Clements’ Marketplace is coming to Bristol.
The popular family-owned grocery store – which runs a flagship store in Portsmouth and a market in Plymouth, Massachusetts – will take over the locale currently held by Seabra Foods at 1150 Hope St.
Matthew Ponte, head of marketing and communications for Clements’ Marketplace, said that the grocery store took an interest in the new location when news broke that Seabra Foods was planning to sell.
“We have long thought the Bristol community would be a perfect fit for the Clements’ shopping experience. We have many customers that cross the bridge to our Portsmouth location, so bringing a store right to the community has always been an interest,” Ponte said.
Ponte said the new location will have many of the amenities and goods offered at the other locations. And he confirmed that Clements’ Marketplace plans to stock the Portuguese goods that Seabra Foods was known for.
“We’ve been assessing many of the popular items in this category and plan to keep them,” Ponte said.
News of Seabra Foods’ closure was abrupt for the store’s employees. They found out March 4, about a month before the store closed, according to EastBayRI. Ponte said that many of the employees who were not transferred within the Seabra Foods’ company interviewed and accepted positions at the new Clements’ Marketplace.
Renovations at the new store began in early April, and an opening date will be announced soon, Ponte said.
Donald and Barbara Clements opened the first store – originally named Portsmouth IGA – in 1980, according to the store’s website. Over the years the store has added a deli, bakery, access to shipping and a café, among other services. It also owns Lees Market in Westport, Massachusetts. The Clements’ daughter, Tracy Anthony, took over management of the store in 2006.
