Veteran Shopkeeper To Open Market on Tremont Street

A deli and marketplace with a catchy title is moving in to the South End.

Going Bananas, a North End market serving Boar’s Head sandwiches and fresh produce, is opening a second location on Tremont Street in the former Lambert’s Marketplace storefront, owner Frank Scire confirmed on Wednesday.

Scire, who has operated his North End shop for 20 years, said the vacant storefront seemed like the perfect place to expand his business. He’s become familiar with the South End through regular delivery trips to .

“I always thought that area would be a good place to open another Going Bananas,” he said.

The Tremont Street shop is smaller than Scire’s North End store, which is located on Salem Street in the heart of the crowded neighborhood. 

Still, Scire plans to stock the space with as many offerings as he can – his North End shop boasts a full deli with fresh-made sandwiches, prepared foods and salads and smoothies plus grocery, produce and frozen foods sections.

Signage is already up on Tremont Street and Scire says the shop should be open for business in mid-May. A portion of his North End staff, some of them family members, will be transferring to the South End location.

Going Bananas will be the third market to open in the basement storefront in recent years. After Lambert's moved out in 2009, building owner Karl Blomendale opened for a few brief months before closing abruptly in February. At the time, Blomendale did not respond to messages seeking the reasoning behind his departure.

Meanwhile, Going Bananas has garnered scores of positive reviews from satisfied North End customers who say the products on the shelves are well-priced for urbanites who can’t make regular trips to the supermarket or visitors looking for an affordable lunch.

“In a space the size of a Buick, the good folks at Going Bananas pack in the highest quality, most reasonably priced foodstuff in the North End,” one commenter wrote. “Absolutely, hands down.”