Vineyard Grocer’s season of gratitude

As the holiday season settles onto Martha’s Vineyard, grocery carts begin to fill with intention. Families gather ingredients for meals that mean far more than food; they’re preparing for moments that bring them back to one another. And in the middle of that ritual — quietly, steadily, and for decades — Vineyard Grocer on State Road has become a place where the Island comes together.

On the surface, Vineyard Grocer is a market. A place to stop for a hot breakfast before work, pick up gluten-free staples, or find that perfect pie when life is too busy to bake one. But if you stand inside its aisles long enough, you’ll notice something deeper happening. Shoppers from every walk of life — Brazilian families, born-and-raised Vineyarders, teachers, laborers, retirees, weekenders — move through the space with an ease that feels increasingly rare.

“Thanksgiving unites everyone — Black, white, Jewish, Muslim. It doesn’t matter what you believe. Everyone comes together to be grateful,” store owner Elio Silva told me as we spoke about what this season means to him. Gratitude, to him, is a universal language, one that requires no translation.

It’s also why Vineyard Grocer’s busiest day of the entire year is Thanksgiving Day.

“We’re pretty much the only store open on Thanksgiving Day,” Silva said. “People think the Fourth of July is busy, but Thanksgiving tops everything. It’s all about eating, about gathering. Even if someone doesn’t celebrate American independence, they understand the blessing of food on the table; they understand gratitude.”

That philosophy — food as unity, food as gratitude, food as connection — shapes the store far more than any label of “Brazilian-owned.” Though the business was founded by a Brazilian family, the identity it has cultivated is one of inclusion.

“Seventy percent of our groceries are American. You wouldn’t even know we’re a Brazilian store unless you walked down the third aisle,” Silva explained. “About 55 percent of our clientele is Brazilian, but we’re purposeful in how we present ourselves. We want to be good neighbors. We want everyone to feel welcome.”

This blending of cultures isn’t accidental. It’s intentional, built slowly and thoughtfully over decades. The store carries more gluten-free items than most Island supermarkets. The bakery turns out made-daily breads, pies, and pastries. And their most unexpectedly popular item — pão de queijo — has become a cross-cultural favorite.

“Eighty percent of the cheese breads we sell go to American customers,” Silva said. “Brazilians eat them for breakfast; Americans use them as dinner rolls. You have to adapt — that’s the biggest secret.”

Adaptation has been at the center of Silva’s Vineyard journey since he arrived on the Island in 1988, long before the Brazilian community grew into the vibrant population it is today.

“There were almost no Brazilians here when I came,” he said. “I got involved with the American community first — Habitat for Humanity, the high school, places I worked, like Ocean View. I’ve been on the Island longer than most people.”

His connection to the Vineyard deepened through years of community involvement. In 1991, he helped open Tisbury Farm Market, originally intended as a seasonal spot. Islanders loved it so much that the store remained open year-round. That success eventually led to the expansion in 2007 into what is now Vineyard Grocer — a market that has grown into a cultural and culinary anchor for thousands.

“We started small, but people kept coming,” Silva reflected. “When you show up for the community, they show up for you.”

Today, Vineyard Grocer includes a full bakery, a coffee counter, a hot-food kitchen, a butcher, fresh produce, and aisles that represent the Vineyard’s global makeup.

That commitment becomes especially visible during the holiday season. In Vineyard Grocer’s bustling kitchen, staff prepare pies, hot meals, roasted turkeys, short ribs, salmon dinners, breads, salads, and everything needed to anchor a Thanksgiving gathering.

“It’s another planet back there during Thanksgiving week,” Silva joked. “The amount of people we have to employ just to put all that food out … it’s nonstop.”

Their Thanksgiving menu — a blend of American favorites and Brazilian holiday classics — has become a cherished Island tradition. Whole roasted turkeys, grilled vegetables, pork shoulder with crunchy crumbs, baked salmon with herbs, rice, chicken salad, and desserts like pumpkin pie, passionfruit mousse, and banoffee are prepared with care and consistency. For many year-round working families, Vineyard Grocer’s holiday meals are not just convenient — they’re comforting.

But beyond the food itself, something intangible keeps people returning: the experience. When I spoke with both Brazilian and non-Brazilian customers, their comments echoed each other almost word for word:
“They treat us with respect.”
“We always feel comfortable there.”
“They take such good care of us.”

Vineyard Grocer’s role extends far beyond holidays. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the store quietly became a lifeline — offering curbside pickup, delivery, and safe access to staple goods when supply chains and ferry schedules were uncertain. The team showed up every day, ensuring that families across the Island could continue to access fresh, nourishing food.

Silva’s businesses — Vineyard Grocer, Delicious M.V. Bakery, Vineyard Farm, North Star Cell M.V., Mosher Photo, Bobby B’s — also participate in an annual holiday giveaway that has become a beloved Island tradition. Now in its 34th year, the giveaway offers prizes like iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, gift cards, party kits, and even a “Day at the Farm” experience. Islanders earn lucky numbers by shopping in-store or online, and winners are announced just before Christmas.

“Giving back is part of doing business,” Silva said. “This Island supported us for more than 30 years. We always want to say thank you.”

Visit Vineyard Grocer on any November afternoon, and you’ll see the Vineyard’s mosaic reflected back at you: a fisherman buying ingredients for stew, a Brazilian mother explaining in Portuguese how to prepare a holiday dessert, a student home from college grabbing snacks that taste like childhood. Conversations overlap in two languages, but share the same emotion — gratitude.

And that emotion flows both ways.

“Thanksgiving doesn’t segregate anyone. Everyone can participate. Everyone can be grateful,” Silva reminded me — a truth that sits at the heart of Vineyard Grocer’s identity.

As winter deepens and ferry horns echo across Vineyard Haven Harbor, Vineyard Grocer remains a reminder of what community looks like at its best: consistent, inclusive, generous, and deeply human.

This Thanksgiving, as we gather around tables filled with turkey and farofa, cranberry sauce and pão de queijo, we can give thanks for the hands and hearts that make those meals possible.

And as their team likes to say, “At Vineyard Grocer, everything we do comes with a little extra love.”

Walk through the store this season, and you’ll feel it in every aisle.