Glorioso’s Italian Market, a beloved East Side business, is being sold to a Chicagoland-based grocer.
Glorioso’s owners, Teddy and Rosemary Glorioso, made an official announcement on Thursday that the business would be transitioning to new ownership after nearly 80 years of serving the Milwaukee community.
A multi-store Italian family grocer in Illinois, Valli Produce, will be acquiring the business in October and will operate as Glorioso’s Fratelli LLC.
Along with the sale of the main grocery business, Appetito & Sage Harvest culinary center and event space, which Glorioso’s opened in 2019, will be turned over to chef Michael Solovey, founder of Sage Harvest Cooking School. Solovey has acted as chef manager and cooking school director for Appetito & Sage Harvest since 2022. He will assume full ownership of the business and lease the building from the Glorioso family.
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Valli Produce operates four Illinois stores in Hoffman Estates, Evanston, Loves Park and Rockford. The business took its name from the founder’s hometown in the Calabria region of Italy. Its first store opened in 1977.
“It is important to us to keep the feel and rich history of Glorioso’s and pass it to the next generation,” Teddy Glorioso said. “The decision to transition the business was based on (Valli’s) 47-year history running specialty stores and reputation as a well-run family business. This will ensure that our legacy continues to thrive, and customers will continue to enjoy the same high level of service, quality and variety of Italian products they have come to expect for many years to come.”
No changes will be made to the store’s operation. “Nothing will be changing. Everything will remain the same,” Glorioso said.
Founded on Valentine’s Day in 1946, brothers Joe, Eddie and Teddy Glorioso opened the business as Glorioso Brothers Fine Foods in a storefront space on East Brady Street. The business remained there until 2010 when it moved into a considerably larger space across that the street on the corner of Brady and Astor streets.
“We are excited for the brand to begin a new chapter that gives the flexibility to expand Glorioso’s Italian Market outside of Milwaukee,” said Michael Glorioso, the store’s general manager.
