It's fun to spend a weekend at Hersheypark, stay at the luxurious Hotel Hershey and visit all the tourist attractions in the area. But if that's all you do, you'll miss the real Hershey.
If you're looking for the flavor of the real town, you need go no further than Pronio's Market, in the heart of Hershey at the corner of Caracas Avenue and Valley Road. There, you'll find a typical small-town grocery with a whole lot more: hard-to-find Italian specialties, local artisanal foods, friendly service and plenty of history.
In 1916, Michael and Rose Pronio opened Pronio’s Market as a “parlour market"—a small, in-home store that existed before autos and mass transportation were the norm. From that first location in Spring Creek to its current location on Caracas Avenue (since 1962), Pronio's Market has taken great pride in offering the finest meats and freshest food items. Owner Vince Pronio and son Mike Pronio (who manages the store) are often on hand to personally greet their patrons (or grind some fresh meatloaf mix, if you need it!)
Our family has shopped at Pronio's since the store's beginnings; they were part of the influx of Italian immigrants who came in the early 1900s to help Milton Hershey built his town. Today, we take our kids where their great-grandparents shopped, happy to support a great family business that's also a wonderful part of the real Hershey.
Comments