The staff speaks a total of 13 languages, which comes in handy with the many immigrant families that shop there. Because Vista isn't part of a large chain, Prive can respond quickly to the evolving needs of the changing inner city population - another reason the market is building a strong base in a difficult area. Still, problems remain. And just this week, he's become aware of a regular customer who is stealing choice cuts of meat and selling them to a downtown restaurant. Sheer quirkiness is another factor that distinguishes Manchester's markets.
Health regulations require a minimum standard of cleanliness, which many exceed.
But no one dictates store layout, design or merchandise. Many of the city's smaller markets are refreshingly unhomogenized. At Amoskeag Market on Front Street, antique soda signs liven up the high walls, and children's drawings decorate the milk cooler in back. At Uncle Bob's Market on Kelley Street, actual glass bottles of Coca-Cola can be found lurking in old wooden cases. And Uncle Sam's Market on Kimball Street carries shelves of Lebanese cooking staples such chickpeas and tahini, and Goya soda pop in exotic flavors such as pineapple and coconut.