The Village Market in Tyrone closed on Christmas Eve last year, much to the dismay of many Tyrone residents.

Well, Tyrone residents, the Spezzano family has come to the rescue.

Bill Spezzano heard from one of his neighbors last year that Richard Adams, the owner of the Village Market, a butcher shop, was going to sell his business or close it. Spezzano approached his family with the idea of buying Adams’ business.

The Spezzano family, all of whom reside in Tyrone — Bill and his wife, Pat; their sons Billy and Robert; Billy’s wife Debbie; Robert’s wife Lia; daughter Lisa Brooks and her husband, Paul; and three of Bill and Pat’s grandchildren, Debbie, Anthony and Kayla — decided to come together, buy the store Jan. 1 and name it Spezzano’s Village Market.

It’s not the first business the Spezzano family has owned; Bill, Pat and Billy Spezzano owned a landscaping business in Florida for 31 years before moving to Georgia in 2005.

“We knew that people in Tyrone depend on the meat here,” Bill Spezzano said, referring to the butcher shop. “It would be a big loss to the city of Tyrone if the shop were to close. I asked my my wife, my daughter and the rest of family, ‘Should we do it?’ We always wanted to own our own sub shop.”

Said Robert Spezzano: “Looking in here, seeing the growth of Tyrone, I thought it would be a good business for us to get into to.”

According to Bill Spezzano, people from Tyrone and Peachtree City all the way to Callaway Gardens and Atlanta have stopped by the store, inquiring about what happened to the Village Market and if another butcher shop would take its place.

“People were so disappointed when they found out the Village Market was closed,” Bill Spezzano said. “About 20 people a day have been stopping by the shop, asking questions and looking to buy meat. People can’t wait for us to open.”

Spezzano’s Village Market, an Italian deli and meat market, provides fresh made deli subs using fresh cut Boar’s Head meat on New York sub and Kaiser rolls, plus fresh lettuce and toppings; a full-service butcher shop that features quality meats cut to order; and, in the near future, take-and-bake Italian meals, including eggplant parmigiana, chicken parmigiana, baked ziti, stuffed shells and fresh meatballs.

“We’ll provide quality meats, the best meats you can get, and the best subs in Georgia,” Robert Spezzano said. “We’re going to have great food, great meat and a great atmosphere. This is going to be the place to come in Tyrone for lunch, barbecue supplies and good Italian food.”

Customers who frequented the Village Market will see a familiar face at Spezzano’s Village Market: Gene Clark, who worked as a butcher at the Village Market under Adams’ ownership and owned the Village Market before selling it to Adams. He will continue to work as a butcher at Spezzano’s Village Market.

Billy Spezzano expects his family’s store to be a mainstay in the community.

“We’ve all established our roots here,” Billy Spezzano said. “I want to stress that we’re not only a family business; we live in Tyrone. We plan on staying here and making this work. We’re here for the community.”

The grand opening of Spezzano’s Family Market was held yesterday.

The store’s business hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Phone orders are accepted. The store’s phone number is (770) 487-1840.

Spezzano’s Village Market is located at 999 Senoia Road in Tyrone.