1919: Umberto (Pop) Cafasso emigrates to the U.S. He becomes a citizen in 1921, but still makes frequent trips back to Italy.
1922: Pop Cafasso returns to Italy for his wife Marianna (Mom) Cafasso and his two children, Pete and Charles. They settle in Pennsylvania.
1926: After various employment in the railroad, aluminum, and construction industries, Pop Cafasso decides to move to New Jersey with the addition of two other children, Adele and Sam.
1927: With the help of a friend, Pop settles in North Bergen, New Jersey. He opens Cafasso’s Market on 67th street with $200 in inventory. The market was a typical mom-and-pop type neighborhood store. This is where the story begins…
1929: The crash of 1929 brought upon some hard financial problems for everyone. Business was limited to rationing to the bare essentials. With hard work and determination, Pop was able to extend credit helping people through some tough times.
1937: Business improves, and Pop Cafasso adds a butcher section to his store with his son Charles as the butcher.
1941: World War II started, and the three sons Pete, Charles, and Sam went to war. Mom and Pop had to operate the store working even harder.
1945: All 3 boys came home from the war and Pop opens up a large store, Cafasso’s self-service market, down the block from their original location on 67th Street.
1962: Pop lets his sons, Charles and Sam open up Fairway Market at its present location in Fort Lee in a commercial building which pop had built.
1965: Under the direction of the two brothers, the store undergoes a complete wall-to-wall renovation creating meat, deli, produce, and grocery departments.
1974: Fairway becomes more successful as a neighborhood store, and undergoes another expansion by taking over more space in Pop’s building.
1977: Cafasso’s Fairway Market celebrates its 50th anniversary.
1982: Charles gives the store another makeover that takes over the entire building.It creates a new fresh seafood section and a large in-store kitchen.
1984: All done with school, Charles’ three sons, David, Robert, and Charles Jr., enter the business full time, making it a third-generation family business.
1990: The Cafasso family acquires additional property adjacent to the market to be used as additional parking.
1996: Fairway Market introduces wines, liquor, and gift baskets.
2002: Fairway undergoes its largest expansion adding an additional building and parking spaces. The project, completed in 2003 creates a new look both inside and out.
2003: Our Family commitment is added now officially branding the store to Cafasso’s Fairway Market.
2006: David Jr. creates Fairways first website. Nicholas and Michael begin to work at Fairway part-time. This gives Fairway the possibility of going into a fourth generation.
2008: David Jr graduates college with a business degree. He turns his college football discipline into his chosen career work ethic.
2009: Chef Michael fulfills his dream and Graduates the Culinary Institute of America. He joins the staff at the store and brings his passion with him.
2010: Nicholas graduates with a degree in finance and follows in his brothers footsteps joining the company as fourth generation.
2012: David, Nicholas and Chef Mike expand the catering services of the company and start the Cafasso‘s a casa catering service. The service provides a more custom home option for our customers.
2014: Cafasso’s Fairway Mkt and Cafasso’s a casa start using social media Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to announce specials and photo gallery creations and events.
2017: Our New Web site launches with the ability to order online and bring us into the future of convenience, service and information.
