From the day when Primo Stropoli’s great-grandfather Joseph pumped the first tank of gas in 1952, Tetta’s Market was destined to be a focal point. Back then, the Olivebridge establishment was the only place you could get gas and food for miles around; Joseph soon added auto repair to the mix.
Stropoli’s grandparents, Fred and Ana Tetta, leaned into the country store aspect; he grew up in the store, helping sell “nearly every item you could imagine,” he says. As the only store for miles around, the Tettas aspired to serve the community’s every need and were deeply loved by the locals and the intrepid travelers who ventured up into the Catskills in those days.
When Stropoli took the reins, remodeled, and reopened in May of 2020, there was change in the wind. Even then, the town of Olivebridge was about half weekenders. Since then, that ratio has become more like 60% to 70% second homes. Stropoli knew that to succeed, he needed to be more than just a gas station and more than a typical country store, while keeping the unique flavor that made Tetta’s Tetta’s: a deep commitment to quality and service, undergirded by a warm, open heart and polished with a light touch of wise-ass.
He added a firepit, a liquor license, a stage, and a café; fired up the pizza oven, generally expanded the menu, and began hosting more events. And the Tetta’s of today is a whole new flavor of essential!
He added a firepit, a liquor license, a stage, and a café; fired up the pizza oven, generally expanded the menu, and began hosting more events. And the Tetta’s of today is a whole new flavor of essential, even as one suspects that Joseph, Fred, and Ana would still feel right at home.
Now, Stropoli says, it’s about leaning in and deepening what works. “It’s a challenge, but what isn’t?” he says. “The nature of life and work up here has changed; longtime locals got offered big money for their properties and decided to pull up stakes. There’s a two-year-old development a quarter-mile down the road with seven new homes on it—it’s actually called Tetta Lane—and this past winter, going past there with snow on the ground, only one of those seven houses had any tracks in the driveway. It’s beautiful here, but winter can be desolate.” Being there for the people who still need their milk, eggs, and gasoline even in the icy months is a vital part of the legacy, and Stropoli is looking to keep that going by honing the store’s offerings and making it ever more enticing to everyone.
New partner Joe Trad has a broad and deep background in commercial food manufacturing and restaurants, and currently oversees manufacturing for pet food company Smalls, a connection that has inspired yet another new offering, a “nice new pet section,” Stropoli says. It’s stocked with offerings from Lucas Pet Supply in Kingston; working with the five-star neighbors is a very Tetta’s (and very Catskills) thing to do.
“Joe revitalized me right when I needed it most,” Stropoli says, “and even just the small changes we’ve already made to the grocery selection have revitalized the customers, too. It’s a paradox. People resist change, but you also can’t just stagnate. So we’re honing the new direction that has already been established, but in which we’ve sort of barely scratched the surface: We’ve got the beer garden, the fire pit, and the stage; next year is our 75th anniversary, so people can expect us to be celebrating that. So this year we have an actual events coordinator who’s taking the lead on planning and scheduling, and we have about two dozen events lined up, from live music, open mic and trivia nights to bow-and-arrow making, and three or four comedy shows.”
"Joe revitalized me right when I needed it most, and even just the small changes we’ve already made to the grocery selection have revitalized the customers, too." – Co-owner Primo Stropoli
The prepared food menu is being turbocharged with the addition of Chef Maria Lemmo of Maria’s Provisions and Curated Kitchen, “an Italian American woman from Philly who makes amazing food,” Stropoli says proudly.
In expanding the grocery selection, the partners are staying intentional about meeting all the community’s needs. “We’re keeping it balanced,” Stropoli says. “I’ll have the Bread Alone right next to the Freihofer’s, you know, the organic right next to the conventional, the luxury canned option right next to the Goya version—that’s the goal. So whether you’re always here and looking for reasonable prices or whether you have just 48 all-too-brief hours of your vacation here, we want to make it so you don’t need to go that extra 20 miles to get your needs met. Inflation has been rough, and it can be a challenge getting distributors out here; a couple of them were charging us the same prices for wholesale that the same thing was selling retail for in bigger towns, but we’ve lined up five or six new distributors, and Joe’s really good at the negotiations.”
The prepared food menu is being turbocharged with the addition of Chef Maria Lemmo of Maria’s Provisions and Curated Kitchen, “an Italian American woman from Philly who makes amazing food,” Stropoli says proudly.
“She’s leaning into our own Italian family heritage with the menu, adding a lot of depth, so that’s something else people can find right here.” In the meantime, you can fill your gas tank for a price as good as you’ll find anywhere and grab a hot breakfast or a sandwich to eat along the Ashokan Rail Trail, same as always.
And Stropoli will make sure Tetta’s keeps right on with the arm-wrestling tournaments, Easter egg hunts, roadside cleanups, and hyperlocal fundraisers. For more Tetta’s flavor, you can find them on Instagram and Facebook, having fun with their warm, slightly edgy, always good-natured persona. “There’s one thing this place has always been, and that’s authentic,” Stropoli says. “We’re honing everything and deepening it, and it may take some time for the word to spread. Did I mention, Joe and I are both gorgeous and presently single? You just never know what you’ll find at a Catskills oasis.”
tetta's market
2082 County Road 3, Olivebridge
845-657-2338 tettasmarket.com
