This story is part of WTOP’s Small Business September series, sponsored by EagleBank.
A. Litteri, an old-school Northeast D.C. Italian grocery store, has been around since the 1920s, and it’s aging like a fine wine, getting more and more popular and respected through the years.
“The store started in 1926, and we’ve been in this location since 1932 through a lot of different changes in the neighborhoods,” said owner Max Evans. “There’s not a whole lot of places like A. Litteri in D.C.”
Built on the foundation of providing authentic, high-quality, Italian products, the store is known for its variety of meats, cheeses and wines. The business makes a lot of subs and is often packed during lunch.
It’s located in a busy spot in the Union Market area.
When people have a debate about which business makes the absolute best sandwich in the nation’s capital, A. Litteri is frequently brought up during the conversation.
“We’re just a traditional, old-school, Italian grocery deli, and there’s not a lot of stuff like that,” Evans said. “When a place has been around this long, you develop a pretty nice following.”
As the decades have gone by, the store has evolved from a neighborhood staple to a celebrated destination, largely due to the power of word-of-mouth and, more recently, the effect of social media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram.
Food lovers and influencers make videos about their sandwiches or give the business a review, and the content makes the rounds online.
“With social media, we’re busier than ever,” Evans said. “We’ve had a couple of them really go viral and bring us a ton of business, and then it’s a matter of making sure that we deliver the experience that they were hoping for.”
Evans prides himself on offering a wide selection of alcohol, including nearly 600 different wines and spirits.
“I work with lots and lots of different distributors and importers that I buy from pretty regularly,” Evans said. “I try to have a really nice selection of wine from everywhere. But the majority of our selections are going to be Italian.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
