Obituary: Nina Balducci, Specialty Grocery Pioneer

Nina Balducci, who along with her husband Andy transformed the family’s produce stall into one the first full-service gourmet food markets, died April 12 in East Williston, N.Y., due to complications from colon cancer. She was 91.

The couple married in 1952 and joined Andy’s father, Louis Balducci, in running Balducci’s produce market in Greenwich Village. In 1972, their business acumen transformed the business, including the new store’s design and the types of foods it carried, along with branding and logos and PR and marketing. Nina also designed Balducci’s first catalog, a nine-page booklet that grew to 52 pages, featuring exotic imported ingredients and fully cooked dishes.

In 1991, their son-in-law, Kevin Murphy, took over the company’s wholesale arm, growing it into Baldor Specialty Foods. While the couple sold Balducci markets in 1999, the Balducci high standards for quality and first-in-class customer service live on at Baldor Specialty Foods, which is currently run by Kevin and Ria Murphy’s son, T.J. Murphy.

Nina was preceded in death by Andy in March 2018. She is survived by two daughters, Marta and Andrea; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Services are pending.