Plymouth, Mass. landmark to continue to sell ‘comfort food’ maintain its ‘homey feel’ as VERC provides capital improvements.
VERC Enterprises, a convenience store and Mobil/Gulf gasoline operator with locations throughout eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire, is the new owner of Mayflower Food & Spirits, known throughout Plymouth and surrounding communities for its prepared hot meals, deli sandwiches, fresh cut meats and homemade pastries.
The landmark site, located at 164 South Street in Plymouth, was originally a gasoline station, built 40 years ago, by former owner Charles “Skip” Carafoli and his father. Carafoli expanded the venue into a ‘superette’ 12 years later, adding six aisles of groceries, a full deli counter, an in-house butcher and baker and a selection of wine, beer and liquor.
“Some people come regularly for the daily specials and homemade soups,” said Tom Protasewich, the new manager of Mayflower Food & Spirits. “Chef Tony Andrews has been here for 13 years and has quite a following.”
Protasewich is no stranger to the foodservice/hospitality industry. A graduate of the Isenberg School of Management at UMASS-Amherst with a degree in Hospitality & Tourism, he was manager of Rowes Wharf Sea Grille at the Boston Harbor Hotel for three years prior to managing the restaurant Hola in Marshfield.
“I went into sales for a few years, but am now happily back in the foodservice industry,” said Protasewich.
With a staff of 32 employees, Mayflower Food & Spirits, which includes a Mobil gasoline outlet, is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Over the next few months, the establishment will undergo “significant capital improvements,” according to Leo Vercollone, CEO of VERC Enterprises.
“We will update with new equipment, refrigeration units and a new customer transaction counter but will not change the homey feel of the place,” said Vercollone, noting that people sometimes drive by the landmark building without realizing what it offers inside.
“We’re excited to own an establishment with unique characteristics,” he said. “Fresh is the current buzz word in the food industry and with its own chef and baker turning out signature homemade dishes like calzone and fried chicken, Mayflower Food & Spirits has freshness at its core.”