Glenville gets its grocery store back Wednesday, Sept. 9, when DeCicco & Sons opens at 21 Glenville St. at 7:30 a.m.

The family-owned chain's first Connecticut location fills a gap that has stretched more than three years, since Stop & Shop closed the same space in June 2023. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

"So excited. We've been desperate, counting down the days," Glenville resident Rachel Rozenzweig told Greenwich Time. Rozenzweig said she has had to travel outside the neighborhood to stock her pantry since the old store shut down.

The roughly 20,000-square-foot market sits in the Glen Plaza Shopping Center, alongside Bluebird Taqueria, Longford's Ice Cream, Val's Fine Wines & Liquors and other small businesses. Greenwich Time reported that local merchants suffered from lost foot traffic after Stop & Shop left.

First Selectman Fred Camillo told Greenwich Time he is among those eager for the store to arrive. "I know people are very eager to see this store open, and I am one of them," Camillo said. "It is so important to have a grocery store on the western side of town."

Camillo wrote in his Sept. 4 community newsletter that western Greenwich residents needed a neighborhood grocery store after the Stop & Shop closure. He thanked the DeCicco family for bringing their business to town.

The opening faced delays tied to the permitting process and a retaining wall issue on the property, Camillo said, according to Patch. The Greenwich Planning & Zoning Commission approved plans for the store in 2024.

DeCicco & Sons operates 11 stores in Westchester and Putnam counties in New York. Brothers John Sr. and Joe Sr. DeCicco opened their first store in the Bronx in 1973, 14 years after arriving from Italy. John Jr., Joseph Jr. and Christopher DeCicco incorporated the second-generation business in 2006. Greenwich marks the chain's first expansion beyond New York.

CEO John DeCicco Jr. said in a Sept. 2 press release that the company had been looking forward to joining the Greenwich community. He called Glenville a natural fit for a chain that values personal service.

The store will feature fresh produce, a deli, daily seafood, a sushi counter, a juice bar, a chopped salad station and prepared foods. It also includes solar panels and energy-efficient refrigeration. DeCicco & Sons plans to extend its school rebate program to Greenwich, letting shoppers support local schools through everyday purchases.

About 100 employees staff a typical DeCicco location, CTInsider reported. The company held job fairs at the Glenville site throughout the summer.