There’s a new grocery store on the block – Constantino’s Market has opened its third location as part of the Uptown project on the corner of Euclid Ave. and East 115th St. Since its official opening on May 14, Constantino’s has been making itself comfortable in University Circle while greeting prospective students, seeing new faces from the surrounding communities, saying goodbye to graduating seniors, and anticipating the arrival of students in the fall.

“We’re extremely excited to see the new class coming here to the whole Uptown retail,” said Andrew Revy, General Manager and Partner at Constantino’s Market. “There’s a really great vibrant retail community being built, of which were very happy to be a part… We are actually seeing a nice and steady business.”

“I think this is fantastic for the campus and for the incoming students, and for the ones who were already here the last couple years to see the much larger variation in their choices,” he said.

Constantino’s is a Cleveland-based, family-run market with locations on the west side and downtown. The market has custom-fit its new University Circle location, incorporating a lounge area, a fresh ready-made food selection, and basic grocery needs into a unique corner store.

“The design of the store is relatively atypical for a grocery store,” said Costas Mavromichalis, owner and patriarch at Constantino’s. “Because we are a small business, we are capable of adjusting to the demographics of the particular area,” he said.

The market reimagines the usual supermarket customer experience. The lower floor consists of all of the store’s products, but there is also a second floor which invites customers to enjoy their food above the market and relax.

“We have this whole mezzanine area, [and] there’s a bit of whimsy here,” Revy said. “We have some chess tables and some checkers where people can take a break, three 50-inch high definition televisions where people can take a break from their studies, [and] grab a bite to eat,” he said. “And maybe eventually we’ll get table tennis up here.”

Constantino’s incorporates the community’s practical needs into the market as well. The store offers basic grocery products in addition to a salad bar, a hot foods bar, and a wine and beer selection, while accommodating a range of dietary needs and supporting organic and locally-grown foods.

“One of the things that separates us is that we are a grocery store that also has a high number of organic and healthy food choices, so we have our foot firmly placed in both areas: your traditional grocery store needs as well as your prepared foods and your organic and healthy alternatives,” Revy said. “We [also] have quite a bit of gluten-free products dispersed about the store,” he said.

“We’re extremely proud and happy to serve local products,” Revy said. Up to 41 of Constantino’s product lines are produced in Cleveland or elsewhere in Ohio. “In our beer section we actually have a ‘Wall of Ohio,’” he said.

The market also features breakfast items, including sandwiches, for the morning commute to class or work. “It’s a fantastic place on your way to class to grab a cup of coffee that’s extremely well-priced and locally roasted,” Revy said.

“It’s not just about grabbing a bite to eat, at the same time you can grab all of your necessities and it’s a great resource for students to have, whether you’re dorm life or apartment living,” he said. “We have all your needs here.”

Take a small tour through some images of the new store:

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