EURO GROCERY Offers a Special Taste of Home

WRITTEN BY: ALYSSA DAVANZO

Growing up in Albania, Dritan Lirioni never remembers a time when his family sat down for a meal without feta cheese or olives on the table. Following his move to Connecticut, Dritan craved the authentic feta he used to eat so much that he drove to Astoria, Queens to buy a bucket of it each month.

“For years I searched for familiar foods and products that I enjoyed in my home country,” Dritan said. “It was hard feeling like there was not a place to shop for my favorite things. At the time, I worked in a business that distributed and sold American and Spanish products, so I decided to begin dedicating my time to Southeastern European communities.”

Photo: Paula Severino

Owners, Ilda and Dritan Lirioni with a sampling of imported products sold at the store. MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

In 2017 Dritan opened his first Euro Grocery store in Rocky Hill and his second location in Waterbury, which is home to a large Albanian population. Over the summer, he opened Euro Grocery at 565 Boston Post Road in Orange.

AN ARRAY OF PRODUCTS

“You won’t be able to find the majority of the products in this store elsewhere,” Dritan said. “Euro Grocery specializes in unique European gourmet products with an emphasis on Balkan and Mediterranean foods. The items we carry are from Romania, Turkey, Greece, Albania, Servia, Croatia, Portugal, Ukraine, Russia and several other countries.”

With over thousands of products available in the 3,000 square-foot space, customers walk through the aisles feeling as though they have been transported overseas.

“During the summer, many people travel back to their home countries. This is the time of year that I love the most,” Dritan said. “When they come back to Connecticut, they visit my store and have all kinds of requests based on the dishes they tried on vacation. They often say to me, ‘Could you please order this brand of soda or this specific type of food? We miss it already.’”

CONVENIENT MEALS

For those looking for simple and delicious meals, Euro Grocery carries a variety of pre-prepared foods, including savory pastry pies from Greece that are frozen and ready to cook. These cheese, spinach and meat delicacies are big hits all year round.

“If you don’t have time to cook and need something that just needs to be baked in the oven, I’ve got you covered,” he said. “Let’s say you go to a Mediterranean or a Greek restaurant and order a Spanakopita or Tiropita. You will probably be served a small piece. Here, you can buy a full tray at a very reasonable price.”

Angela Mullaj, employee of the store, cutting a wheel of Kefalograviera Amfilochia, a popular Greek cheese.

Photo: Paula Severino

A fine selection of imported cheeses, cured meats, and bakery items ready for purchase.

Euro Grocery makes it as easy as possible for customers to stock up on their shopping list items. They have the option to shop in the store or order their food and ingredients online. Dritan has been inspired while watching people of all ethnicities come through the doors with eagerness to experiment and try recipes of cultures outside of their own. “I notice returning customers who love our products and continue to come back,” Dritan said. “I’ve seen a Bosnian buy Greek feta and an Italian buy a Croatian pickle. At the end of the day, people are not fanatical about needing to only buy products from their own countries. They purchase and support each other’s products. It’s phenomenal.”

Whether someone is stopping by the store to select a high-quality olive oil or pick up Loukaniko sausages for a family barbeque, Euro Grocery has something for everyone on the map.

Euro Grocery is open every day from 9 am to 8 pm, and is located at 565 Boston Post Road, Orange. Check out some of their products online at eurogrocery.shop and follow the store’s latest news on Facebook (Eurogrocery Orange CT), TikTok (@eurogrocery) and Instagram (@euro_grocery)! 