Andrew (Andy) Balducci — the man responsible for pioneering a now-popular specialty grocer model in New York — has died at 92. Balducci and his father ran a 24/7 Greenwich Village fruit stand together called Balducci’s, and Balducci is credited with growing that stand into a much larger specialty food store that housed a fishmonger, a cheese display, a meat counter, and more all under one roof. The model spawned the likes of other specialty grocery stores like Dean & Deluca, Zabar’s, and Citarella.
Born in 1925 in Brooklyn and raised in Italy, Balducci served in the Navy and worked for years for his father-in-law’s stone, marble, and granite business. He took that white collar experience back to the fruit stand, moving it into a space on Sixth Avenue at Ninth Street in 1972 and adding gourmet items like charcuterie, fresh cheese, breads, pastries, and prepared foods.
