reason is that overhead has been kept low, so prices can be kept low. It’s staffed by family members: Pirerra’s brother, Pete, runs the gift shop next door; it’s Pete’s wife, Carolyn, who makes the lunches.

Brenda helps out as needed. Being close to the Capitol helps: things are always busiest when the legislature is in session. The increasing number of people living downtown has been good for business, too. “We’ve always relied on word-of-mouth,” says Pirerra. “Lots of Decatur people come over here to shop.”

Even so, The Food Mart remains what it’s always been — a neighborhood grocery that’s become a neighborhood institution. That’s evident when Pirerra walks outside with me as I leave. Two young women across the street wave and shout, “Hi, Tony! How’s it going?” “Low key — that’s the way we want to keep it,” Pirerra says.

Contact Julianne Glatz at [email protected].