Friendly neighborhood grocer stands the test of time

Retail chains, big box stores, e-commerce—they’re all part and parcel of 21st century business, but to many they represent a transactional coldness that is all too prevalent in the modern era. At least this is how Michael Pronio, owner of Pronio’s Market, views it.  

“I don’t like change,” he said.  

And if you listen to his customers, you’ll learn that don’t like it either. A cursory glance on Yelp backs this up as review after review touts the friendliness of the service, the reasonable prices and the selection.  

Linda Fraver visits the store when she is nearby. “It’s a perfect little store, with the best sausage ever,” she said. Others say that they enjoy the fact that employees are willing to help customers carry their purchases out to the cars and load them into their vehicles. 

The store, which is located two blocks from Chocolate Avenue, is relatively small, considering today’s standards, but has been an institution in the neighborhood for decades. 

How it all began 

The family-owned market marked its 100th year anniversary in 2019, celebrating its humble beginnings as what the family describes as a “parlor market,” a one-room store located in Spring Creek, which is now the site of Hershey’s Chocolate World.  

They describe it as a general store of sorts, selling everything from shoes to beans. When Michele and Rose Pronio’s business grew out of the small home, Michele’s son Vince relocated the store to the corner of Valley and Caracas in downtown Hershey. By 1962, Pronio’s was ready to expand again, this time across the street to their current location in a mid-century modern gem at 236 W. Caracas Avenue.  

In the 1980s, Vince’s son Michael joined the store after attending business school. Michael Pronio has seen many changes over the years, including the continuous expansion of nearby Hershey Park, but it’s the locals that remain loyal and will sing the stores praises to anyone who asks.  

Catering to the customer 

Michael said that he’s seen a few changes in customer preferences over the years.  

“Lately people are going a little more upscale. Years ago, ground meats were big, along with frying chickens and chicken breasts. Today people want boneless, skinless breasts, chicken tenders, that sort of thing, along with imported Italian specialty items like those we carry in the deli like soprassata, capicola and mortadella,” he said. 

Pronio’s also sells a selection of cheeses, like Parmigiano, brie and gorgonzola.  

“We still receive wheels of cheese and hand cut them so that they’re always fresh,” said Michael, adding that they also grate cheeses like cheeses like Locatelli and Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano. 

Also available are “grab and go” items that allow customers to have a hot dinner on the table in no time.  

“We make thousands of meatballs, along with stromboli, oven-ready meatloaf, stuffed chicken breasts and thighs, for instance,” said Michael. 

Baked goods are also popular and people have been known to travel for miles to Hershey for Michael’s sister’s home-baked iced ricotta cookies. Also popular are artisan baked breads and Italian items like Pannettone, Pandoro, Baba cakes, Pizelles and more. 

One of the more popular items that Pronio’s is known for is the sausage that they make in small batches throughout the week. Some churches, like Hershey’s St. Joan of Arc Catholic Parish, source Pronio’s sausage for their annual festivals, declaring it a crowd favorite. According to Michael, Sweet Italian, Hot Italian and their original pork sausage are usually available on weekends and they also make rotating flavors like spicy Toscano, stuffed apple cheese brats and original pork sausage stuffed with peppers and onions. 

Approximately 40 staffers help Michael run the market and although he’s the owner, he’s often onsite with the other employees helping out.  

“I tell people that my most important job is to jump on the dumpster when it’s overfilled,” he said, adding that he feels blessed to have people who have stayed awhile. 

As for what he likes best about running a store that is known as a staple in Hershey, he said with a smile, “I enjoy watching people here go about their business and I also feel fortunate to have an excellent staff. I could go into a coma for a month and they wouldn’t miss a beat.”  

Stephanie Kalina-Metzger is a freelance writer