| An Expanding Jade’s Market |
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Page 1 of 2 In the case of Harry and Mary Freiling, it was true for much of their more than 23 years of ownership of Jade's Short Stop Market on Commercial Avenue off the state Route 7 George's Run exit. The store is growing and changing to meet the needs of its customers, adding fresh-cut meats and home-cooked take-out meals, including the village's first breakfast bar. Though they don't live in the back of the store anymore, it remains a family affair, with daughter-in-law Connie, wife of Jade, for whom the store is named, adding her skills to running the deli. The Freilings raised two sons, Jade and Gabe, living in the back of the store. They moved out eight years ago, Mary said, when they put the deli in. "For the first 15 years, we lived in the back of the store," she said. "It was a true mom-and-pop store." The walk-in cooler of today once was where Jade and Gabe's bedroom was, Mary notes. The meat shop portion of Jade's opened the weekend of July 4, hitting the big mid-summer barbecue holiday. Connie Freiling has been working in delicatessens and meat shops since she was 18 and is quick to point out she learned from the owners of Piergallini's and DiCarlo's markets, crediting Fred Wilson, Tim Piergallini and Ron DiCarlo for helping her learn the meat-cutting trade. She left her longtime job at DiCarlo's Market to take the job at Jade's. "DiCarlo's is very family oriented and they were very supportive of me coming to work with my family," she said. Jade's has a history dating back about 60 years, according to Harry Freiling. "It was the George's Run Grocery, run by Joanne Headland," Freiling explained. "She and her father ran it. First, though, it was a pool hall." Freiling also said instrumental in the store's history is Ida Mae Jarman, who worked with Headland for 30 years and worked with the Freilings until she retired. Jade's today is a kind of one-stop shop for many people. In addition to being able to stock up on some groceries, pick up some fresh-cut meats, sandwich meats and cheeses or a home-cooked dinner, Jade's customers can buy a fishing license or, during hunting season, have their deer tagged. There's also snacks and "the coldest beer in town." "We're a community-oriented business. We always try to help out where needed," Freiling said. He said he's very proud of Connie and Jade, who works as a laborer out of Local 809. She said getting involved in the Freiling's store was a bit of succession planning. "I wanted to get my feet wet in the family business," she said. "I hope it's not soon at all, but we'll be the future owners. We want to carry on the next generation of this business." Connie credits Ron DiCarlo with teaching her much about the business aspect of store management, including allowing her to run her own department and handling ordering. She worked at DiCarlo's Market for 10 years. "He got me prepared for my own business someday," she said. |