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Each December area supermarkets set up outdoor fish stands to cater to customers craving the offerings from the ocean

December 31, 2009

Season for seafood

By Bill O'Boyle boboyle@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
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KINGSTON – With temperatures dipping into the teens, the ice at several outdoor seafood markets seemed more of a garnish than a necessity.

Customers endured the freezing weather Wednesday to purchase their favorite delicacies from the sea as New Year’s Eve celebrations neared.

“We’ve been really busy,” said Francis Howe, store manager at Thomas’ Family Market in Kingston. “Sales are much higher than last year, for sure.”

Howe said more people are planning to ring in 2010 in their homes, rather than head out to restaurants. He said the prices are right, as well – lobster is down around $2 to $3 per tail less this year.

“Maybe it’s the economy,” Howe said, “but a lot of our customers said they plan to celebrate with family and friends at house parties.”

Howe enjoys working the outdoor stand. He and Debbie Gaylord were waiting on customer after customer at Thomas’.

“This is fun,” Gaylord said. “People are nice, and we laugh a lot.”

Gaylord’s husband, Tom, pulled up with a lunch you might expect – steaming hot chicken noodle soup.

“He brings us lunch every day,” Gaylord said. “We’ll take turns eating it inside.”

Florian Gyza of Wilkes-Barre was buying enough for 12 people for his family New Year’s Eve feast.

“I just got 10 pounds of king crab legs,” Gyza said. “And I bought three dozen clams; I already have the lobster tails.”

He said he likes shopping at the outdoor markets.

“You don’t have to go inside and wait in long lines,” he said. “I pull up, pick out what I want, pay and get back in my car.”

Gyza was especially appreciative of Howe and Gaylord for enduring the cold to serve customers.

“I admire their dedication and their personality,” he said.

Howe said Thomas’ will sell thousands of pounds of seafood for the holiday.

The display at Thomas’ was impressive – a huge yellow and black pricing board sits to the right. As customers walk up, they are greeted with rows and rows of fresh seafood such as lobster tails, crab legs, clams, mussels and fish. Pounds of food from the deep await purchase to become the centerpiece of someone’s dinner table – haddock, whiting, swordfish, tuna, tilapia, red snapper and monk fish are a few of the offerings.

Thomas’ Market, owned by Chris Evans and Tommy Baseski, also has oysters, crab cakes, scallops and orange roughy.

Dorothy Brussock of Edwardsville and Mary Blazick of Kingston stopped buy to check out the market.

“This is great,” Brussock said. “Look at the variety.”

Howe said the outdoor market will be open today (New Year’s Eve), from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Marcella Padagomis of Nanticoke was there to buy lobster for her husband.

“He always wants a 1-pound lobster tail,” she said. “Well, this year he’s getting an extra 8 ounce tail, too. And just for him, I’m getting some king crab legs.”

Leila Tucker of Nuangola brought her daughter, Jillian, 4, to get crab legs, shrimp and calamari.

“My daughter loves calamari,” Tucker said. “We’ll have about eight people at the house for dinner.”

At the two Schiel’s Markets in Wilkes-Barre, sales were as brisk as the temperatures. Tom Lovecchio, manager at the Hanover Street Schiel’s, said sales have been higher than last year.

“People love their seafood around the holidays, “Lovecchio said. “More of them are saying they are planning to celebrate at home.”

Lovecchio said prices are lower for shrimp, scallops and lobster. He said employees love the interaction with the customers as all battle the cold.

“The convenience of having the outdoor stand is an important service for our customers,” he said. “They can come for what they want and can be checked out in minutes.”

Schiel’s will be open today at 7 a.m. and the seafood stand will close at 8 p.m.

“But we will keep it open until the store closes at 9 p.m. if our customers need us,” he said.

Local Weis Markets, Gerrity’s and Mr. Z’s stores also have outdoor seafood markets.

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