It began in 1932. But the history started in the mid-1920s.

When two teenagers–Nicola (Nick) and Pasquale (Patsy) D’Agostino set out from their home in L’Aquila, Italy to seek their fortunes in the United States. By 1931 they had worked as pushcart peddlers, mill workers and apprentice butchers – anything to earn a buck.

One year later, at the depth of the Great Depression, Nick and Patsy pooled their meager resources and opened a small grocery store on Lexington Ave. and 83rd Street in Manhattan.

It was small, but unlike anything New York had seen. It was designed to serve the carriage trade.. the mansion-like apartments on Park Ave.. and so, the brothers stocked their store with groceries and baked goods under a single roof. They also provided home delivery for phoned-in orders by Upper East Side residents-and their staff.

The brothers added a fresh meat section-and trained butchers– to the store-very unusual for what was rapidly becoming a full service market along with other items. D’Agostino was now a full service supermarket. And it’s just what the neighborhood wanted… and needed.

The stellar reputation of D’Agostino was-and remains based on three simple principles.

Quality, Service and Innovation.

It was no wonder that as D’Agostino opened more stores in New York; it became “New York’s Grocer.” No surprise that movies and television shows shot on location in New York frequently use D’Agostino stores or “DAG BAGS” to help impart a sense of New York City realism. Will met Grace in a D’Agostino – on the TV show, that is.

Today, the chain is still owned and operated by the D’Agostino family. Nicholas D’Agostino II is the CEO and his wife, Nancy D’Agostino, is Director of Customer Engagement. They guarantee all their products and provide the superior customer service whether it is in their stores or online grocery shopping service.