William Turrell’s first job at Sandy’s Fine Food Emporium was a summer one, picked up while he was a college student. He kept the idea of owning the place in the back of his mind for years. On Oct. 1, he and his wife, Danielle, took over the Post Road market in Westerly.
The sale keeps Sandy’s in the family. The sellers, Jim and EmmaLee Goddiess, are William’s uncle and aunt, and they had run the store for about two decades.
“I’ve been connected to Sandy’s for much of my life, and I’ve always hoped I might have the opportunity to own it someday,” William said in a statement reported by The Westerly Sun. “Danielle and I are excited about what’s ahead, but we also understand the responsibility that comes with carrying forward a business that has meant so much to this community.”
The new owners
The Turrells live in Mystic and have two young children. William earned his MBA at Johnson & Wales University, where he met Danielle, who was born and raised in Rhode Island. He then spent 12 years with the grocery chain ALDI, working in store development. Danielle has 25 years of experience in property management and real estate.
That background in big-chain retail might suggest changes are coming. Danielle has been clear that the couple does not plan a makeover.
“We see ourselves as both owners and stewards of Sandy’s,” she said. “Our goal isn’t to change Sandy’s into something unrecognizable. We want to honor its history, take excellent care of what has been built here and prepare it for the years ahead.”
Their stated plans include investing in the store, its staff and its offerings, and building more relationships with local and regional growers, producers and makers. Danielle told the South County Star they also want to “highlight the ’emporium’ part” of the name.
Four owners since 1952
Sandy’s began as a small fruit and vegetable stand in Pawcatuck, just across the Pawcatuck River from downtown Westerly, on West Broad Street. Mickey Cofone bought the business in 1952, and a few years later his brother Sam joined him. In 1967 the Cofones moved the operation to Post Road, where the market is today, at 15 Post Road.
In 1974 the brothers sold to Bob Hoffman, though they stayed on to work with customers. Hoffman and his wife, Elly, ran the store for about three decades before the Goddiesses bought it.
Danielle said she and William have spent years listening to “Sam and Mickey stories,” and she pointed to one detail in particular: Sam always remembered customers’ names.
“That’s the feeling we want to resurrect,” she told the Star. “It’s that care and attention that will be our emphasis.”
Today the store sells fresh produce, prepared foods, deli items, specialty groceries and other goods, according to the Sun. The Goddiesses grew the business while keeping it independent, a point Danielle made when talking about why the purchase mattered to her.
“I’m naturally nostalgic, so there is something very special to me about becoming part of a business that has served this community for nearly 75 years,” she said. “Places with that kind of history are increasingly rare.”
A goodbye from the Goddiesses
Jim and EmmaLee Goddiess said goodbye to customers and staff in a social media post as the sale closed.
“A business is never just a business,” they wrote. “It is the people who walk through the door, the people who work beside you and the relationships that grow along the way. This is what we will remember the most.”
They also asked customers to give the new owners the same welcome. “We know you will welcome them as you have done us,” the post said.
Danielle’s own summary of the plan was short. Sandy’s, she said, will be “the place you’ve always loved: familiar faces, good food, and a warm welcome.”
