StoryCorps: Robbie Cronig and Steve Bernier

From: StoryCorps
Series: StoryCorps
Length: 02:16

Robbie Cronig [CROW-nig], 89, who grew up working in his family's market, remembers selling it to his friend Steve Bernier [BUR-nee-UR], 59. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: StoryCorps: Robbie Cronig and Steve Bernier
From: StoryCorps

Cronig_small Robbie Cronig's father and uncles opened Cronig's Market in 1917. Robbie Cronig started working at the store when he was just a boy. Decades later, he owned it. And many years later, he sold his family's business to Steve Bernier. Bernier says that shortly after he met Cronig, they discussed him buying the store. "You slapped the keys in my hand and you said, 'Someday you're going to own this place,'" Bernier recalls. The sale was finalized in 1986, "And from there on in we became the best of friends," Cronig recalls. After the sale, Cronig kept a set of keys to the market and continued to work there until about 10 years ago. Bernier says that if it weren't for his friend's health, he'd still be working there today.

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Piece Description

Robbie Cronig's father and uncles opened Cronig's Market in 1917. Robbie Cronig started working at the store when he was just a boy. Decades later, he owned it. And many years later, he sold his family's business to Steve Bernier. Bernier says that shortly after he met Cronig, they discussed him buying the store. "You slapped the keys in my hand and you said, 'Someday you're going to own this place,'" Bernier recalls. The sale was finalized in 1986, "And from there on in we became the best of friends," Cronig recalls. After the sale, Cronig kept a set of keys to the market and continued to work there until about 10 years ago. Bernier says that if it weren't for his friend's health, he'd still be working there today.

Broadcast History

NPR's Morning Edition 8/3/07

Transcript

My father and his brothers opened up Cronig’s Market in 1917 and I did nothing but work, from the time I was born. I think that my father took me to the grocery store when I was just big enough to walk. And he says, ‘Get to work.’ And before there was telephones in Vineyard Haven I would go from house to house picking up the orders for Cronig’s Market and every house I went to they insisted I have breakfast. Oh, they were good cooks. They made beautiful pastries. Oh, I got fat as fat could be. Thank god for the summer ‘cause I could work it off. When I graduated, my brother Dave and I bought the store. I gave my father his salary, I gave mother my father’s salary until the day she died.

Do you remember those couple weeks around when we first met each other and night after night sitting and talking you slapped the keys in my hand and said, ‘Someday, you’re going to own this plac...
Read the full transcript

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

Time now for StoryCorps -- the project that's recording your stories across the country.
Today, the story of a PLACE.
For over ninety years, residents on Martha's Vineyard have bought their groceries at Cronig's Market. That's just the beginning of this story.
TEASE: My father and his brothers opened Cronig’s Market in 1917. That's Robbie Cronig .
He started working at the store as a boy.
DECADES later, Robbie was running the place.
Then -- one day -- he sold his family's business ...to THIS man, Stephen Bernier.

OUTRO:

Stephen Bernier and Robbie Cronig, at StoryCorps in Martha's Vineyard.
Stephen tells us that Robbie kept a set of keys to the market AFTER the sale ... and continued working there for ten more years.
Their conversation will be archived along with all the other StoryCorps interviews at the American Folklike Center at the Library of Congress.
Subscribe to the project's PODCAST ... at NPR-dot-ORG.