93-year-old Don Cosentino returns to former grocery site for Halloween pop-up

Don Cosentino is 93 years old. He is set to step back onto the sidewalk at 10653 S. Homan Ave. in Mount Greenwood on Saturday, October 31. The event marks nearly two decades since the closure of Don’s Finer Foods, the grocery store he operated from 1972 to 2007.

From 4 to 6 p.m. on Halloween, Cosentino and his family will host a pop-up shop outside the location, which now houses a residence. The Mount Greenwood Historical Committee is organizing the event to recognize the store’s role in the neighborhood for decades. Family members will distribute candy to attendees while wearing the white apron and Hanes T-shirt that Cosentino wore for years behind the counter.

Margaret Schroeder, the founder and president of the Historical Committee, stated that the gathering aims to reconnect residents with a familiar figure. She noted that inquiries about Cosentino’s well-being remain frequent among locals. Schroeder explained that children historically visited the shop for sweets, prompting the committee to invite him back for the holiday.

"People say all the time, 'Where’s Don? How has he been?' The kids used to stop there all the time for candy, so I thought we’d have him come on Halloween," Schroeder said. "We are having him come out and meet the people that he used to help for all those years."

The original business was a family operation established by Cosentino and his late wife, Marie. His granddaughter, Geena Abbott, described the store as involving multiple generations of the Cosentino family. Abbott recalled that relatives worked at the shop from childhood until they secured separate employment. Aside from a few hired hands, the family managed daily tasks, including making sausage and grinding beef for patties.

Abbott said her mother, Donna Dunleavy, recently shared memories of the store preparing corned beef for residents and students at St. Christina School around St. Patrick’s Day. Abbott characterized her grandfather as a personable figure who enjoyed interacting with customers and learning about their lives. Marie Cosentino, who died in October 2012, also contributed to the business by cooking the store’s beef.

The Saturday event will also honor Russ Schroeder, 95. He grew up on the 10600 block of South Homan Avenue, a street where several generations of his family have lived for the past century. The committee selected this date to celebrate local history and community members who have maintained long-term ties to the area.