Public Market of Newington

Italian American Deli & Catering. Family owned and operated since 1968“Customers are not an interruption in our day; they are the purpose of our day.” –AP

Public Market of Newington has proudly offered the finest meats, a superior deli, outstanding catering and the finest imported specialties in Hartford County. We offer a large variety of imported items you simply cannot find in large grocery stores. Fresh Italian bread and rolls are delivered daily to our store. We have a large selection of imported Italian pasta and feature olives imported from all around the world. We proudly feature the finest pre-cut cheeses and grated cheeses, including imported Parmigiano Reggiano.

Located in Newington, at 437 New Britain Avenue, Public Market of Newington caters to all who appreciate the best—from imported Italian items, premium cold cuts (such as Boar's Head), fresh cut meats, as well as authentic second-to-none Italian sausage. For lunch, Public Market offers true Italian cold cut grinders, sandwiches, soups and salads.

An Imported Success:
Joe Lenares, born in Canicattini Bagni, Sicily, immigrated to the United States in 1953 aboard the famous Andria Doria. Joe, along with his mother Paulina, made their home in New Britain, CT. Being unable to speak English, Joe’s first job at age 12 was delivering groceries for Sorrento Imported Grocery store. Along with delivering groceries, Joe shined shoes and did odd jobs to support his family. Joe learned early that to be successful, hard work was required.

In 1959, Stop & Shop hired Joe to work in the meat department. As he worked tirelessly through the years, he became a meat cutter and, through schooling provided by Stop & Shop, Joe was promoted to meat manager. While at Stop & Shop, Joe fell in love with Antoinette Manocchio, a lovely young woman whose job was a meat wrapper. Antoinette was an immigrant from Baranello, Italy, a region of Naples. Settling in Newington, Joe and Antoinette were married in 1964 with hopes of starting a family and their own business. Joe and Antoinette have 3 children: Joseph, Michael, and David.

The Public Market Years:
In 1968, Joseph & Antoinette opened Public Market in Middletown, CT. After a successful 10 years in Middletown, they became aware of an emerging Italian population in their hometown of Newington, CT. Despite being cautioned that leaving Middletown would be a mistake, Joe & Antoinette moved their business to Newington in 1978. From 1978-1983, Public Market of Newington operated out of a 700 square foot building. In 1983, the opportunity to expand became available. The decision to move into a 6000 square foot building was a difficult one. With strong encouragement from Sam Lenares, Joe’s brother, Public Market made the move. Although scared and nervous, the decision to move to the current location of 437 New Britain Avenue proved to be a successful one

A Family Operation:
Joe & Antoinette, along with their sons Joseph and David, operate their business with the focus being on customer service and quality products. With so many establishments available to customers, Public Market realizes that customer service must be a priority to keep their customers coming back. When in line at the deli or meat counter, you may notice there is no place to take a number.