The Frudakis family has owned the little shop at 146 State St. since winter of last year. Before the renovations, it was just a little convenience store. Now, with two small red tables, scones, pies, and other baked goods, it has become a lovely small-town market.
The couple has remodeled and repaired the market over the past year. Vivian Frudakis makes all of the food — the pies, dinners that customers can order to go, scones, and many other treats.
When Vivian Frudakis immigrated from Cuba as a child, she had a little cookbook with only five recipes. Now, as the owner of State Street Market with her husband, Associate Professor of Art Anthony Frudakis, she has taken those basics of cooking and opened up a world of delicious goodies.
“I’ve always loved to cook,” Frudakis said. “I started around seven or eight. I’d make stuff from my little cookbook. It was my pride and joy. I used to make my mom breakfast for Mother’s Day. Like pancakes or eggs or something. I think my dad probably helped me flipping the pancakes, I remember that.”
She began working at the age of 15 as a dental assistant in a community that needed Spanish-speakers.
Graduating college with a degree in marketing, Frudakis eventually became a purchasing agent for the Trump Organization at the time they were opening up the Taj Mahal.
“I was in charge of the seating for the hotel, for everything that went inside the hotel,” Frudakis said. “That was during the hustle and bustle of buying things for the hotel. The seating, the safety deposit boxes that needed to be configured; I bought all of their forms. I still have the brochures and things for advertising for boxing matches. I have books of all the stuff from there.”
After moving to Hillsdale and giving birth to her daughter, Frudakis began working part-time in human services.
“I was a parent educator part time, so when she went to school, I became full-time as a community health educator,” she said.
Long-time family friend Bobbi Byrd said Frudakis has always had this love for both people and food.
“She’s a wonderful host,” Byrd said. “I’ve eaten at their home a number of times. She’s a wonderful cook. I stopped in their home, and she’d make scones and they were just amazing. Her family has always just been like family to me. ”
Frudakis said the creativity of making the food is one of the exciting parts of running the market.
“The sandwiches was something that, I looked through recipes, and looked through recipes, and my husband Tony served as my guinea pig,” she said. “We tried breads galore.”
After trying all the different kinds of bread, they decided to make their own. Frudakis also makes her own fresh whipped cream.
“I’m a sort of connoisseur of coconut cream pie,” Byrd said, jokingly. “She made her own whipped cream, and put it on top. I found that it was the best coconut cream pie I’ve ever had.”
Some sports teams, including the tennis team, enjoy the to-go food made by Frudakis.
“My tennis coach has gotten take out order from her a couple times for away games,” said women’s tennis team member junior Lindsay Peirce. “You can tell that it’s fresh and that it’s most of their ingredients were homemade, handmade. It makes a difference”
“It’s a really cute little sandwich shop, you walk in and she’s selling little candy bars and baked goods,” Patrick said. “The people who work there are so kind, and they make their own sandwiches, and are always checking on you. The sandwiches are so good.”
Frudakis said her various careers and life experience has taught her many things.
“Coming from Cuba to the United States, I probably learned the importance of an education, of being prepared, and finding a career, or whatever it is, finding something that you love.”
