By Meghan Peterson.
Kirk Fontaine and Ken Diehl, co-owners of the popular Tony’s Package Store in Haddam, have exciting news. They will soon be opening a grocery store: River Valley Provisions. Fontaine and Diehl’s latest enterprise will be located in the building adjacent to Tony’s Package Store.
The goal is to be open and fully operational by January 1, 2015. According to Fontaine, store hours will likely be 8:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. River Valley Provisions will be open Sundays as well. The idea is to keep hours fairly consistent with Tony’s Package Store in order to ensure a smooth shopping experience for customers: they can conveniently shop for groceries and alcohol in one trip.
During a tour of the building that will soon become River Valley Provisions, HaddamNow was able to view the major transformations Ken and Kirk are implementing. Every wall is newly re-painted. The colors are fresh, warm, inviting. All of the floors are newly treated with fresh epoxy. Workers are removing old floor tiles and installing new flooring. In addition, Ken and Kirk have purchased all new commercial-grade equipment: food scales, food prep sinks, an oven, registers and scanners for processing customers’ items.
HaddamNow also spoke with Jon, owner of Jon’s Fish Market in Colchester. Jon will be one of two butchers and head the seafood department at River Valley Provisions. In speaking of the River Valley Provisions’ team and its vision, Jon noted that “food is our passion.” To that end, Jon stated his enthusiasm and passion for Haddam’s latest business addition. With decades of work specializing in charcuterie, the art of preparing, salting, and curing meats, Jon explained the ways that River Valley Provisions will offer a full array of gourmet meats, antipasto dishes, and cheeses. Seafood will be fresh daily, locally caught, and hand-selected by Jon. For example, oysters will be hand-chosen from local sources in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts.
Among a variety of unique services and goods, River Valley Provisions will offer fresh, fine baked goods, gourmet meats and seafood, antipastos, prepared salads, soups. These items – on top of the “conventional” grocer products: dry goods, dairy, deli, frozen foods.
River Valley Provisions expects to have a staff of 15 – including full-time and part-time employees. Service, according to the owners, will be “everything.” They want to establish the feel of a “down-home” grocer with a full line of daily household food items and gourmet food offerings. Just as Tony’s Package Store is a tried and true establishment of Haddam, River Valley Provisions will be no different. Hello, River Valley Provisions. Haddam residents welcome you. See you there when the doors open!
