NAHANT — Nahant’s small commercial scene is preparing to welcome one more small business into its midst.
This May, Leslie Intoppa is excited to introduce Nahant residents to Turnstone Market, a boutique grocery store that will offer local products, as well as foods and spices made in-house.
“I want (the market) to be a place where people can go to talk about food and get some recipe ideas, but I also want it to be a place where you can go and just pick up a few items without having to wait in long lines or having to find parking space,” Intoppa said. “You can just run in and get what you need.”
Intoppa, who also works full time as the director of human resources at an advertising firm in Boston, grew up in nearby Somerville and lived in the city for several years before relocating to Nahant two years ago.
Although she doesn’t plan to give up her day job just yet, Intoppa said opening a food-related business has been a longtime dream of hers, adding that when the COVID-19 pandemic hit last March, she decided a grocery store could help meet some of the community’s needs.
“I’ve always had a passion for food and I’ve always wanted to do something related to food,” she said. “During the pandemic, I was nervous going into a supermarket or any large store. It felt better shopping in small places, and I feel like people’s mindsets have changed, too. People want to shop local. They want to help the community more. I felt like maybe this is a good time to do something like that.”
Although her selection of homemade items will be small at first, Intoppa hopes to expand her store’s offerings as soon as she gets her bearings as a first-time business owner.
“Right now I’ll be doing spice mixes and selling them at the store, but I want to make it more interactive,” she said. “I’m going to have recipe cards for different spices and change them out weekly so people use it.”
In addition to homemade products, Turnstone Market will also offer fresh meats, poultry, and produce, including eggs laid right next door by Intoppa’s own chickens.
“People do not like leaving Nahant, especially in the nicer months. They don’t want to go across the Causeway, but there’s nowhere around here to really buy fresh produce or milk and eggs, so I think it’ll be great to just one-stop-shop,” Intoppa said. “You can buy your wine and beer at the variety store and then go to my store to get everything else you need for a great little dinner.”
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
