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CITARELLA IS ESTABLISHED
Original owner, Mike Citarella, opens his business in upper Manhattan. Years later, he moves Citarella to 75th Street, occupying just a fraction of the space that Citarella’s Upper West Side store (and flagship location) now claims.
1912
JOE BUYS CITARELLA
Having already established himself at the historic Fulton Fish Market, Joe purchases Citarella. He immediately begins working to change the face of this seafood shop. His new aesthetic will be fresh, clean, and pristine.
1983
JOE BUYS LOCKWOOD & WINANT
Having vowed from the beginning to bring the freshest, highest-quality seafood from the fishing boats onto New Yorker’s plates, Joe seizes the opportunity to eliminate any middle man. He purchases seafood supplying company Lockwood & Winant, which enables him to buy directly from trusted fishermen and offer the day’s best catch in his store at a fair price.
1985
CITARELLA MEATS OPENS
With a thorough understanding of how to handle highly perishable foods like fresh seafood, Joe sets his focus on applying this knowledge and expertise to quality meats. Citarella Meats opens next door to Citarella Fish and features expert butchers, prime meats, and steaks cut from sides of beef that have been dry-aged in-house for 21 days.
1992
MEAT & FISH COMBINED INTO ONE STORE
The wall between Citarella Meat and Citarella Fish comes down, creating one, larger store.
1994
SMOKED FISH, DELI, PREPARED FOODS,
CHEESE & PRODUCE INTRODUCED
As the Citarella family grows, so do the store’s individual departments. With the addition of seasoned chefs and expert buyers, Citarella expands to include smoked fish, a deli counter, chef-prepared foods, artisanal cheeses, and a selection of carefully curated produce.
1995
WAREHOUSE ON 18TH STREET OPENS
Quickly outgrowing their space on the Upper West Side, Citarella’s kitchen moves downtown to 18th Street.
1996
2ND FLOOR OF CITARELLA WEST
Citarella expands again: Joe adds a second floor to his gourmet market allowing him to open a pastry department and an artisanal cheese counter.
1997
CITARELLA EAST OPENS
New Yorkers are hungry for more Citarella so Joe opens the gourmet market’s second location on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
WATER MILL OPENS
New Yorkers love Citarella, and they are thrilled to welcome the store to one of their favorite get-away destination: the Hamptons! An instant success, the Water Mill store remains in business for 10 years, until a larger building is available for purchase and the more easily accessible Bridgehampton location opens.
2000
CITARELLA, THE RESTAURANT OPENS
His first restaurant venture, Joe opens four-story, Mediterranean-American eatery Citarella, The Restaurant in Rockefeller Center. The restaurant operates for 5 years, closing at the end of 2006.
2001
CITARELLA TO GO OPENS
Attached to the restaurant in Rockefeller Center, Citarella To Go feeds hungry New Yorkers for 5 years, elevating lunchtime fare with gourmet soups, sandwiches, and salads.
EAST HAMPTON OPENS
Joe opens his second gourmet market in the Hamptons, expanding Citarella’s presence there and introducing the Citarella ToGo concept.
2002
GREENWICH VILLAGE OPENS
Located in what was once the original Balducci’s location, Citarella’s Greenwich Village store is open for business after 2 months of complete renovations.
2003
WAREHOUSE MOVES TO HUNTS POINT
As Citarella continues to grow, so does the need for additional space. The warehouse and kitchen are relocated to a larger space in the Bronx.
2005
TUTTO ITALIANO OPENS
Tutto Italiano means “everything Italian” — a promise that is delivered by way of freshly baked pizza and focaccia, a salumeria, a full line of Italian oils and vinegars, and more. Tutto Italiano brings a little slice of Italy to the Hamptons for 5 years before closing their doors. Tutto Italiano also serves as the impetus for adding Citarella Pizza to future Citarella ToGo’s.
MEAT WITHOUT FEET OPENS
Considering that Joe got his start by supplying fresh seafood to Wolfgang Puck and other top chefs in LA during the 1980’s, it’s only fitting that he establishes Meat Without Feet — a seafood purveying business that now supplies some of New York City’s best chefs and restaurants.
2007
FULTON RESTAURANT OPENS
Smaller and more relaxed than Citarella, The Restaurant, Fulton enjoys a successful 6-year run on New York City’s Upper East Side.
2008
BRIDGEHAMPTON OPENS
Another location on Long Island’s South Fork, Joe purchases a building for a new Citarella in Bridgehampton —with lots of space, a to go counter, fresh pizza, sushi, a salad bar, hot food, a soup bar, and outdoor seating.
2009
SOUTHAMPTON OPENS
After searching for years, Joe finds the perfect building to purchase for Citarella Southampton. Citarella now has a gourmet market in East, Bridge, and South Hampton towns, solidifying their place as a local institution.
2014
GREENWICH, CT OPENS
After receiving numerous requests to expand into Connecticut, Joe opens his largest gourmet market to date. Classic Citarella with a few extras, this store offers a carving station, a towering glass case of dry-aged beef, and an adjacent wine shop.
CITARELLA WINES & SPIRITS OPENS
Joe’s passion for fantastic food and wine is fully realized with the opening of his first (and only) wine shop next door to Citarella’s gourmet market in Greenwich, CT.
2015
CITARELLA SEAFOOD AUTHORITY
WEBSITE LAUNCHES
New York City’s leading source of fresh seafood for more than a century, Citarella launches a new website offering online ordering and nationwide delivery.
JOE KNOWS FISH IS PUBLISHED
It’s true. Joe Gurrera knows fish. Citarella’s owner—and original fishmonger—compiles a lifetime of knowledge in a cookbook with a mission: to take the intimidation out of cooking seafood.
2018
Visit Our Markets
We have the best neighbors! Stop in and say hello. Our knowledgeable staff and friendly managers are always happy to guide you. Come visit us at any one of our locations in NYC, the Hamptons, and Connecticut!
