On Aurora’s West Side, a modest storefront at 1108 Prairie St. is marking a milestone that few independent grocers reach: 100 years in business. Prisco’s Family Market, founded in 1926 by Italian immigrant Tony Prisco, has endured economic upheavals and extreme weather while remaining a neighbourhood fixture.
From truck stall to century-old market
The business began when Tony Prisco sold fresh fruit and vegetables from the back of a truck. With help from his father, Gaetano, the operation evolved into a storefront on Lake Street. The market expanded into a larger building at Lake Street and Jericho Road in 1938 and later settled at its present location on Prairie Street in 1992.
Now run by fourth-generation president Andy Guzauskas, the market has navigated the Great Depression, recessions, a pandemic and severe weather events, including floods and a suspected microburst last summer that damaged the rear of the Prairie Street building. Through those tests, the business has relied on a single-minded approach: meet the community’s needs directly.
“We have one income stream. People have to walk through the front door. We have to give them what they want. And if we don’t they won’t come.”
Why Prisco’s endures
Guzauskas says the market’s longevity rests on advantages small, family-owned grocers can offer that larger chains often cannot: recipes and food prepared in-house, produce and ingredients sourced locally when possible, and personal relationships with customers. Those strengths also shape how the store responds to challenges.
- Local food and prepared meals: Hand-made recipes and daily food prepared in the store’s kitchen.
- Community knowledge: Staff familiarity with regular customers helps tailor offerings.
- Adaptability: Quick, on-site decisions rather than corporate directives.
Guzauskas acknowledges that staying relevant becomes harder with each decade as competition from larger chains and shifting shopping habits change the retail environment. Yet the market’s century-long history suggests the strategy of focusing on what a neighbourhood store uniquely offers has sustained it so far.
Timeline of key moments
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1926 | Tony Prisco begins selling produce from a truck in Aurora. |
| 1938 | Market moves to larger building on Lake Street and Jericho Road. |
| 1992 | Prisco’s relocates to 1108 Prairie St. on Aurora’s West Side. |
| 2025 (last summer) | Building suffers damage after a suspected microburst; store continues operations. |
| 2026 | Prisco’s celebrates its 100th anniversary under fourth-generation leadership. |
The market’s story underscores a broader dynamic in small-business survival: family ownership can mean a different risk profile than corporate chains. Guzauskas emphasises that without diverse corporate revenue streams to cushion losses, the store must maintain direct customer loyalty and consistent quality.
For Aurora residents, Prisco’s represents more than a grocery. It is part of a local labour history, a place where recipes and relationships have been passed down through relatives and employees over decades. The centenary is an occasion for reflection on local continuity in a city that has seen substantial growth and change.
As the market moves beyond 100 years, questions about long-term viability remain familiar to other independent retailers: how to modernise while preserving the qualities that built customers’ trust, how to compete on price without sacrificing service, and how to repair and fortify premises against increasingly volatile weather.
Prisco’s longevity offers a model of neighbourhood retail rooted in personal service and local ties. For shoppers who value prepared foods made on-site and a sense of community at the counter, the market remains an enduring presence on Aurora’s West Side.
