Five Seventy Market Sold to New Operator, to become Muscarella’s

By Seth Daniel

After being shuttered for more than a year following the surprising death of operator and neighborhood stalwart Allen Seletsky, the Five Seventy Market (formerly the Bostonian Market) has been sold for an undisclosed amount of money and the new operator said this week that he hopes to have a soft opening in mid-July.

Scott Jackiewicz has purchased the business from Seletsky’s family, and will re-open the market in a similar format under the name Muscarella’s Market – a nod to his mother’s maiden name.

“I’ve been in the business about 30 years off and on, mostly on,” said Jackiewicz this week. “I’m trying to get things up and running and I plan to keep things similar to the way Allen had them, but I’ll put my own identity into it. Everything had to be cleaned out first. Most of the things in there were expired. I’m going to be starting from Ground Zero. It’s going to be a challenge to start, but I’m excited and the neighborhood has been very welcoming. I’m thoroughly impressed with the neighbors…I looked at it as a great opportunity and I was really thrilled with the reception from the neighbors.”

Since purchasing the business and starting work inside, Jackiewicz said he has been approached my many neighbors and by young people from the Boston Ballet School – who are another staple of the customer base – all of whom are excited to see him take over and continue the market’s tradition of serving the community.

Already, Union Park Neighborhood Association (UPNA) leaders have said they are excited to see the market re-open and hope that the new owner will create a similar feel that Seletsky – a long-time neighborhood fixture and also a member of the UPNA board – had created.

“I was thrilled to learn about the sale of the 570 Market to new ownership,” said Jamie Fox, co-president of UPNA. “The market was not only convenient for quick purchases, but also a friendly and familiar spot to connect with neighbors and hear the latest gossip. The late Allen Seletsky was a special figure in the neighborhood. I’m hopeful that the new owner and his employees will create a similar climate and immerse themselves in this wonderful community.”

Jackiewicz said this will be his first venture as the owner of a store, but he has managed markets all over the city for years. He said he was the manager of a market on Beacon Hill for about 20 years.

He said he will renew the inventory, concentrating on healthy food options and adding cut fruit.

He will continue having sandwiches, salads, smoothies and prepared meals, but with his own twist. However, he said he wants to hear from customers about their wants and needs when he opens.

“I learned a long time ago in this business what I want isn’t always what the customer wants,” he said. “I’ll let the customers dictate what they want. I you make changes and they’re embraced, that’s great. If they’re not embraced, you have to go back.”

Jackiewicz said he thought about the name for a long time, and settled on his mother’s maiden name as a tribute to her family, who helped raise him in the North End. That cozy neighborhood life is something he treasured, and it’s something he said he feels in the South End now.

“That’s one reason I like the name Muscarella’s is because of how I’ve been received here and the feel of the neighborhood,” he said. “It reminds me of what it was like growing up in the North End.”

He said one change is that he likely will not open at 6 a.m. like Seletsky, but will open up at 7 a.m.

He expected to have a larger grand opening in September after the soft opening in mid-July.

Seletsky operated The Bostonian for many years before transitioning to the Five Seventy Market in 2008.

In late February 2016, neighbors saw a sign on the front door saying the stalwart market was closed. The 57-year-old Seletsky passed away on March 16. UPNA sponsors an annual summer concert series named after Seletsky.

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