Lombardi’s an Italian oasis and more
Fairport, N.Y. — It’s a gourmet, but also a gift shop. So, what is Lombardi’s, exactly? The store is overflowing with food and kitchen accessories to serve more than one purpose.
“We can feed you and set your table,” said co-owner Mary Lombardi, who runs shop with brother Anthony. Their brother John, who runs his own store in Syracuse, also helps operate both locations.
Before the eight Lombardi children and their parents came to the U.S. in 1955, they grew up with the sights and smells of their father’s grocery store in Italy.
As adults, the siblings continued this tradition of food and family-run business by starting their own.
“We love the business because we grew up in it,” said Mary.
She first opened Lombardi’s in the village of Fairport in 1985, and was later joined by Anthony. At the time, the store was a small gourmet imports shop that was half the size of its current location.