Delmonico's Italian Foods has been a fixture in northeast Minneapolis' Beltrami neighborhood for more than 80 years, with loyal customers from all over the Twin Cities and beyond making their way to the modest, out-of-the-way grocery to stock up on its homemade pasta sauce, fresh Italian sausage and meatballs.
But after decades helping to run the family business, cousins Bob and Terry Delmonico are now stepping up their efforts to sell the beloved establishment and an adjoining residential duplex, saying that although it's painful, it's time to move on.
"It's the end of an era," said Bob Delmonico. "We definitely have mixed feelings about it. But we're getting older -- body parts wear out, you know."
Terry Delmonico turned 60 this year and cousin Bob admits to being in his late 50s. They have spent their entire lives around the store at 1112 Summer Street NE., which for most of that time was run by their late fathers -- the brothers George and Louis Delmonico.
After several years of on-and-off efforts to land a buyer themselves, they've hired a commercial real estate agent whose task it will be to find a way to transition the property from a nostalgic post-World War II neighborhood business into something that might tap into Northeast's emerging status as a hip arts district.
The cousins hired Brad Schaeppi, an investment sales broker with Welsh Cos., who has listed Delmonico's on several online commercial real estate exchanges and is tailoring a marketing campaign for the retail store and duplex.
"We'll have to find the right buyer for it because it's unique," he said. "Basically, you have an up-and-down duplex adjacent to the retail space, and an adjoining oversized two-car garage. It's right on the park, and the retail is a non-conforming use."
Schaeppi has listed the property for sale at $289,000. Including the house, it boasts a total of 3,200 square feet.