Local

Local business owner relies on quality and community to reopen his doors

DEDHAM, Mass — The past few years have been challenging to say the least for small business owners. Most had to close their doors and then hiring back staff was another hurdle. But a Dedham business owner said his dedication to the community and quality products helped keep his business running.

“It’s in the Italian blood that we always cook,” Giuseppe Musto, owner of Vincenzo’s Deli.

In downtown Dedham, when you walk through the doors of Vincenzo’s Deli, it feels like you’ve stepped into a small market in Italy.

“We get all of our stuff imported,” said Marcella Musto.

Giuseppe and Marcella Musto opened Vincenzo’s Deli in 2011, but their story goes back much farther. Marcella, who is from Dedham, met Giuseppe while visiting her family’s village in Italy.

“She came to see me,” said Giuseppe, with a smile.

Giuseppe grew up on a farm, producing fresh cheeses and meats. His love of cooking eventually took him back home with Marcella.

“I always started always a working like in a restaurant,” said Giuseppe. “You know, once we got married, then we had kids. It was hard to keep the family and then stay home with the kids and stuff.”

In search of the perfect hours, he decided to create his own, and opened Vincenzo’s Deli.

“He loves it, but it’s a lot of work,” said Marcella.

In the beginning, people walked into Vincenzo’s to grab a sub at the deli, order platters for events, or buy food directly imported from Italy. But when the pandemic hit, they had to close their doors.

“It was hard,” said Giuseppe. “Like it was hard for everybody else. So, you know, it was a big change, a sense that there was no more party going on. So people that were not calling for catering anymore and no platters or anything like that.”

But Giuseppe kept cooking. He created take home meals and accommodated orders to keep his business going.

“He was still here seven days a week catering,” said Marcella. “So it’s not like Vincenzo’s shut down. It just kind of took a shift.”

That shift put a strain on the business. They needed help, but had a hard time hiring employees.

“I had so much catering, I had to choose,” said Giuseppe. “It’s either I was doing that or I was trying to kind of make it work, you know? But it was tough because you cannot run a place like that pretty much by yourself.”

Vincenzo’s was finally able to open their doors again this fall. The Musto’s credit their success with sticking to top quality products---and hard work.

“He’s got this mentality where he’s not going to quit,” said Marcella. “He’s going to keep going. So, you know, we have our doors open and sometimes some days are slow, some days are busy, and we appreciate whatever we get.”

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