Memories from the Aisles: Grocery Shopping in Montclair’s Past
Before supermarkets, self-checkout lanes, and online ordering, grocery shopping in Montclair was a far more personal—and local—experience. In this episode of the Montclair History Center’s Oral History Series, longtime residents reflect on how families bought food in decades past, recalling neighborhood stores, home deliveries, and the rhythms of everyday life shaped by small businesses and familiar faces.
Neighborhood Grocers and Home Delivery
Peter Giuffra remembers a time when his mother could simply call the local store in Watchung Plaza—Frank and Eddie’s, or earlier, Naspo’s—and have groceries delivered to the house. “She raised five children,” Giuffra recalled, “and she didn’t have to go shopping.” Milk, bread, vegetables, and meat all came directly to the doorstep, long before supermarkets became the norm. “There were no supermarkets,” he said. “These were regular stores—but small.”
That same sense of closeness appears in Anne Purdue von Hoffman’s memories of Angelbeck’s, the Upper Montclair grocer-turned-liquor store where her mother shopped. “They delivered,” she emphasized, noting how routine home delivery once was. She also remembered that Angelbeck’s already sold liquor at that time—but covered it with a sheet on certain days to comply with local laws.
Barbara Eberhardt recalled her mom calling Aiello’s, a butcher shop on the corner of Park Street and Bloomfield Avenue, and the meat then being delivered.
When Bill McElroy ran down to Elmer’s Food Store on the corner of Frink and Walnut streets for his mom, Elmer would add up the total and write it on the bag. He adds that his mom “always checked it when I got home anyways.”
Milk on the Stoop and Cows in the Field
Several residents shared vivid memories of dairy delivery, recalling not just the milk itself but where it came from. Cassandra Martin described growing up near what is now Canterbury Park, where Rudd’s Dairy Land once operated. “Cows actually grazed where it’s now the park,” she said, explaining with a laugh that milk, eggs, and butter came fresh—“like you see on The Andy Griffith Show.”
Martin also remembered the milk itself: bottles left on the porch, with thick cream rising to the top. Adele Buck echoed those memories, recalling butter, eggs, and even horse-drawn milk wagons. She described hearing the milkman’s signal to the horse—“tkk-tkk”—signaling the horse to move on its own from her grandfather’s house to her family’s house next door.
Walking to Shop, Itty Bitty Grocery Carts, and the Coming of a “Super” Market
For many families, shopping didn’t require a car. Barbara Williams noted that her family owned only one vehicle—and rarely needed it. “Anything you needed was right on Bloomfield Avenue,” she said. Her grandmother handled the household shopping, pushing a metal cart to the Food Fair. Before Williams went to kindergarten, she accompanied her grandmother on the shopping trips, and Williams fondly remembered the smell of pickles from the pickle barrel.
Similarly, Barbara Eberhardt described shopping during World War II, a time marked by rationing and limited choices. There were “no ‘super’ markets,” she recalled. Instead, customers handed a list to the clerk, who gathered the items behind the counter.
Most of her family’s shopping was done at Tom’s Market, a small market on Grove Street near Claremont with “itty bitty grocery carts.” She thought it was wonderful to select items from the shelves herself. Rather than had a list to the clerk. Eberhardt notes that Montclair’s first true “super” market was Food Fair on Bloomfield Avenue, located where Whole Foods is today.
Working in the Stores
Food shopping didn’t just shape family life—it also provided early employment. Mario Velardi remembered getting his first job at an Acme grocery store in 1950. He earned a dollar an hour for a 45-hour workweek, which he noted was “considered a lot of money back in the fifties.”
Keeping up with Food Trends and World Events
William Treene noted that Clarence Birdseye, considered the founder of the frozen food industry, was a Montclair High School graduate! William also recalled that during World War II, families “did their part” by saving fats and collecting and crushing metal cans as part of the war effort, showing how even grocery routines were tied to global events.
Sweet Treats and Shared Moments
Kathleen Maher-Cocca shared a favorite after-school ritual known as “splitting a pint.” At a candy store on Park Street, two friends could share a pint of Hershey’s ice cream for 25 cents. “One time you’d pay 13 cents, and the next time I’d pay 13 cents,” she said.
These memories give us an interesting glimpse into “how things used to be” and how times have changed. But as for home-delivery of groceries, perhaps everything old is new again!
This blog is an edited summary of an episode of the Montclair History Center’s oral history series, prepared for Radio Free Montclair. Listen to the episode by hitting play below Or, read the full transcript of the episode online here.
Stay tuned for more radio episodes (and blogs) based on our oral history series!
To explore more oral histories from the Montclair History Center, which were recorded in 2018 to commemorate Montclair’s 150th anniversary, visit online here.