The shelves were almost bare at Traverso's on Tuesday on the eve of the market's closure after nearly 90 years of bringing Italy to generations of Santa Rosans.
Michael Traverso said he was still holding out hope that someone will buy the business and continue to operate it as an upscale deli and market, albeit under a different name.
"If I was a guessing man, I would think someone would come forward pretty quickly," Traverso said Tuesday.
The Fountaingrove market will be closed to the public after Wednesday. Traverso said barring a last-minute sale of the business, it will take another week to auction off fixtures and equipment.
Traverso said he's spoken with several interested parties but that he's yet to receive any written offers.
The store in the meantime is nearly picked over, save for some antiques, old bottles and a small supply of Italian meats.
Charlie Traverso and his sons, Louis and Rico, opened the food and wine store in Santa Rosa near Railroad Square in 1922. The store moved to the east side of the freeway in 1973 and relocated to Fountaingrove in 2009.
The family last month announced plans to sell the market to a San Rafael couple, who planned to operate the market in a similar theme but with a different name. But that deal fell through.
You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com.
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