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Rulli Bros. grocery store celebrates 98 years in Valley
BOARDMAN
Lisa Smith was strolling down the aisles of Rulli Bros. grocery store to pick up some items after work on a Friday afternoon.
The Poland resident said the South Avenue store was conveniently located near her work in Boardman.
“They have a nice meat counter and deli,” she said. “It’s just a friendly place.”
For three generations, the family-owned business has served the Mahoning Valley for 98 years. Nicola, Joe and Frank Rulli started Rulli Bros. in downtown Youngstown in 1917, selling produce they grew on their farm on the East Side.
Due to urban renewal in the downtown area, the Rullis relocated the store to South Avenue at Matthews Road in Boardman in the 1960s. Frank Sr. and his wife Louise, second-generation owners, opened another store on Kirk Road in Austintown in 1988. But for several years, the family knew they needed a larger store than the Matthews Road location and ultimately relocated to a new location at Maple Avenue in 2009.
“It feels good to know that we not only survived but also prospered,” said Frank Jr., a Youngstown architect who helps out the business as a part-time, third-generation operator.
He also designed the 46,000- square-foot store in Boardman, which now has about 85 employees. Also, the 36,000-square-foot store in Austintown has about 65 employees.
The store has a heavy concentration of perishables such as its meat, deli, kitchen and produce departments. The business continues to carry a full line of Italian specialities including a variety of pastas, wines, cheeses and cured meats.
“Products that we had ever since the beginning,” Frank Jr. said.
Produce is an important market for the family since it’s what was used to start the business, he added.
Both grocery stores are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays but closed on Sundays. That’s about 30 percent less in hours of operation compared with the competitors, Frank Jr. said. He sees it as an advantage to attract a good selection of employees.
“Employees really like having Sundays off,” he said.
The family is also involved with the store’s operations. Frank Sr. continues to put in about 70 hours a week in the store with his wife working full time at the store. Mike and Mark, Frank Jr.’s brothers, are full-time operators as well.
They also have a fourth brother, Nick, who is a business consultant in California.
The business has seen progressive sales, unaffected by the 2007 recession, Frank Jr. said.
“Groceries tend to be recession-proof,” he said.
The Rullis have no plans to reopen the Matthews Road store or even return the business to its roots to downtown, which now lacks a grocery store. Frank Jr. said a downtown grocery store would need to have a restaurant component to attract the lunch and bar crowd.
“Two seems to be the limit right now,” he said.
Mike said the family’s dedication to its customers is the key to success. During an interview with a Vindicator reporter, Mike responded without hesitation to a customer asking for assistance.
“Customers are everything,” he said.