobs. He said his employees and customers are what he is going to miss most.
Chesler said the grocery business has evolved through the years with more outlets and the Internet. The typical profit margin for a grocery store is 1.7 percent, according to the Food Marketing Institute, a Washington, D.C. trade association for food retailers.
“I encourage people to shop at independently owned establishments,” Chesler said.
Chesler said Terri is almost done with a culinary course at Westmoreland Community College and would like to work part time as a chef.
As for himself?
“I am an avid fly fisherman,” he said. “But, I am going to take a break. I don’t know what I am going to do at this point.”