When it opened in 1987 at the Town Centre on Gunn Highway, the Alessi’s Farmers Market was slated to be the “Walt Disney World of food” by the store’s manager, Robert Zambito. He expected the 33,000 ft.² market to draw 30,000 people per week. He and owner/promoter Phil Alessi wanted grocery shopping to be entertaining. The market had 12,000 ft.² of produce space, a large “show bakery,” and, keeping with the fresh food theme, sold no canned goods. The deli department offered an assortment of meats and cheeses, shoppers could watch caramel corn and fudge being made, and the market reportedly offered more than 110 varieties of fresh seafood flown in daily.  It was the brainchild of Phil Alessi, the namesake of the famed Tampa bakery and boxing promoter, who had wanted to open a store like this for 25 years. His family’s bakery has been a staple in Tampa since the 1920s when Niccolo Alessi partnered with Attilo Patrone at the bakery on Howard Ave and Chestnut St.

The grocery business is tough. Smaller food markets have always struggled since larger chains moved in in the mid-20th century. The market lasted until 1990, when it filed for Chapter 7 liquidation, reportedly due to poor sales and a dispute between the co-owners. The contents and equipment of the store were auctioned in June of that year. The Summit Salon Academy now sits in its place in the Town Centre. The Alessi Bakery is now on W. Cypress St. and remains a Tampa favorite.

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