Citarella Names Rich Durante CEO

New York City-based specialty food store Citarella has appointed Rich Durante as CEO. Working closely with Joe Gurrera, Citarella’s owner and founder, Durante will be in charge of operations, merchandising and team development for the family-owned grocer’s seven locations.

Durante brings over 40 years of experience in the food retail industry with a particular focus in the specialty sector. Prior to joining Citarella, Durante served as chief merchandising officer at Greensboro, N.C.-based The Fresh Market, and has held executive positions at AG Supermarket Holdings, Balducci’s Market, and Balducci’s On The Go Cafe. His background includes leadership positions across multiple disciplines including merchandising, operations, marketing and engineering.

Rich Durante

“The addition of Rich to our Citarella family will bring a level of leadership experience and expertise in food retail to allow our Citarella stores to continue to grow and operate at the highest level,” said Gurrera in a release. 

“Joe Gurrera has built Citarella into an iconic brand with a stellar reputation, and it’s an honor to be a part of the team,” said Durante. “From an unparalleled selection of the freshest seafood to renowned prepared foods and specialty items, they’ve got it all, and I’m looking forward to bringing my expertise to the table for the next chapter.”

Since purchasing the store in 1983, Gurrera and his team have grown the Citarella brand to include seven locations in New York City, the Hamptons, and Greenwich, Conn. Each of its gourmet markets offers “thoughtfully sourced ingredients and hand-crafted dishes,” says the company. Citarella’s selection includes a variety of fresh seafood, prime dry-aged meats, fresh produce, chef-prepared foods and pastries, international cheeses, cured meats, smoked fish and more. In addition to Citarella, Gurrera owns and operates Lockwood & Winant at the historic Fulton Fish Market in New York.

In tandem with the announcement of Durante’s leadership role, Citarella says it has expanded its online seafood program across the continental United States. “We’re passionate about sourcing and selling the world’s best seafood,” the company's website states. “When you order our fresh seafood online, what you receive always reflects the unrivaled standard of our markets. It’s hand-prepared, never frozen and shipped overnight.”

“I want customers in Omaha to experience the same fresh seafood as New York Citarella customers,” said Gurrera of the new seafood initiative.