No bull: Toro Meat Market in Northland wants to be cut above competitors
Just in time for grilling season, Toro Meat Market is stacking its cold cases full of beef, pork, sausages, poultry and fish.
The new grocery has taken over the iconic Carfagna’s Market space at 1405 E. Dublin-Granville Road in Northland.
Owner Fernando Alcauter considers it a global store, one that has items for people of all backgrounds, although some of the food definitely has a Mexican tilt.
“When I came in and bought the place, I knew there was a need in the neighborhood,” Alcauter said, referring to the number of super markets that had closed or relocated.
Alcauter’s Investment Group One LLC purchased the 8,531-square-foot Carfagna’s building for $1.1 million, according to information on the Franklin County Auditor’s Office website.
He also is president of the La Michoacana Mexican Market, a small chain with eight stores in Columbus and one each in Huber Heights and Dayton.
The buildout of Toro started in February and the doors opened May 1.
“I’m truly blessed,” Alcauter said. “We did everything. I had a great team.”
He calls the floor plan “low profile,” where none of the stands is taller than 4 feet, allowing the customers to see across the entire store.
Construction crews ripped out the drop ceiling, replaced the flooring and created a black-and-white color scheme.
“The only things were kept from (Carfagna’s Market) were the cases,” he said. “Everything else is new.”
Three butchers, who have 60 years of combined experience, cut every stitch of beef and pork, about half of which is marinated and ready for the grill. Customers can even get vaunted tomahawk steaks and pork.
Alcauter said he uses mostly certified Black Angus beef.
In the style of most independent grocers, Toro offers fresh produce, dried goods, canned and jarred items, cheese deli meats, seasonings and other common market items.
Customers can also purchase grab-and-go meals, plus sliced fresh fruit and homemade sides, such as pasta salad.
An assortment of wine and beer is also available.
He expressed immense gratitude to brothers Sam and Dino Carfagna, whose family started the market on East Dublin-Granville Road in 1971. They have since relocated and opened Carfagna’s Market and Ristorante in Polaris.
Alcauter even carries some of the family’s homemade spaghetti sauce.
Alice Foeller, president of Northland Area Business Association and board member of Elevate Northland, said she was pleased to see what appeared to be a seamless transition from Carfagna’s Market to Toro Meat Market.
“We are delighted to have a new business coming in the tradition of what was there – a high-quality food destination,” Foeller said. “I know from a market study that was done a couple of years ago, one of the reasons people come into Northland is food.”
gseman@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekGary
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: No bull: Toro Meat Market wants to be cut above competitors
