Loomos Brothers market serving Lynn for 100 years

LYNN ? Exactly 100 years ago, five Greek brothers went into business in Lynn, selling fruits and vegetables from a horse and wagon, a business that later grew into a meat market, grocery and liquor store.The Loomos brothers ? Costas, Peter, Evagelos, Christos and Stavros ? worked side-by-side to make the enterprise a success. Two of the brothers, Costas and Peter, were first to arrive in the United States in 1898. Evagelos followed in 1903 and Christos in 1905.Three years later, they invested in the produce cart and their list of steady customers quickly swelled. After a few years of selling from the street, four of the brothers opened a store at 548 Boston St.Business boomed. In 1915, they moved to a larger store at 524 Boston St. That year the fifth brother, Stavros, came to the United States and joined them in the Lynn business.The Loomos Brothers market was expanded with a butcher shop and full line of meats. The store also served as a local post office for many of the Greek immigrants arriving in the city in waves.In 1933, the brothers received a liquor license from the city, offering a wide array of wines, beers and spirits. The country in those days was in the throes of the Great Depression, so the brothers often extended credit to their customers. Fortunately, many customers would soon land jobs at the General Electric Co., mostly because a friend of one of the Loomos brothers was in charge of hiring.The five brothers have since passed on, and the meat market is no longer part of the store, replaced by refrigerated packaged goods. The shelves have been stocked with only the most basic foodstuffs.On a shelf above rows of liquor bottles, a prominently displayed black-and-white photograph shows Evagelos Loomos with Mayor Edward Clancy Jr.”Evagelos died in 1990 at the age of 100. He was always in good health. He lived right upstairs from the store and used to come down every day to help out,” said Arthur Loomos, a member of the family’s second-generation in the U.S., who today runs the store with his brothers ? Peter Loomos, a former science teacher at Lynn English for nearly 40 years; Nick Loomos, a former engineering instructor at the Wentworth Institute for a decade; sister Mary Loomos; and a cousin, also named Peter Loomos.Arthur Loomos points to the sign recently delivered by a Budweiser salesman. Below the beer brand, it says, “Loomos Brothers proudly serving the city of Lynn for 100 years.””That’s a long time,” he said, ringing the cash register as customers came and went.Are the brothers planning a centennial celebration?”We’re not sure,” said Arthur Loomos. “We haven’t thought that much about it.”