Ferndale's Western Market celebrates 40th anniversary with big discounts
In Ferndale on West Nine Mile Road, about two blocks west of Woodward on the south side of the street, sits Western Fruit & Meat Market.
Commonly known as Western Market, the popular market was founded in 1983 by brothers Steve and Tony Selvaggio, and their late brother-in-law, Andy Orlando.
The market is now co-owned and operated by Steve Selvaggio (brother Tony Selvaggio retired in 2022) and his son, Steven. Selvaggio’s wife, Virginia (Vincenza) Orlando Selvaggio, is the store's adviser.
Now in its 40th year, the market is celebrating those four decades in a huge way.
From Friday through Sunday, Western Market will have a 40-hour blitz with a 40% off promotion when you spend up to $40.
For example, when you spend $40, you'll get a $16 discount. Exclusions apply.
To get the discount, you will need to become a Western Market loyalty card member. If you are already a card member, you still get the discount, by downloading a coupon on Facebook or Instagram or checking with store staff.
From 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, the market will feature a tasting event with store vendors. More than a dozen local vendors offering coffee, nuts, salsas, and other items are expected.
A neighborhood spot
Western Market is a popular and bustling neighborhood store that serves the many surrounding communities, including Detroit. The market's name stems from Detroit's Eastern Market and being west of Woodward Avenue, Steve Selvaggio said.
The store offers many options for prepared foods, ready-to-cook items, specialty produce, and locally sourced products. They also have the standard rotisserie chicken offering and a meat counter with items cut in-house by its staff butcher.
The majority of its fresh chicken offerings are Amish and its chicken case is where you can buy individual pieces of chicken breast, thighs, drumsticks, and wings. Many of its chicken items are sourced from Peacock's Poultry Farm in Troy.
While the market sells many grocery items, you might be hard-pressed to find a giant name-brand cereal, canned soup, or boxed mixes.
A wave of changes
Prior to owning Western Market, Selvaggio said he worked for his cousin, the late Nino Salvaggio, the founder of Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace stores who spells his name differently.
Looking back at Ferndale in the early '80s, Selvaggio credits the city and the gay community for putting them on the map.
"The gay community fixed up the neighborhoods and was instrumental in making the community a nice, open and accepting community," Selvaggio said. "It (Ferndale) is an accepting community to all, and we were very lucky to ride that wave."
Over the years, the more than 12,000-square-foot market has made many improvements and renovations to its interior and exterior. The market offers a selection of wines that includes many natural, organic, and those that are biodynamic, which focus on growing and harvesting methods.
And the overall business model has seen several changes from walking around Eastern Market checking in with vendors to now calling or going online.
"What’s been lost in translation is the building of relationships," Selvaggio said.
Selvaggio said the world has changed and those changes are ongoing every day, including the way we shop.
"Things were more basic back in 1983," Selvaggio said "Now we have things like gourmet salads, locally produced products such as Garden Fort in Dexter that bring in local greens."
A plethora of offerings
Selvaggio credits much of the market's growth and success to several of its prepared foods and specialty products, the produce and meat departments — the backbone, he said of the market. A specialty item of its meat counter is its “B12 ground beef” which is the market's proprietary blend of beef chuck, short rib, brisket, and oxtail fat, Selvaggio said.
"Our success is our ability to execute in-house specialty foods," Selvaggio said. "We make our own guac, fresh-squeezed orange juice, salads and we make most fresh soups here. Things we prepare in-store are hugely popular."
Highlights, Selvaggio said, are its salad bar, soup bar, and items that are ready to pop into the oven or frying pan. There's also fresh-cut fruit, hot rotisserie chicken, hot wings, and hot soups, all prepared in-house.
"We upped our product lines to concentrate on specialty foods like gluten-free and vegan offerings, which are our No. 1 growth area of the store. "Beyond meat and Impossible burger are hugely popular."
The market's offering of more specialty items, Selvaggio said, is thanks to cooking on TV, which "has broadened what people want to try."
"We have a lot of cool different products that exemplify people's cooking habits and lifestyle," he said.
Moving forward
Selvaggio, 64, said he comes from a family that emigrated from Italy and were fruit peddlers during the Depression.
He has gained a lot of experience and wisdom over the years.
"I would like to teach that retail to the younger generation, not just my son," Selvaggio said. "I try to take more of a teaching moment with people. It’s why we do this process and are still open to new stuff."
The market's mission, Selvaggio said, is to give "good food to people, support the people and pay people a decent wage."
Western Market is a member of the Independent Natural Food Retailers Association.
As a member of the cooperative of hundreds of independent natural food retailers, Western Market strives to provide natural and clean products and to "further the future of real food for our communities and our planet," according to the market's website.
Selveggio said that on the first of the year, the store will begin offering health and beauty products, supplements, wellness, and more of a natural foods area.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ferndale's Western Market celebrates 40th with big discounts
