Happy Market & Spirits
Opened: 2018
Southern Boston neighborhoods are a little complicated. In several, the neighborhood is an overarching term that includes several sub-areas (such as Dorchester's Grove Hall or Upham's Corner, for instance). In Jamaica Plain, the southern part of the area is referred to as Forest Hills, with the main area of Jamaica Plain in the middle and Hyde Square at the northern end. We're at the northern end of Forest Hills today for a look at Happy Market & Spirits. This is the second Happy Market location, with the older one over on Blue Hill Avenue in southwestern Dorchester a mile and a half east. This one is much newer, too, having only opened in 2018. That's not to say the store itself is new -- in fact, it dates back to 1912 when it opened as a fruit market. It was called Bob's Spa (spa being a now-antiquated but still sometimes used name for a small grocery store in New England). Bob's Spa lasted under the same family's ownership all the way to 2001, when they sold it to William Fernandez. It then became Fernandez Spa, a name it retained up until the switch to Happy Supermarket in 2018. I could find listings for Happy Supermarket being owned by Francisco Fernandez, who is likely related to William Fernandez. You can read a lot more about the store's history here -- a great profile you shouldn't miss.
The conversion to Happy Market & Spirits also appears to have brought a full remodel of the space, which at just 5300 square feet is a complete if tiny supermarket and liquor store. There are five aisles, with produce and dairy on the front wall in the first aisle. Service counters line the left-side wall of the store, with butcher, seafood, deli, and hot food across the side wall. Frozen foods and cold beer are on the back wall in the last aisle, and the rest of the liquor store and the registers are on the right-side wall.
As you can see, the interior is quite nice if extremely small. This is, however, the only supermarket in Forest Hills and the southern part of Jamaica Plain, so it's an important resource (and probably why it's stayed a grocery store for so long).
Looking over to the right side of the store in the first aisle.
Unlike the older Happy Supermarket on Blue Hill, this one has a more specialized selection, with a higher-end positioning. That's likely because of the more affluent shoppers who (now) live in this part of Jamaica Plain. So in addition to the Best Yet storebrand items from C&S, this store also sells Full Circle organic products.
Butcher/seafood, deli, and hot food line the left-side wall of the store. If you want to better understand the store's setup, check out this interactive tour on Google Maps.
Frozen food and beer in the last aisle. As you can see, the flooring and a lot of the fixtures were installed new when the store became Happy Supermarket.
And a look at the very extensive (yet very small) liquor store side of the supermarket, which runs along what I assume are the original registers on the right-side set up in a counter style. You can actually see the convenience store-style ice cream freezers under the counter. There are also two supermarket-style registers and a few short aisles of wine between this section and the rest of the supermarket.
This is a very pleasant little store and absolutely packed with stuff! I also love the murals on the side of the store.
Owner: Francisco Fernandez
Previous Tenants: Bob's Spa (1912-2001) > Fernandez Spa (2001-2018)
Cooperative: none
Location: 128 South St, Jamaica Plain, MA
Photographed: June 8 and June 22, 2019
Although the central part of Jamaica Plain doesn't have a supermarket, it has a few small grocers. We're going to take a look at one of those on Monday. Have a great weekend!
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