Iavarone Brothers Gourmet Foods
Iavarone Bros. (IB Foods) is a collection of gourmet Italian marketplaces and restaurants. With locations throughout Long Island and Queens, New York, it is renowned as being the first "Salciceria".
Origins
In 1919, Pasquale Iavarone walked through Ellis Island, and brought his passion for food and hard work ethic to Brooklyn by opening the first "Salciceria". His sausages, coppa and prosciutto gained recognition throughout the city.[1] Iavarone mastered his unique art of sausage making until he was nationally renowned. During the holidays, the demand was so great for Pasquale Iavarone's Italian Sausage that police barricades had to be set up outside the store to control the crowds.[2]
Expansion
In 1951, Pasquale's sons, Joe and Jerry, took over the reins and helped perfect the art that their father had taught them. As they expanded with locations in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island they continued to seek out new ideas. They met with Frank Perdue, and a new healthy twist, "chicken sausage" was introduced.
In the early seventies, a new generation of "Iavarone Brothers", Pat and John, opened new stores and continued with the legacy, bringing a rather new concept of "prepared foods" and hot catering to hungry customers on the run. They also started distributing their own fresh pasta known as "Iavarone Bros. Villa di Pasta". This brand became the exclusive line of fresh pasta products sold in all Iavarone Bros. stores. Several years later, their brother Joseph Jr. came into the family business.
The Iavarones began traveling the world to import items under their own label. In decades to follow, they opened their additional stores, including New Hyde Park, NY. In early 2001, the Iavarone Brothers expanded this location to a full service upscale gourmet market, including a selection of fresh baked breads, cakes and pastries and a fancy produce department. They have been known to select only the most inspired 'food mavens' to manage each department.[3]
In November 2004, the Iavarone’s largest store opened in Wantagh, New York's Cherrywood Shopping Center, featuring a Seafood department, a Butcher, Bakery, Cheese, Prepared Food and Produce department.
Christopher, Jonathan and Michele Iavarone are the fourth generation to enter the family business.
Restaurants
After overwhelming success with their marketplaces, the Iavarone’s decided to open “The Backroom Trattoria” next to their New Hyde Park location. This gourmet restaurant alongside of the “Fratelli Iavarone Café” serves a wide variety of foods and has been had multiple reviews including the Zagat Survey, Newsday and Great Restaurants of Long Island.[4]