SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — From shrimp to haddock to lobster, the seafood demands this year at Schiff’s Marketplace in Scranton have been overwhelming.
“The crowd has been tremendous this year. We’ve definitely seen an uptick in a lot of customers coming through. We’re actually out of a few items today because of the tremendous swelling of customers,” said sales director, Eric Martinelli,
Martinelli says they’ve gone through more than a thousand pounds of haddock alone and keeping the seafood cases stocked hasn’t been easy.
“Trying to source the seafood was one big challenge we had, trying to get the best quality products for the best possible price for these customers,” said Martinelli.
Behind the counter, workers say the pace has been nonstop.
“It was either Monday or Tuesday, we sold about forty thousand dollars’ worth of seafood. So that’s a lot of people. It’s hard to just keep up on stock and everything up in there,” said seafood stand worker, Colin Rafferty.
But for many customers, the holiday rush is part of a tradition that brings them back year after year.
“The prices keep me coming back. The prices are awesome. You have awesome food, and they’re willing to help you. They are very good people here, that’s why we come here all the time,” said Randell Lutz of Archbald.
It’s a tradition built on family favorites, fresh seafood, and familiar faces, even on the busiest day of the year.
“We’re definitely seeing our regulars that come through every year. I have one customer that comes in every year for 10 pounds of squid tubes and 2 pounds of tentacles. I see him every year,” said Martinelli.
Schiff’s outdoor seafood stand will be closed Christmas Day and Friday, reopening Saturday through New Year’s Eve.