The taxidermy grizzly bear and red devil’s food cake that were once staples at the Wagon Wheel restaurant in Salem have been replaced by fresh pasta salads and Italian aromas.
Wagon Wheel closed its doors almost exactly a year ago after more than six decades in business. Rizzo’s has opened a market at the Route 22 location — expanding upon its Italian restaurant housed in Salem’s Crabtree neighborhood.
Rizzo’s moved into the space in June, opening the market’s doors to customers Nov. 19.
Wagon Wheel was opened by George and Mary Jobe in 1956. It was most recently operated by Mimi Jobe Kaufman, Sharon McGoff and Wendy Jobe.
The DeFabo family — owners of Rizzo’s for about nine decades — have been friends with the Jobes for years, said Dominic DeFabo.
“(Sharon Jobe) was saying she wished (the building) could still be in somebody’s family, that something good would go on here,” DeFabo said, “and I guess we’ll give it our best shot to do that.”
The market’s shelves are stocked with pasta sauces, noodles, jars of olives and boxes of chocolates. Fresh pasta salad sits in the refrigerated display case, and prepackaged manicotti, ravioli and chicken Romano meals line the freezer doors.
The market is meant to bring the restaurant’s classic tastes to the heavily trafficked Route 22.
“The idea of this market is to give everybody the same food they get in the restaurant — the same quality, just through a different medium,” DeFabo said. “Everyone’s looking for something they can take home easily, something that they can get on the highway as they’re driving back and forth from work.”
DeFabo grew up at the Crabtree restaurant. Now his 5-month-old son, Natalino, will have the same opportunity.
DeFabo’s wife, Hannah, worked at the restaurant seven years before taking time off to care for Natalino. With her son strapped to her chest in a baby carrier, Hannah has returned to work — stocking shelves, building boxes, running the cash register and helping customers at the market.
The sounds of the refrigerators and Natalino’s pack and play tucked into a back room make the market feel like a second home for the infant, Hannah said.
“He loves people. He likes (the market) better than our house,” Hannah said with a laugh.
