From Fishtown to Old City, Riverwards Produce Is Growing Access to Fresh Food for Philadelphia’s Food Makers
In the summer of 2016, Vincent Finazzo founded and launched Riverwards Produce as a pop-up shop in a Fishtown garage, selling local produce and meat. The community response was astounding. Lines regularly stretched out the door and down the block, with residents grateful to finally have fresh alternatives to chain grocery stores, delis, and convenience stores. Working alongside his now-wife, Sarah Connors, with just two calculators and a scale to keep the lines moving, Finazzo recognized a real need in the neighborhood.
Riverwards Produce opened its first brick-and-mortar market in one of Philadelphia’s first firehouses in Fishtown, with the lease brokered by MPN Realty LLC partner Veronica Blum. This unique location on Norris Street, just off Frankford Avenue, features an ornate cast-iron façade with grand archways and abundant natural light to welcome in local shoppers. The neighborhood immediately fell in love with Riverwards for both its high-quality offerings and Finazzo’s unwavering support of locally made products.
Finazzo envisioned combining wholesale and retail operations, creating multiple sales channels for his products that would reduce storage requirements and virtually eliminate in-house waste.
When Riverwards Produce was ready to open its second location, Finazzo had his sights set on Old City.
“Old City hasn’t had a full-scale food market in over 30 years, so finding this historic building checked two of the biggest boxes: there was an available space to restore, and there was a clear need in the neighborhood,” he told Laura Brzyski of Philadelphia Magazine.
Blum was representing a property that perfectly fit the vision and complemented Finazzo’s passion for bringing new life to historic buildings. The challenge was structuring a lease that would make the building’s restoration financially feasible while providing the flexibility to successfully launch a second location.
The site is situated in the heart of Old City, offering just over 3,000 square feet on the ground floor, a full basement, and a rear parking lot that is essential for deliveries and trash removal. The space features soaring ceilings with exposed wood beams, skylights, and 43 feet of frontage on North Bread Street’s historic cobblestone roadway. The quiet, tree-lined street is just steps from Old City’s vibrant North 3rd Street, home to numerous restaurants, cafés, galleries, and boutiques.
Finazzo and his wife, Sarah, an interior designer, worked hand in hand with design-builder Mike Parsell to create a custom modern interior within the historic building. The couple approached the store’s design with the same level of integrity they bring to their grocery offerings—by supporting local tradespeople and sourcing materials that reduce their carbon footprint.
The entrance is framed by vintage Louis Poulsen sconces and a patinated brass sign reading “Riverwards Produce.” Custom terrazzo flooring, featuring recycled green glass, was installed throughout the space, complemented by green powder-coated metal pendant lighting. They also collaborated with the Historical Society of Philadelphia to preserve the historically certified façade, along with the original windows and doors, ensuring the building’s character remained intact. Blum creatively structured a lease that met the needs of both the property ownership and Riverwards Produce.
“The gifts Vincent brings to Philadelphia through Riverwards Produce do not end with beautiful, fresh, high-quality ingredients that inspire a vibrant home cooking culture,” says Blum. “Through his colorful and informative social media presence, he has organically grown an Instagram following of more than 39,000 people who engage daily with his spotlights on small businesses producing exceptional food products. If you are a Philadelphia maker creating a product that belongs on grocery store shelves, Vincent has the ability to get the word out like no one else. His small business has helped nurture hundreds of other small businesses.”
Finazzo hopes to continue expanding access to fresh food and wholesome ingredients for Philadelphia residents, especially as food deserts remain common in urban communities.
“Food markets have historically been gathering places—you meet your neighbors here and share ideas and recipes,” he says. “By nature, a grocery store becomes a hub for the neighborhood. This is what we created in Fishtown, and I hope to create the same sense of community here in Old City.”
Blum has already begun searching for Riverwards Produce’s next location. If you have ideas or suggestions, please reach out to Veronica directly at [email protected].
Fishtown: 2200 E Norris Street
Old City: 146 N Bread Street
9am – 8pm | every day
