Sad goodbye to owners of Canterbury Fruit Emporium after 52 years
In the 52 years Tony Petroro ran the Canterbury Fruit Emporium, he met his eventual wife and counted a pre-megastar Kylie Minogue as a regular customer. But now it’s time to say goodbye.
Inner East
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A tear wells in Tony Petroro’s eye as he recounts the “lifetime of memories” he has enjoyed over the past 52 years at the Canterbury Fruit Emporium.
From having a pre-music megastar Kylie Minogue and her parents as regular customers, to meeting Mafalda (Miff), who would later become his wife — the market has shaped his life.
But, with the couple retired, it is now time to say goodbye.
Mr Petroro said he seized the chance to buy the Maling Rd fruit shop — and realise his dream of working in the fresh produce industry — soon after immigrating from Italy over half a century ago.
“I was young and ambitious to work with fruit and vegetables,” he said.
“We worked hard, made fantastic friendships with the customers and always tried to bring the best fresh fruit from the markets.”
Soon after, a teenage girl — who often came in shopping with her parents — caught his eye.
She was 16 and he was 20 and they have now been married 48 years.
They raised their two children, Anna and Lorenzo, behind the counter.
The friendships the couple have formed over the years — including regular customers like the Minogues — have made them pillars of their community.
“They (the Minogues) used to come into the store all the time and they were fantastic,” he said.
Mrs Petroro said such regulars were “not customers, they’re friends”.
“They can come in having a bad day but they can leave feeling happy,” Mrs Petroro said.
Mr Petroro agreed.
“They can tell their worries and I can tell my worries,” he added.
The long-time Carlton Football Club supporter said customers he met on his first day — and their children and grandchildren — still shopped at the store.
“It makes me feel really old,” he said.
Long-time customer Melissa McKenna shed a tear thinking back on the decade of “warmth” she had received from the Petroros.
“It’s the old-fashioned, personal warmth that you get from these two that is amazing and so special,” Ms McKenna said.
The couple has now passed the business on to new owner, Lovleen Sharma.
“We’re all going to support Mr Sharma but it is sad to see them go,” Ms McKenna said.
“Tony hand-picks all the produce — that’s why we come here.’
Maling Road Pharmacy pharmacist Alan Ku said he had shopped at the store every Friday for 10 years.
He said the Emporium helped all businesses along the strip.
“People come for them and while they’re there they shop in the other shops on Maling Rd,” Mr Ku said.
“Around here, people like to put a face to a shop.”
Mr Petroro said it wasn’t just friendships — but the quality of produce — bringing people into their store.
“Sometimes it’s not the price but the service and the quality of the fruit,” he said.
”Small shops cannot compete with the supermarkets, but they can with quality and service.”
He said “99.9 per cent” of the store’s produce was Australian.
“We have such a good country, we can always get the best fruit and veg out of anywhere in the world,” he said.
Mr Petroro said the festive season — when the shop would sell Christmas trees — was always a highlight.
“People would love it. That’s one part of my life I loved to do because I believe in Christmas trees,” he said.
But the fresh produce trade hasn’t always been smooth sailing, with trends in consumer habits keeping Mr Petroro eager to bring new products into the store to introduce to the customers.
“When we started we couldn’t sell broccoli, zucchini, red peppers or kale,” he said.
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“Even avocados, it took until the 80s before they hit the market because a lot of people didn’t know about them.”
Mr Petrero said the 3am starts had been the only negative to the “really fantastic journey”.
He said he had visited the store a lot since handing it over to Mr Sharma.
“The people we’ve sold to are such nice people and they are trying the best they can to keep up our standards,” he said, laughing.
“I can’t let go!”
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