How a fourth generation grocer is bringing back the old-world charm of Italian groceries into the digital age.
THE RISE AND RETURN OF
THE GOURMET GROCERY STORE
Words and photography by Olivia Lopez
Daniel Soares grew up in grocery stores. As a fourth-generation Balducci, he’d spend weekends working behind the counter of his family’s chain of upscale grocery stores in the Upper East Side. Like many children born into a family business, Soares felt a sense of resistance to fall into a set path. So instead, he moved to Paris.
In Paris, Soares explored the city’s robust produce markets and gourmet shops. Parisian grocers eluded an old-world charm and artful approach to alimentation, supplying seasonal produce curated in colorful, compelling ways. After a few years of living abroad, confronted by financial constraints, Soares returned to New York with a new perspective.
He returned to Grace’s Marketplace, where he began to develop marketing ideas inspired by his experiences abroad. Eventually, Soares would launch his own retail concept called Alimentari Flâneur, where he’d combine the artful merchandising of European marchés with a modern take: offering of the moment beverage brands along with specialty foods and fresh produce.
In the interview below, Daniel shares what fuels his vision behind Alimentari Flâneur.
Can you tell us a bit of your background?
I'm a born and raised New Yorker, having grown up in Queens. My father is Portuguese and was born in Paris. My mother is Italian and was born in Flushing. I graduated from NYU with a degree in Economics. I started my career working in Commercial Real Estate, eventually making my way into Fashion, where I spent most of my time interning at Barney's. I've always been deeply passionate about retail, and my career changed the moment I brokered the record sale of the Moncler Store in Soho.
How did you get into the grocery business?
I grew up around the business because my family owned Grace's Marketplace in the Upper East Side. I would spend weekends there and work behind the bakery and pastry department during the spectacle holidays (Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas). I loved it, but I also didn't want to be the guy who worked for the family, so I never imagined having a career in it. My foray into grocery started to materialize while traveling in Europe, where I fell in love with the ritual of going to the market every day, no matter the city or town I was in.
Can you share how your Grandfather built out his grocery empire?
My Grandfather, Joe Doria, started working in the produce department of Balducci's when he was 17. He would soon marry my grandmother, Grace Balducci, and built Balducci's with my great grandparents. I believe he and my family were successful because they understood how to introduce and reconnect people to quality. My Grandfather would go to Italy and source Prosciutto di Parma and orecchiette, simple foods that few New Yorkers had eaten before. That sense of discovery created a tremendous sense of loyalty and trust between my family and their customers.
I think what allowed Balducci's to grow from fruit & vegetable stand to specialty foods emporium was that you could go there and meet my family, eat something new that blew your mind, but also have the best strawberry, the best hand-sliced lox, the best panettone. My Grandfather understood how to make people feel loved and seen, and he understood how to build a business that embodies the virtue of "intimacy" at scale. I believe that's why Grace's was successful after the family split, as was our catering department, as was our specialty wholesale business.
You recently shared how you resisted going into the family business but eventually felt a calling to return to your roots. What inspired you to go back?
Candidly, I was essentially broke after moving to Paris. It turns out, moving to Paris on a whim with no job prospects and only a handful of connections isn't the most financially prudent of decisions. I was in a bit of a bind and had the privilege and access to go into the business. However, I also felt strongly that I would improve and grow the business.
Though I hate how we are conditioned to worship scale, I knew that Grace's brand was ripe for growth and expansion and that if the right pieces were moved and strategy deployed, we could build a business that would thrive for future generations. That challenge intrigued me, and I was excited to try and inspire three generations of my family to believe in that vision.
Why is it important to revisit your family's origin story but interpret it through your voice?
I believe it's important to respect and honor legacy and tradition. When I think about the degradation of the city, I truly believe the root of the problem lies in our infatuation with newness & modernity. Yet, paradoxically, what makes New Yorkers so fantastical is the fact that we're the arbiters of culture. I don't care what you tell me. The paper of record is New York City, full stop. What drives culture are new ideas, informed by a strong understanding and appreciation of the past. I look at it like this, everyone tries to recreate old New York and fails because nobody paid attention while reading The Great Gatsby.
The answer isn't to bring back Barney's, and it's to recognize the brilliance of Cafe Forgot. It's not to recreate Studio 54, but to appreciate the quality of Public and the metamorphosis of Ian Schrager. So, for me, I knew that trying to revive Balducci's was a futile and misguided effort, and instead decided to tell an alchemical story deeply inspired by it. I am combining the old and the new.
What inspired you to start Alimentari Flaneur?
A hopelessly romantic idea of wanting to tell my own story. I also realized that life is short and figured, "why not?"
Alimentari Flaneur has an old-world European market feel. What compelled you to revisit this style of marché?
I was motivated by the pleasure of shopping these markets throughout the world; I always felt that each iteration of this old world style market brought a tremendous amount of joy to people's lives. I also was excited to push back against the "death of retail" narrative and the ubiquity of soulless, nouveau retail concepts promising to "revolutionize" retail. These concepts over promise and under deliver, and more so, fundamentally don't understand what quality retail experiences are really about. People crave an immersive, transportive story, told through nostalgic smells, tastes, & textures. OR, they want to be enchanted by the joy of discovery. I've set about doing that by creating a space for people to give it to themselves ultimately. Take a basket and indulge in the sensory feast. I'm here to guide you along that journey and make it as pleasurable as possible.
Are there any travels that have inspired you, personally or professionally?
Sundown walks through Tavira with my grandmother. My first night in Paris during quatorze de juillet. The moment I bit into a fig in Polignano a Mare.
Do you have any simple summer recipes?
Yes. For breakfast, you have macchiato (whole milk) and exactly two small marble biscotti, with some cottage cheese, olive oil, sliced peaches, and cinnamon. For lunch, a simple Panzanella, prepared with ripe tomatoes, Armenian cucumbers, life-affirming basil, day-old bread, shallots, family olive oil, il Buco red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Sometimes I shaved pecorino, sometimes not for dessert, figs. For dinner, I like to grill swordfish with pistachio pesto and a side of arugula salad with fennel and pecorino shavings, olive oil, salt and pepper, and a lot of lemon zest.
What travels are on the horizon for you this summer?
I am spending an ungodly amount of time in the car driving to La Ferme, my Farmstand in East Hampton. I'll probably wake up one morning this summer and decide I need to go on a road trip, so I'll likely get in the car, drive to my lover and whisk her away from the farm, and end up at some charming hotel by the sea.
What are your favorite products currently at Alimentari Flaneur?
Fruit: Patiently waiting for White Turkey Figs, but in the meantime, I adore our Limone di, Sorrento. A customer of ours told me she made ice cream with it a few weeks back, and I had suggested she scoop out the lemon, freeze the two halves, and then fill it with ricotta and zest. She did, and it was sublime.
Vegetables: My lover Brooke harvested some gorgeous Fava Beans from the farm she works at in Bellport. I like to make favs bean smash with garlic and mint.
Grocery: Saffron & Olive Panettone. I need not say more.
Storytelling through display is a vital feature of Alimentari Flaneur. What is your creative process behind building out the visual merchandise of Alimentari Flaneur?
I've poured over archival photographs of the displays at Balducci's and the original Graces Marketplace on 71st street. What struck me was the intimate connection between the provisions and my Grandfather. There are countless photos of him hunched over a display, delicately positioning an eggplant or caressing a tomato. My Grandfather truly was a visual merchandising savant, so my process is very much rooted in honoring him.
The materials I use, the contrast in textures and colors are all carefully chosen as a platform for indulgence. Food should beckon and seduce you, and it should say, taste me. That is my process. It's asking the simple question of how can this piece of fruit invite you to be present, to be a touch more human, to bask in the pleasure of being alive.
What is your process behind selecting the products that go into the store?
For our produce, everything must be in season wherever it comes from. We do our best to source from small, specialty farms that utilize organic and/or biodynamic practices. We want people to understand that quality food grown with love and care by farmers who have committed their lives to nourish us isn't cheap. And it shouldn't be because food is the ultimate luxury. We also believe in telling the stories of friends we've broken bread with.
We carry items like Giardiniera from Roman & Regina of Regina's Grocery, flour from Scarr & Meagan of Scarr's Pizza, and an ever-evolving list of delectable treats from Jonah & Sarah of Pith. Everything is chosen with a strong sense of intentionality and care. For example, I just started sourcing delicious gazpacho, artichoke hearts, and Tortas from a consortium of Andalusian purveyors. Why? Because when I'm at my family's house in Portugal during the summer, we drive 20 minutes to a town called Ayamonte in Spain that borders Seville, and we shop for these same ingredients. We're small enough to confidently say each time I bring a new item into the store, and I'll have a reason for it. A story to tell. A journey to invite you on.
What is the most challenging part of running Alimentari Flaneur? What do you feel is the most rewarding?
The most challenging part of running Alimentari is figuring out how to build the business without compromising our values and soul. The most rewarding moments are when our guests pick up a basket and peruse abbondanza, permitting themselves to feel pleasure.