FREEPORT — The building recently completed at Bow and School streets may look like a residential farmhouse and barn, but inside is a market filled with local meats and cheese, coffee, chocolate, wine and beer

It is the new and improved Bow Street Market.

Owner Adam Nappi said he and his wife, Sheila, are pleased with the new store.

“This is better than we could’ve expected,” he said.

Nappi’s parents Karen and John opened the original Bow Street Market in 1974, and Adam and his wife bought the business in 2002.

Karen and John Nappi recently returned from Florida for the summer and are helping their son get ready for a grand opening event on June 11. 

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“It’s a pleasure to see the store like this,” Karen said. “We are so happy to be here.”

The new store is three times as large as the original, but Nappi said it was important to maintain the character of the old store.

Customers will recognize the tall, tight aisles and local meats, Nappi said, but will  appreciate the increased variety of items.

“Everything in here is all about the customer,” he said.

The entrance of the store is large enough for people to talk and there is another area where they can sit at a table, enjoy a cup of coffee, read a book or meet with friends, Nappi said.

“The store is divided into two sections so people have to cross one another to get to the other side,” he said. “This setup increases the chances of neighbors running into neighbors.”

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Bow Street Market has a full, open kitchen and a lot of prepared foods. There is seafood, live local lobsters, rotisserie, deli meats, sushi, soups, a fresh salad bar and gluten-free items. Nappi said the centerpiece is the butcher shop area and the locally sourced produce, sauces, cheese, meat, pasta, ice cream and baked goods.

“We learned a lot by going to farmer’s markets and found some of our vendors that way,” he said. “We made a commitment to providing local items for our customers and to support the local economy.”

Nappi said Zachau Construction built the store to resemble a New England farmhouse with an attached barn and outbuilding. The 15,000-square-foot building has green elements, including a system that recycles the heat from the refrigeration units and uses it to heat hot water. The four apartments above the store use solar hot water and the entire building is on a natural gas line, Nappi said.

Bob Gilliam of 1780 Brookdale Farm donated a wagon built in 1900 that is used as a display outside the store. It adds a personal touch to the store, Nappi said, and fits with the farmhouse theme. Ben Sulsa of Beech Hill Road crafted many of the display cases in the store using restored wood from local farm houses.

Nappi said it is very rewarding to live and work in the Freeport community.

“We are so happy to support local vendors,” Nappi said. “The community has been so good to us over the years, it is nice to represent them in this way.”

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Amy Anderson can be reached at 681-3661 ext. 110 or aanderson@theforeaster.net. Follow her on Twitter: @amy_k_anderson.

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Paul Bowie of Durham, left, takes a moment from his job to share a laugh with Bow Street Market owner Adam Nappi last week. Bowie has been a butcher at Bow Street Market since 1976 and said he enjoys working at the expanded Freeport store.

Grand opening

FREEPORT — Bow Street Market is open every day from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 79 Bow St. Grand-opening events are scheduled June 10-12.

On Friday from 4-4:30 p.m. there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony on School Street, followed by wine tasting.

A 5K road race will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, followed by music by The Locals at noon. There will be wine tasting from 4-7 p.m., and other tastings, demonstrations and giveaways all day.

The band Cul de Sax will perform at 10 a.m. Sunday, with tastings and giveaways continuing all day.


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