references to primary sources . please improve this by adding secondary or tertiary sources . november 2009 learn how and when to remove this template message mars supermarkets the friendly food people former type private fate bankruptcy ; some stores sold to weis markets founded dundalk maryland usa 1943 defunct 2016 headquarters rosedale maryland key people joseph d anna founder carmen v. d anna jr. president website marsfood.com mars was a local chain of grocery stores in metropolitan baltimore maryland . mars operated 13 supermarket locations in the baltimore area . the idea for mars supermarkets came in the early 1940s from joseph d anna whose location for his upstart grocery store was an apartment complex in essex maryland called mars estates . nearby glenn l. martin was developing an airplane called the mars flying boat that could take off and land in water so mars seemed a perfectly logical name to instill local pride and recognition . his first store opened on old eastern avenue in 1943 . it was operated for three years in a partnership with friend bob baum . they decided to open a second location in the 300 block of eastern ave. as more joined the team the company decided to re locate to the south in dundalk maryland where they purchased a strip center with seven shopfronts to expand their business closing the essex locations . a mars supermarket in middle river md. soon after the move d anna s two younger brothers angelo and carmen who had returned recently from world war ii decided to help expand the business . joe sold them his interest in the business giving 50 % to each brother . mars started at that time even though the name preexisted the partnership . as business increased the store was enlarged several times until it occupied most of the space on the southeast corner of holabird and delvale avenues . a second store was needed so angelo and carmen opened the grey manor store on old north point road in 1954 followed four years later by the middle river store on eastern avenue not far from joe s original mars . the company continued to grow due to the very positive response to their marketing approach . with the help of morris denkin the company purchased the vesper family property on the opposite side of holabird avenue . with the on site direction of carmen and angelo they constructed what many considered the most modern supermarket in the state of maryland . citation needed mars supermarket in ellicott city maryland anthony d anna the youngest brother came to work for angelo and carmen in 1949 . initially he was a grocery and produce clerk and later managed the store until he moved to a position in the office in 1963 . he became vice president and senior grocery buyer . after the company incorporated vincenzo f. d anna their father was elected to the board of directors as chairman . in 1955 anthony was made a partner and owner in the business . after leaving the grocery business joe took over the operation of a restaurant from another younger brother vince d anna . vince would later join the supermarket business managing the new store on eastern avenue and buying produce for all the stores . carmen brought peter the oldest brother on board as the company s produce buyer and supervisor . in 1967 the middle river store was damaged in a fire and the brothers took this opportunity to completely remodel it again with the help of morris denkin and the added assistance of american refrigeration . over the next 26 years angelo and carmen opened 10 more stores . these included vincenzo s produce market and the light street bakery at harborplace which have since closed . the old north point road store also closed having been replaced by the mars at lynch manor on wise avenue . in january 1995 angelo n. d anna died after serving as the company s president for 50 years . carmen who became president at that time opened three stores in glen burnie woodlawn and edgewood . after fifty years as the company s executive vice president and three years as president carmen v. d anna sr. died in august 1997 . carmen s eldest son vito carmen v. d anna jr. became president at that time . in the nineteen years preceding his appointment to president vito worked his way up from bagger to store manager and eventually to vice president of operations . supported by their own buying staff mars purchased produce and seafood daily from local markets and always included local produce when available from maryland growers . offering many national brands at private label prices mars maintains a limited line of their own private label goods . citation needed mars was serviced by its own 300 000 square foot 28 000 m2 distribution center in baltimore supplying the stores with dry groceries meats deli dairy frozen and produce until march 2014 when mars supermarkets closed the distribution center and began to liquidate its assets including several of its own privately maintained fleet of tractor trailers . as a result 78 workers lost their jobs . instead the company decided to stock stores direct from manufacturers with available transport and receive all other products from one of bozzuto s inc s. distribution center outside of hartford connecticut . citation needed in may 2016 mars announced that all 13 stores would close by july 31 2016 with five locations being acquired by weis markets . the company stated that they have struggled with declining sales for several years . mars is attempting to backfill the remaining eight locations with other retailers . 1 references edit mirabella lorraine may 26 2016 . mars super markets will close all stores july 31 . the baltimore sun . retrieved may 29 2016 . 1 external links edit v t e supermarket chains in the united states kroger baker s supermarkets city market dillons food stores food 4 less foods co. fred meyer fry s food & drug gerbes super markets harris teeter jay c king soopers kroger owen s pay less super markets qfc ralphs roundy s pick n save mariano s metro market copp s ruler foods scott s smith s albertsons acme markets albertsons amigos carrs haggen jewel osco lucky market street pavilions randalls safeway shaw s and star market super saver tom thumb united supermarkets vons supervalu county market cub farm fresh hornbacher s save a lot shop n save shoppers ahold delhaize food lion giant carlisle giant landover hannaford brothers company martin s food markets stop & shop southeastern grocers bi lo fresco y m s harveys supermarkets winn dixie wakefern pricerite shoprite the fresh grocer other national chains aldi iga lidl target walmart regional chains asian 99 ranch market great wall supermarket h mart hong kong supermarket island pacific supermarket marina food marukai corporation u.s.a. mitsuwa marketplace nijiya market seafood city shun fat supermarket uwajimaya hispanic bravo el ahorro supermarket fiesta foods fiesta mart la perla tapat a supermarkets m s club mi pueblo food center supermercados teloloapan vallarta supermarkets organic earth fare natural grocers trader joe s whole foods market wholesale bj s wholesale club costco sam s club conventional acme fresh market amigo andronico s balducci s bashas best yet market big y boyer s food markets inc. bristol farms brookshire brothers brookshire grocery company buehler food markets inc. c town supermarkets cash & carry central market d & w fresh market dave s markets dean & deluca demoulas market basket dierbergs markets dorothy lane market easy way store econofoods family fare fairway market fareway festival foods festival foods minnesota food giant food city foodarama foodland foodland hawaii foodtown pathmark gelson s gerland corporation giant eagle grand mart gristedes grocery outlet harmons harps food stores h e b heinen s fine foods highland park market homeland houchens hugo s hy vee ingles inserra supermarkets jerry s foods jungle jim s international market karns quality foods key food super fresh the food emporium king kullen kings super markets kuhn s quality foods lewis food town lion supermarket lowe s market lowes foods lund food holdings magruder s marc s market basket market of choice marsh supermarkets martin s super markets meijer met foods minyard food stores miracle mart mollie stone s markets morton williams new deal supermarket new seasons market niemann foods no frills supermarkets nugget markets pcc natural markets petrini s piggly wiggly piggly wiggly carolina co. pink dot price chopper price mart price chopper supermarkets publix pueblo raley s supermarkets red owl redner s markets remke markets rice epicurean markets ridley s family markets roche bros. rosauers supermarkets rouses russ s market save mart supermarkets saverite schnucks scolari s food and drug seafood city sedano s sellers bros. sendik s food market sentry foods seven mile market shop n save smart & final spartannash sprouts farmers market stanley stores star market stater bros. stew leonard s strack & van til straub s markets sullivan family of companies super dollar discount foods super one foods super saver foods b & r stores the fresh market times supermarkets tops friendly markets united grocery outlet urm stores valu king victory supermarkets village market food center weaver street market wegmans weis markets westborn market western beef winco foods woodman s markets yoke s fresh market zabar s zupan s markets defunct banners a mart a & p food basics pathmark waldbaum s abco foods alpha beta american stores appletree markets belle foods big bear stores big star markets bloom bottom dollar food bruno s buttrey food & drug byrd s carter s foods chatham clemens markets colonial stores dahl s foods daniel reeves stores david s supermarkets davis food city delchamps deskins dick s supermarket dominick s eagle food centers eberhard s eisner food stores farmer jack felpausch finast fisher foods food fair food world food a rama fresh & easy furr s genuardi s giant open air glen s markets grand union hamady brothers henry s farmers market hills supermarkets hinky dinky jitney jungle johnnie s foodmaster kessel food markets laneco marketside mars national supermarkets national tea omni superstore penn fruit penn traffic pick n pay supermarkets plus purity supreme quality markets qfi red food reid s schaffer stores company seaway food town seessel s simon david skaggs companies southern family markets sunflower farmers market sunflower market super duper sweetbay supermarket tidyman s twin valu ukrop s super markets warehouse economy outlet weingarten s wild oats markets xpect discounts list of supermarket chains in the united states http articles.baltimoresun.com 2014 01 13 business bs bz mars closes warehouse 20140113 1 baltimore warehouse 78 workers distribution retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title mars supermarket & oldid 736310696 categories defunct supermarkets of the united statescompanies based in marylandcompanies established in 19431943 establishments in 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