Vincent Finazzo is looking to bring a new old building back to life for his second location of Riverwards Produce. Finazzo renovated a rundown firehouse, one of Philly’s first, for Riverwards Produce’s first brick and mortar location in Fishtown and says he will do it all over again at a yet-to-be-identified second location in Old City, which will open in the spring. Social media photos of Riverwards Produce’s second location show a rough-looking industrial space with skylights that allow natural light to flood the interior.
“Sustainability and nostalgia are integral to the way I view food, markets, and the architecture that houses them. I never want to open a market in new construction. There is something about saving a space and breathing new life into it that just feels intrinsic to what a market is,” Finazzo wrote on social media. “The new Riverwards is being restored meticulously and historically registered so that it can be enjoyed by the public for years to come.”
Riverwards Produce sells fresh organic and locally sourced “ugly” produce that big markets wouldn’t stock and sells it to residents and local restaurants. Its produce comes directly from farmers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. At Riverwards Produce, you’ll also find products from local businesses, short shelf-life produce at reduced prices, locally raised meat and eggs, and flowers. Riverwards Produce has a composting program and works with local food banks to provide healthy food to those in need and ensure that Riverwards Produce is a close to zero waste operation. Finazzo’s commitment to sustainability is so strong he even let go of two-thirds of his customers in 2018 to reduce waste and the frequency of delivery. Finazzo started Riverwards Produce as a pop-up shop in a garage in 2016.
