Recent headlines sent a surge of concern through the Ellenville-Wawarsing community about Peters Market. The iconic small grocery store is both well known and loved by its customers. Established in the 70s by the local family that gave it its name, the market changed owners about two years back. After an unsuccessful stint by one group of owners, the market went through another sale and new owners, led by Daniel “Butch” Resnick, known for his supermarket equipment firm based in Sullivan County, took control. The new ownership gave the store a makeover, added taller aisle shelving, new cabinets and then changed and extended some product lines.

The community response to the change was strongly positive; most customers liked the additions and the parking lot sprouted many more cars.

However, in December of last year Resnick was indicted in a money laundering case growing out of an FBI sting operation. That case is ongoing and Resnick contests the charges and will fight them in court. His bail was reset in January from a $500,000 bond backed up by his residence in Sullivan County to a $100,000 cash bond.

Resnick’s troubles with the law, some of which had been documented by an FBI informant prior to his purchase of Peters, “have nothing to do with Peters Market,” according to Peters General Manager Kiko Taveras. Indeed, court documents mostly mentioned Resnick’s supermarket supply store; there is no mention of Peters in the documents currently on file with the case.

Despite the shadow of Resnick’s upcoming legal battle, the market is undergoing a periodic uplift. There is a new manager, Stephanie Lopez, who is hard at work revamping shelves and removing some past-due products.

Lopez says, “We won’t have any outdated products on the shelves here.”

Along with many other businesses, Peters suffered during the supply chain crisis in the latter half of 2021. Sometimes the store manager reported receiving barely a third, or even a quarter of the goods ordered.

And so the store managers are hard at work. Taveras was upbeat during discussion with the Shawangunk Journal. “We are bringing in new items, and our new manager, Stephanie, is very experienced. She’s worked at Aldi’s and ShopRite. Things have been tough, no question with the Omicron virus, but we are looking ahead and moving harder than ever towards gourmet and organic choices. We will increase our emphasis on those areas, which a lot of our customers really appreciate.”

Lopez, busy prowling the aisles, rearranging some items, making space for new ones, gestured to a new product, Keto Muffins, with a smile, “Every day I get surprised by new things like this.”

She reiterated Taveras’s thoughts about the produce and organic sections of the store. These are areas where Peters outperforms the big competitors and that fact is duly noted by certain customer groups.

Richard Travers, long-time business person in our area, currently developing a boutique high end hotel at 81 North Main Street in Ellenville, said, “Their produce is better than anything else in our area, except for Barthels in the season. I also go to Peters for herbs and spices; they keep their selections stocked up.”

Meanwhile out in the Wawarsing/Ellenville community, many voiced support and affection for the store.

“Small markets like Peters are the backbone of communities like ours,” said T.J. Briggs, now an Ellenville Village Trustee, but formerly a Wawarsing councilman and before that a county legislator. “It’s that sense of the people there knowing who you are, the personal service and also of knowing them. Shopping there has a great community feel.”

Others added to that, the sense of a “community store” where people know you is an important aspect of shopping for many customers.

A relative newcomer to the area, Zach Baum, part of an investor group with major plans in the works for the center of the village, said, “It’s our default grocery. Always feels very good shopping at Peters, supporting a local business. We like their produce and organics, too. If Peters didn’t exist, we’d be very unhappy; the alternatives are not great. The other point is the new ownership’s renovations have made it better. Has a nice look to it.”

Victoria Messner, another relative newcomer, also shaking up the village scene, said, “The staff there is great. It’s just a much better experience shopping there than at, say, Walmart. We go to Peters for the good stuff.”

Julie Lonstein, local attorney and a founder of the pro-Ellenville activist group COFFE, said “Peters Market is a great plus for our community. Not many places are as well served for retail this way as Ellenville and Wawarsing. Peters is so easy to get in and out, convenient, clean and has such nice staff.”

People also line up for specific products available at this small supermarket. As noted, it carries the best vegetable and fruit produce in the area, outside of seasonal farm markets like Barthels. For salads, for broccoli, for organics, Peters is generally the best choice. Indeed, for some specialties, like tofu, Peters has a very wide selection. For other customers, Peters meats are regarded as the best around town.

Peters also has a great deli, according to Briggs: “They’ve always had a great deli, great sandwiches, all those things. At end of shift times at Eastern Correctional, you always see folks in uniform in there getting a sandwich, or coffee.”

Others mentioned the speed and ease of quick shopping at Peters, where you never wait more than a couple of minutes for checkout.

Back with Manager Lopez, “We get it that this store serves the community and there are specialties involved, too. I want to add that if there’s something you really want, but can’t get elsewhere we will put it on special order for you and have it here in no time.”

For more information, visit petersmarket.business.site, call them at 845-210-4661, or stop in at 7700 Route 209 in Napanoch, and say Hi.