Joey Genzale has been making signs and choosing produce, getting ready to reopen Tony’s Market on Monday for the third year since the passing of its namesake, his dad Tony Genzale, whose portrait hangs over the entrance:
This year, Joey told us on Sunday, he will run Tony’s with more of his dad’s trademark spirit, “do things the way my dad would” – you might even hear those Dean Martin songs again. And there are other reminders and tributes here and there, like this framed bag (“one of only two like it”) dating to his dad’s Pike Place days:
After “a couple years of trial and error,” Joey says, he plans to focus closely on what people want most, so you’ll find fewer non-produce items this time. The ones he will carry include Penny’s Salsa and cage-free eggs from Puyallup. This year, Joey also expects to take more time to manage, to scout the best produce for the best prices, since his longtime friend Aaron will be helping run the market:
And the prices will be lower, he says, gesturing to the bright, shiny apples awaiting customers on the south side of the store: “99 cents a pound!” he says proudly. More than ever, Joey says, he wants to live up to Tony’s standards – “When he said it was the best, it was the best.” See for yourself as Tony’s Market gets going for the year under the red/white/green canvas at 35th/Barton, 9 am-7 pm every day.
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