Citarella already had a place in my life before it opened in Westhampton. I know the store from New York, including the Upper East Side where I live, and I already trusted the name before it came closer to us. That matters to me because Citarella has real history behind it.

Joe Gurrera bought Citarella in 1983, building on a seafood shop that had been part of Manhattan’s Upper West Side since 1912. The heritage and the brand grew from product knowledge. This is the first and all the reasons I am loyal to the brand. That is what I respect. When Citarella opened in Westhampton, I felt we were getting a market with standards, history, and a founder’s point of view. At Thompson Ferrier, I understand that deeply because a brand becomes meaningful when the founder’s obsession becomes the customer’s experience.

One of the things I appreciate most about Citarella is the way they put their own name on so many products. Olive oil, nuts, cookies, bread, prepared foods, fish, meats, and specialty items all become part of the Citarella standard when they carry the Citarella label. That is a very different commitment from simply filling shelves with other people’s brands. When a store puts its own name on a product, it is saying, “This passed our standard of approval.” That gives me confidence.

Citarella describes its markets as offering hand-selected ingredients, chef-prepared dishes, private-label products, seafood, prime dry-aged meats, produce, pastries, cheese, cured meats, and smoked fish. For me, the private label is powerful because their name becomes the benchmark. At Thompson Ferrier, I feel the same responsibility every time our name is placed on a vessel, a fragrance, a box, or a finished candle.

The fish department is one of the main reasons I go to Citarella. The founder’s history: Joe Gurrera came from the seafood business, worked with fish from a young age, and developed relationships through the original Fulton Fish Market. That kind of background matters the way I look at the store. I am not simply buying fish from a counter. I am buying from a company where seafood is part of the origin of the brand. Citarella’s own history calls seafood the foundation of the business, and Joe Gurrera is known for building the company around that knowledge.

At Thompson Ferrier, fragrance is our version of that discipline. A customer may simply smell the candle, but behind that moment is sourcing, testing, adjusting, blending, and making sure the final result feels right in the home.

The Westhampton store feels clean, stocked, active, and cared for. The staff are available to help you. The shelves are being restocked. The floors are being cleaned. The hot food area is being maintained. The coffee is ready. The prepared food gives you convenience without making the experience feel ordinary.

Citarella’s Westhampton market includes fresh seafood, chef-prepared specialties, prime meats, prepared foods, baked goods, and specialty imports, which gives the customer a wide range of choices in one place. What I respond to is the consistency. Every department has to represent the brand, and every product has to meet the standard before the customer brings it home. That is exactly how I think about Thompson Ferrier. Every candle, every fragrance, every package, every finish, and every customer interaction has to represent the same level of care.

Now, if you love fragrance the way I do, I’ll extend an open invitation—come visit us. Make an appointment by emailing raffi@thompsonferrier.com or DM us on Instagram and stop by our warehouse to smell your favorite fragrances in person. Pick your own candle. See where it all begins. We’re not a storefront—we’re where the story starts.

Until next time,
— Raffi