Jan NorrisAfter more than 40 years at site, owners sells property on US 1 north of PGA Boulevard.
The last heirloom tomato will soon leave the shelves of Yankee Peddler Produce & Market as it shuts down after more than 40 years.
What’s happened: The gourmet market that’s been a fixture on U.S. 1 between North Palm Beach and Juno Beach is closing. The owner, Matt Lashinger, has sold the property and business.
Why it matters: Residents from West Palm Beach to Jupiter have relied on the market that filled a need long before Doris Italian Market, Trader Joe’s or even Publix moved into the area.
- During the holidays, the small store was packed with both home and pro cooks snapping up beans and Brussels sprouts, fish dip, cheeses and desserts. The store carried fresh breads, prepared foods and imported goods, along with produce.
- Yankee Peddler was the go-to place for fresh flowers.
Surprise loss: The notice came suddenly, as customers were told last week the shop would close within two weeks. It is expected to change hands at the end of the month. Workers said they will be out of a job, since the new owners were not planning to keep the market open.
What they’re saying: “Tomatoes — they had the best, and escarole for my Thanksgiving salad,” said Riviera Beach native Susan Nefzger. “I loved it because I could go in after swimming on Celestial Way, and they didn’t care if I was in my bathing suit. They knew your name, too.”
Of note: The property just south of Captain’s Key is slightly bigger than a half-acre. It sold for $1.2 million in 2023 to a company run by Lashinger and his family.
Closing soon: Prices were reduced by 40 percent on Monday May 19.
Jan’s a journalist covering the South Florida dining scene for 30-plus years. (She knows where the bones and onion peels are buried.) She’s a Florida native, remembers the state pre-Disney, and travels frequently to visit family and friends from the Keys to the Panhandle.
