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Stella's Grocery offers made-to-order sandwiches and salads, to-go meals, household items and other market staples. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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The garage-style window opens to the outdoor patio. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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The back wall is where salad and sandwich orders are placed. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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Entrance of Stella's Grocery (Photo by Eileen Mellon).
Scott’s Additionites, hold tight: A new neighbor is coming to town, and they are bringing Greek specialties and convenience to your doorstep. Stella’s Grocery, the second location of the upscale market from restaurateurs Katrina and Johnny Giavos, opens Thursday, April 12, at 3351 Moore St. in the former HandCraft building adjacent to Vasen Brewing Co.
The 3,600-square-foot space is an amped-up version of the market's original location on Lafayette Street. The biggest difference? Made-to-order salads such as the Israeli Chopped, with falafel, romaine, hummus, tomato, cucumber, feta, lemon and a tahini dressing; sandwiches and paninis including the Roast Pork, featuring braised pork, garlic broccoli rabe, provolone and a rosemary aioli (designed to be assembled and ready to go in three to five minutes); a hot-food window where guests can order shish kebabs, Greek sides, and Stella's famous roast chickens; plus an espresso bar and plans for smoothies in the future.
“We chose this space because of the proximity to Stella’s [restaurant],” says co-owner Katrina Giavos. “This is also in a bigger neighborhood; it's a different, younger demographic, and there [are] so many businesses in the area. To be able to pick up something that’s good, hearty and [high-]quality and take it home to your family is a big deal. People are excited they can walk around, pick up dinner, get in their car and go home.”
The Scott’s Addition location is also the solution for the over-crowded kitchen at Stella’s Grocery on Lafayette, approaching its third anniversary in business. Executive Chef Loretta Montano (also consulting chef at Little Nickel, another restaurant from the Giavos family) has been with the company for two years, and Giavos believes she is a vital asset to the new grocery.
“Now she has the kitchen of her dreams” says Giavos of Montano. “We would have 10 or 11 people cramped in the kitchen, and now [she] and her staff can fill all those big cases with amazing food. I’ve had a lot of chefs work for me, but she is the most consistent, the fastest, the most organized and [has] the best palette I have ever seen.”
The inside of the market houses a scattering of two-top tables and a garage door-style window that opens and leads to an outdoor patio with seating. Enormous windows bring in lots of natural light, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere.
Display cases showcase prepared Greek and other regional specialties to go — moussaka, hummus, Bolognese sauce and fresh tabbouleh; wine and beer are available for on- and off-premise consumption; Blue Ridge kombucha is on tap; specialty goods such as birthday cards, candles and tumblers are available, along with traditional market necessities like paper towels and milk; and authentic hand-rolled pastries from Katrina’s mother, grocery namesake Stella Dikos, will be a staple.
“It’s a lunch spot, dinner spot, take-home dinner spot — basically a one-stop shop,” says Giavos. “I want to be accessible to everyone at any price point, any age, and we are extremely reasonable with quality and quantity, especially to-go food. I don’t want to lose consistency with this, and I will never compromise my food. I go to huge markets and pick up something prepared, and it looks better than it tastes, and I don’t want that here.”
The grocery has hired 24 people and will be adding more staff. Stella’s Grocery will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday thru Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
