The Market is Booming at Holiday

What is it about Holiday Market that makes it much more than a grocery store? Is it the consistent quality of the produce, meat, fish, and dairy? Is it the Wine Shoppe, with its 3,500-plus selections? Is it the Bakery Shoppe that’s been voted “Best of Detroit” by Hour Detroit? Or is it the fast checkout service and new parking lot at the rear? The answer to all of these questions is a wholehearted “Yes!”

Yet when you ask customers and staff what aspects of the family-owned market are most important to them, they’ll likely say it’s the comfortable, clean atmosphere and the people.

Tom Violante and his wife, Janet, opened Holiday Market 54 years ago, and Tom’s voice still bellows through the loudspeaker when he’s in the store. Today, however, it’s Tom Violante Jr., his sister, Gina Mangold, and her husband, Craig, who operate the market.

“We like to create a family atmosphere and a true customer experience,” Tom Jr. says. “People who shop here also enjoy the people who shop here. They have similar values and appreciate knowledgeable, helpful service.”

Holiday Market’s recent renovation and expansion tripled the pleasure, so to speak. The produce, bakery, and cheese sections were made three times larger. And a premium olive bar was added. The Meat Shoppe was enlarged, as was the Seafood Shoppe, which stocks 25 varieties of the freshest seafood in the area.

Holiday now offers a menu of culinary delights in its Du Jour carryout section, which includes Soups Du Jour, Salads Du Jour, daily sushi, and other entrees prepared by Holiday chefs. The Du Jour counter also offers Michigan’s first Mokarabia coffee bar.

Holiday Market is a destination for those who seek a palate-pleasing adventure. As Tom says, “You don’t need to go to a produce store, a meat market, and a bakery anymore. You can do it all right here. That’s why we say, ‘Shoppe the Shoppes within.’”

Holiday Market, 1203 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-541-1414

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