St. Armands Market offers accessible groceries and essentials

Out on St. Armands or City Island and need a few grocery items but don’t want to head into Sarasota?

St. Armands Market is now open for you.

“We're trying to have a little bit of everybody's needs,” said Pilar Tucker, owner. “So for locals, we have the basics for if they need to grab something to make for dinner. Then, for the tourists that are staying somewhere else or they just came here to go to the beach, we got your sunscreen, ready-to-go items and any emergency stuff. So people don’t have to go off the island for just one thing.”

St. Armands Market stocks all the essentials such as eggs, bread, milk, cheese and deli meats. For those in a hurry, the market has ready-to-eat sandwiches, breakfast options, salads, sodas and coffee. People can also buy alcohol. There are cleaning and hygiene products such as toothpaste, soap, laundry detergent, dishwasher soap, multipurpose cleaner and feminine products. The market also sells sunscreen and skin care products. 

Photo by Petra Rivera

Tucker said her family moved to Sarasota from Mexico 14 years ago. Her parents owned La Malinche, a Mexican restaurant on St. Armands Circle.

Tucker, who went to culinary school in Mexico, managed the kitchen, and her sister Patricia worked the front of the restaurant. She said that everyone who dined at the restaurant would always ask where was the best place to get essentials on the island.

“My parents have always owned businesses since I was little,” said Tucker. “So I've been blessed to learn from a lot of different businesses. They were the kind of parents that wanted us to know these things and practice from a young age, which I’m grateful for it.”

Tucker’s parents have since moved and started leasing out the space where their restaurant was. This past year, Tucker proposed to her parents to lease her the space so she could start a market as a way to fill that need and put her knowledge of the area to use. She opened the store with her sister in December 2023.

Photo by Petra Rivera

“I hear this like 20 times a day, especially the first couple months,” said Tucker. “People would walk through the door and say, ‘This was so needed.’ So all the feedback has been pretty positive.”

Tucker said since it is a family business, and her children usually help around the store, she tries to keep healthy snacks and ingredients for sale at all times. She also has stocked the store with local products and imported foods like Italian pasta and Mexican candy. 

Tucker said that the store is growing everyday. She hopes to continue expanding the grocery section and add an ATM.

“We are definitely more of a store that is here when you need us,” said Tucker. “When you need to fill that gap or grab something real quick or you work on the Circle and don’t want to spend a lot of money on lunch, I'll probably have what you're looking for. I am that comfort for people here to know that what they needed isn't as far away as they think.”