Local Landmark Superette Sells to VERC

DUXBURY, Mass. — VERC Enterprises is the new owner of Plymouth, Mass.-based Mayflower Food & Spirits, known for its prepared hot meals, deli sandwiches, fresh-cut meats and homemade pastries.

Located at 164 South St., the landmark site was built 40 years ago as a gas station by former owner Charles "Skip" Carafoli and his father. Carafoli expanded the venue into a superette 12 years later, adding six aisles of groceries, a full deli counter, an in-house butcher and baker, and a selection of wine, liquor and beer.

With a staff of 32 employees, Mayflower Food & Spirits offers Mobil-branded gasoline and is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Over the course of a few months, the company will undergo "significant capital improvements," according to VERC Enterprises CEO Leo Vercollone.

"We will update with new equipment, refrigeration units and a new customer transaction counter, but will not change the homey feel of the place," said Vercollone, noting that people sometimes drive by the landmark building without realizing what it offers inside.

"We’re excited to own an establishment with unique characteristics," he added. "Fresh is the current buzz word in the food industry and with its own chef and baker turning out signature homemade dishes like calzone and fried chicken, Mayflower Food & Spirits has freshness at its core."

Tom Protasewich, the new manager of Mayflower Food & Spirits, said some customers regularly stop in the store for daily specials and homemade soups. "Chef Tony Andrews has been here for 13 years and has quite a following," he commented.

Protasewich reenters the foodservice and hospitality industry after working in sales for a few years. A graduate of the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts — Amherst with a degree in hospitality & tourism, Protasewich was manager of Rowes Wharf Sea Grille at the Boston Harbor Hotel for three years prior to managing the restaurant Hola in Marshfield.  

Duxbury-based VERC operates convenience stores and gas stations throughout eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire.