Mars Supermarket

[wiseguy93]

"The Friendly Food People"

Joseph D'Anna, opened the first MARS store on Old Eastern Avenue in Essex in 1943. The store was located at the center of an apartment and military housing community known as Mars Estates. Because of that location, Joe adopted the "Mars" name. Just down the road, Glenn L. Martin had developed and was building an aircraft that could take off from and land in water, the Mars Flying Boat. There is little doubt that the publicity surrounding this plane helped establish the Mars name in Eastern Baltimore County

Together with a partner, Bob Daum, Joe owned and operated that small grocery store for three years. In 1945, Joe opened a second store in the 200 block of Eastern Avenue. In the same year, his two younger brothers returned from the war, first Carmen, who served in the Navy in the Pacific and then Angelo from the Army in Europe. Both brothers went to work with Joe and were made partners. One year later in 1946, Mars Super Market moved to Dundalk, closing the two locations in Essex. The partners leased a single unit in a new building, one containing seven store fronts and built by Charles Catalano and Sons.

Not long after the move, Angelo and Carmen bought the half of the business owned by Joe's original partner. Joe sold his interest in the business as well, leaving Carmen and Angelo each with a 50% share. Mars, as it now exists, started at that time even though the name preexisted the partnership. From that beginning, Angelo and Carmen promised to provide "only the best": the best meats, the best produce and the best and friendliest service. That has been the guiding philosophy over the years.

As business increased, the store was enlarged several times until it occupied most of the space on the southeast corner of Holabird and Delvale Avenues. A second store was needed, so Angelo and Carmen opened the Grey Manor store on Old North Point Road in 1954, followed only four years later by the Middle River store on Eastern Avenue (not far from Joe's original Mars). The company continued to grow due to the very positive response to their marketing approach. With the help of Morris Denkin, the company purchased the Vesper Family property on the opposite side of Holabird Avenue. With the on site direction of Carmen and Angelo, they constructed what many considered the most modern supermarket in the state of Maryland.

Anthony D'Anna, the youngest brother, came to work for Angelo and Carmen in 1949. Initially, he was a grocery and produce clerk, and later managed the store until he moved to a position in the office in 1963. He became Vice President and Senior Grocery Buyer.

After the company incorporated, Vincenzo F. D'Anna, their father, was elected to the board of directors as Chairman. In 1955, Anthony was made a partner and owner in the business.

After leaving the grocery business, Joe took over the operation of a restaurant from another younger brother, Vince D'Anna. Vince would later join the supermarket business, managing the new store on Eastern Avenue and buying produce for all the stores. Carmen brought Peter, the oldest brother, onboard as the company's Produce Buyer and Supervisor.

In 1967, the Middle River store was damaged in a fire and the brothers took this opportunity to completely remodel it, again with the help of Morris Denkin and the added assistance of American Refrigeration. Over the next 26 years, Angelo and Carmen opened 10 more stores. These included Vincenzo's Produce Market and The Light Street Bakery at HarborPlace, which have since closed. The Old North Point Road store also closed, having been replaced by the Mars at Lynch Manor on Wise Avenue.  


In January of 1995, Angelo N. D' Anna died after serving as the company's President for fifty years. Carmen, who became President at that time, opened three stores in Glen Burnie, Woodlawn and Edgewood. After fifty years as the company's Executive Vice President and three years as President, Carmen V. D'Anna, Sr. died in August of 1997.

Carmen's eldest son, Vito (Carmen V. D'Anna, Jr.), became President at that time. In the nineteen years preceding his appointment to President, Vito worked his way up from bagger to store manager and eventually to Vice President of Operations.

Today, with eighteen stores and over 1700 employees, Mars is a major employer in the state of Maryland.

Under Vito's leadership, Mars plans to continue its growth while keeping steadfast to its customer- oriented principles.

Mars is serviced by its own 300,000 square foot distribution center in Baltimore, supplying the stores with dry groceries, meats, deli/dairy, frozen and produce. Self distribution ensures the ability to deliver well stocked stores and fresh products to customers every day.

Supported by their own buying staff, Mars purchases produce and seafood daily from local markets and always includes local produce ,when available, from Maryland growers. Offering many national brands at private label prices, Mars maintains a limited line of their own private label goods.

[wiseguy93]

Locations of Mars

18 Locations in the state of Maryland.

DUNDALK (2)
  HOLABIRD AVE.
  WISE AVENUE
MIDDLE RIVER
CARNEY
COCKEYSVILLE
TIMONIUM
ROSEDALE
WHITE MARSH
GLEN BURNIE (2)
  ORDNANCE ROAD
  RITCHIE HWY.
PASADENA
ABERDEEN
WOODLAWN
REISTERSTOWN
EDGEWOOD
ARBUTUS
ELLICOTT CITY
BRAND NEW! LOCH RAVEN
  SHOPPING CENTER AT
  1700 E. NORTHERN PARKWAY!

[wiseguy93]

7200 Holabird Ave.,

Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

7848 Wise Ave

Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

[wiseguy93]

9613M Harford Road,
Baltimore, MD

Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

Padonia Road,
Cockeysville, MD

Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

YORK AND RIDGELY ROAD

Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

9544 Philadelphia Road
Baltimore, MD 21237



Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

8667 Bel Air Road
Baltimore, MD
 
Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

Chesapeake Center Drive,
Glen Burnie, MD 21061

OPEN 7 A.M. til 10 P.M. 7 days a week!
Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

6722 Gov. Ritchie Hwy.,
Glen Burnie, MD



Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

8587 Fort Smallwood Road,
Rivera Beach, MD 21122


Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

1018 Beards Hill Road,
Aberdeen, MD 21001


Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

2375 Rolling Road, Baltimore, MD 21207

Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

Reisterstown Road
Reisterstown, MD 21136


Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

Pulaski Highway,
Edgewood, MD 21040


Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

Maiden Choice Lane

 
Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

(Baltimore National Pike) & St. Johns Lane



Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Extensive Hot Food Bar
Wedding Cakes

[wiseguy93]

E. Northern Parkway at Loch Raven Blvd.

 

Store Features:
Local Produce
USDA Choice Beef
In-Store Fresh Bakery
Party Platters/4 Foot Subs
Extensive Hot Food Bar
Wedding Cakes

[JimSawhill]

Still around?

[Stork of The Weak]

Sure they still exist. But their days in Perry Hall would seem to be numbered with a nice new Super G nearby, and their days in Towson would seem numbered with a much nicer ShopRite and Safeway nearby, along with The Fresh Market and Trader Joe's for the gourmet crowd.

[BillyGr]

Still around?

At least the two listed in Glen Burnie are no longer there. 

The Chesapeake Center Drive store was added to the next door WalMart to create a supercenter (this whole building was originally LeedMark, an early hypermarket/supercenter type concept that never went anywhere, so it's interesting that after 20(ish) years it's a supercenter again, just under a different name).

The one on Ritchie I don't know what (if anything) is in it - there was a Kmart in the same plaza which closed and has been converted to a ShopRite (the first new built one in the state - the first batch were an existing  local chain, Kleins, that decided to affiliate with ShopRite) - so it's probably not a grocery but may be something else.

[Stork of The Weak]

The Mars in Perry Hall is notable for being down the street from a Safeway that opened around 2004 (replacing a store from 1966 however) that has never been remodeled in the past decade, but that will probably soon change now that Safeway is sold to Cerberus. I liked the 90's-2004/05 Safeway look much better than the "lifestyle" format rolled out since then. Ironically the Mars in Towson is close to one of the newest Safeway stores in the chain.

[FitchMike26]

Mars is selling 5 locations to Weis Markets, and the fate of it's remaining 13 locations is now unknown.

More info can be found under the "Weis" thread. Join us there to discuss further!

[retailisking]

The rest of the Mars stores are closing
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-mars-closing-stores-20160525-story.html

[FitchMike26]

That's a shame. Thanks for the update.

[BillyGr]

Although they are apparently still trying to sell the other 8 locations, so it is possible that some might go to other stores between now and the end of July.

[JimSawhill]

Although they are apparently still trying to sell the other 8 locations, so it is possible that some might go to other stores between now and the end of July.

Was Mars a family run chain?

[retailisking]

Was Mars a family run chain?

Yes, it was privately held by the D'Anna family for 73 years.