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Joe's Store

Joe's Store Offers Small Town Convenience
 With Friendly Smiles and Fresh Food

by Karen Fetter

Before there were made-to-order subs at gas stations and sub shops, Joe’s Store offered the same service to all of its lunchtime customers, including peanut butter and jelly! Joe’s Store, located at 1310 Monastery Drive, Latrobe, PA within the development of Lawson Heights, is a community convenience store that offers a friendly smile and fresh food.

Owned by the Guidos family, including Margaret, George, and sons Jeffrey and Scott, the business has developed into a staple establishment within Westmoreland County.

The store offers a wide variety of items such as a deli, video and DVD rentals, ice cream, candy , snack foods, lottery tickets, and more!

One main draw for the public is the reasonably priced deli and take-out food section. The deli meats are made-to-order and are never pre-sliced. Customers can create their own sandwich and ask for any meat, cheese, or bread. The lunch menu consists of one hot sandwich per day along with a variety of meats and cheeses from the deli. There are also a many salads available such as macaroni and potato that are made every day and use no preservatives.

The Guidos family originally purchased the store in 1988 and since has grown to about 9 part-time employees in addition to the family.

“I always wanted to own my own business and not have to work for anyone,” said Margaret. “We heard about the store being available for sale through a series of friends and decided to take the opportunity.”

Then, within just one year, the business also offered catering services after Margaret received her catering license from the Westmoreland County Community College.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with people and making food, which you have to like both to be in this business,” said Margaret.

The catering menu consists of (but is not limited to) various salads such as anti-pasta, potato, macaroni, pasta, chicken, tuna, egg, and fresh fruit; hot foods such as baked ham, stuffed cabbage, rotini, jumbo stuffed shells, chicken, hot sausage, kielbasa, sloppy joes, Italian roast beef, ham barbecue; and appetizers such as veggie trays, fruit trays, meat and cheese trays, shrimp cocktail, marinated mushrooms, deviled eggs, pepperoni rolls, stuffed mushrooms, Swedish meatballs, wings, and homemade soups to order.

Margaret indeed loves both food and people. Joe’s Store is very much involved with the community. Margaret donates many food items to local residents who are sick or who have lost a loved one. She also supports the Red Cross and the American Heart Association as well as the local schools.

“I enjoy helping people if I can,” said Margaret. Sometimes it’s with food or by donating lottery tickets for a raffle. Either way I always try to support my community.”

Five years after the family purchased the store, they were ready for expansion. They nearly doubled the size of the store to provide for a larger kitchen, store area, and a walk-in cooler. But one thing always remained the same, the original name: Joe’s Store.

“Everyone knows that name so why should we change our recognition or reputation,” said Margaret.

The family would never change their location either.

“I love our location within this development of houses. The people can walk here instead of driving. And I have seen the neighborhood kids grow up,” said Margaret. “I usually identify every face that walks through the door.”

Joe’s Store also has a “community board” as you enter the store that posts any event, function or advertisement that the store supports.

Hours for the store are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
 

Instead of running into an impersonal store
where you order your food from a computer,
stop in and visit Margaret and the staff of Joe’s Store.
The high quality deli and food are sure to please your taste buds
 and your wallet.

Call 724-539-5591 to place your catering order today!

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