A new start in Boston
Paul Tavilla arrives from Sicily and joins his brother in the wholesale fruit business.
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS · 1924–2024
Four generations of the Tavilla family. One hundred years of bringing the best of the market to the people who feed our city.
Paul Tavilla came to Boston in 1920 and started out selling fruit from a pushcart, bringing “top of the line” produce to shops in Back Bay.
With $300 saved by his wife, Stella, Paul bought a truckload of lemons and took his first step into wholesale. By 1928, the business had a home on Commercial Street under the P. Tavilla Co. name. The family kept growing the business—adding vegetables, expanding into trucking, and eventually making a home at the New England Produce Center in Chelsea.
Now in its fourth generation, P. Tavilla Co. is still about people as much as produce: a family-built company, long-standing relationships, and a commitment to showing up for the people who feed their communities. One hundred years on, that family tradition is still fresh every morning.
Read the full company historyPaul Tavilla arrives from Sicily and joins his brother in the wholesale fruit business.
Stella invests $300 of her savings so Paul can buy a truckload of lemons and start in wholesale.
Paul settles at 54 Commercial Street and establishes the P. Tavilla Co. name.
The company moves to Clinton Street and expands from fruit into wholesale vegetables.
Paul’s seven sons incorporate the company and carry its next chapter forward.
The New England Produce Center opens, marking a new era for the wholesale produce market.
A century after the beginning, the fourth generation carries the Tavilla family tradition forward.
From everyday vegetables to fresh fruit and seasonal favorites, here’s a look at the produce in P. Tavilla Co.’s published catalog. Availability changes—give us a call for what’s looking good today.
Market staples and fresh finds for the menus you make every day.
Berry selections featured in the published fruit list.
Typical featured produce for seasonal displays and celebrations.
CATALOG SELECTIONS FROM P. TAVILLA CO.’S ORIGINAL SITE. AVAILABILITY CHANGES DAILY—CALL FOR TODAY’S LINEUP.
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SAME MARKET. SAME PEOPLE.
Looking for a wholesale partner? Come find us at the New England Produce Center, or give the team a call.
617.884.9100