Robbie Cronig’s family opened Cronig’s Market on Martha’s Vineyard in 1917. He started working there when he was a boy, and decades later he ran the store. Eventually he sold his family business to Steve Bernier (left); they discuss the close friendship they have gone on to develop.
Originally aired August 2, 2007, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Robbie Cronig (RC) and Steve Bernier (SB)
RC: My father and his brothers opened up Cronig’s Market in 1917 and I did nothing but work, from the time I was born. I think that my father took me to the grocery store when I was just big enough to walk. And he says, ‘Get to work.’ And before there was telephones in Vineyard Haven I would go from house to house picking up the orders for Cronig’s Market and every house I went to they insisted I have breakfast. Oh, they were good cooks. They made beautiful pastries. Oh, I got fat as fat could be. Thank god for the summer ‘cause I could work it off. When I graduated, my brother Dave and I bought the store. I gave my father his salary, I gave mother my father’s salary until the day she died.
SB: Do you remember those couple weeks around when we first met each other and night after night sitting and talking you slapped the keys in my hand and said, ‘Someday, you’re going to own this place’? Do you remember that?
RC: Yup, yes, Steve came to the house and he sat across from me and his knees were shaking. He wanted so badly to buy the store. It was wonderful because Steve was exactly what I wanted to take over the business and no way in the world could I refuse. I didn’t ask for a nickel down. I didn’t ask for any paper. Anything. And he was the most honest man I’ve ever done business with. Ever.
SB: I look back now after twenty-two years and you were really acting more like my father and I think I reacted more like your son than someone in business. Do you remember the hospital, up in Boston?
RC: Oh yes, I had many operations. And Steve came to see me every night.
SB: Yes. And I’d walk you down the hall and shave you and one those nights we shook hands and closed the deal. There was no negations, there was no bickering, there was no nonsense. We just shook hands, nodded with approval and that was it. The deal was done.
RC: And from there on in, that day we became the best of friends. And, and Cronig’s market, we celebrated our 90th anniversary. I hope I make it to the hundredth. I’d love to see the hundredth anniversary.
SB: We’d love to have you there.
Freedom School students Deborah Carr, Stephanie Hoze, Teresa Banks, Linda Ward, Glenda Funchess, and Don Denard came to StoryCorps to reflect on their memories from 1964.
