The Market Report

Big Bunny Market Owner: Peter Cournoyer Opened:  1960s in current location; 1950s previously Cooperative:  none Location:  942 Main St, Southbridge, MA Photographed:  November 30, 2018; October 10, 2020; and April 3, 2021 What other supermarket has a giant rabbit on the top?! Welcome to Big Bunny Market, Southbridge's well-known independent supermarket. It shares ownership with the smaller Micknuck's Fresh Marketplace about five miles west. The store dates back to the 1950s but was constructed in its present location the following decade, then expanded several times to its current 32,000 square feet. It's a bit of an institution in Southbridge (and you can read extensively about its history here ). My former boss lived in Southbridge and once, when in a team meeting about an upcoming event, said that he could go buy an elusive food item "at the Bunny." About half the team nodded along in full understanding and the other half was like "...I'm not gonna a...

Micknuck's Fresh Marketplace Owner: Peter Cournoyer Opened:  2001 Cooperative:  none Location:  570 Main St, Fiskdale, MA Photographed:  April 3, 2021 Small town in Massachusetts? That means it's time for a small independent grocer! We're here to check out Micknuck's Fresh Marketplace in Fiskdale, to the west of Sturbridge, MA. It's owned by the owners of a larger independent supermarket in Southbridge, which is to the east of Sturbridge. Micknuck's is just 6,000 square feet, so it's not a full supermarket, but it has produce, dairy, deli, bakery, meat, and seafood, definitely focused on the fresh foods. You enter in the middle of the store and can turn right to enter the produce and dairy departments which are in the right side of the small store. A grocery aisle or two are at the back of the store, and on the left side, deli, bakery, butcher, and seafood counters line the walls. You can see it's an extremely small place and yet has quite a bit to choo...