Gloucester Classic- The Cupboard, originally uploaded by captjoe06.
Here are Grover and Cindy, long time owners of The Cupboard at Stage Fort Park. My grandparents Joe and Felicia Ciaramitaro (The Captain Joe) lived up the hill from The Cupboard on Tolman Ave.
Both of my grandfather’s names were Joe Ciaramitaro. One, Captain Joe who started Captain Joe and Sons with my father and uncle and the other- Joe Popcorn who owned Pat’s Center Grocery which started in the location where Sclafani’s is and then moved across the street to the location where the plaza housing Tedesci’s Market and Yama Wok are currently.
Grandma Felicia (although I never called her Grandma Felicia, it was always Grandma with the wharf) would go down to Stage Fort Park and knit with her sisters under one of the trees. She’d walk down the bottom of the hill behind The Cupboard with her knitting bag and they would kabbitz and knit.
I remember way back then what a treat it was to go down to The Cupboard after ball games or when we would all go down as a family and eat on the benches outside, always finishing up with ice cream. Some things are traditions and even though Cindy and Grover are not from Gloucester, you’d be hard pressed to say that there are many more people woven into the fabric of Gloucester memories over the years.
An imprint in my mind from yesteryear is the mural of Mother Hubbard hanging on the wall behind the counter. It’s been there as long as I can remember and I wanted to be sure to take a picture of it. The signature in the bottom right reads “Franklyn Hamilton”
Good Morning Gloucester 
Joey I’m so glad you got photo of Mother Hubbard. I don’t think we will ever be allowed back into the Cupburd after Maddie Pie’s beautiful rendition of “Sweet Madeline”! I think she might be America’s next Idol ! LOL !
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I was ‘home’ for my first Fiesta and 4th in more than 20years this summer. On my ‘must have’ llist was a visit or two to the cupboard for softserve with chocolate jimmies and a scallop roll. Yum!
I would go to Stage Fort Park to watch my brother Bobby play Pony League baseball and St.Ann’s High School Baseball way back when. We would usually follow the games with ice cream at The Cupboard.
I was delighted to see it’s still as it ever was and to hear the owner’s combo southern drawl sprinkled with a bit of Gloucestereze as we visited and chatted about nothing in particular.
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Hey Joey, my cousins recommended your blog to me. I have dropped in casually over the summer and gradually looked more in depth.
Today, reading the post from the Brooklyn visitor, I see you are from ‘that’ Capt. Joes…Son-of-a-gun.
Your Mom must be Patty!
Tell her Donna Mac sends her Best Regards!
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Wow! Seeing that Mother Hubbard painting brought back some amazing flashbacks! Like sitting in the Cupboard eating a quart box of fried clams …for about 2 bucks! then going to the window and getting an ice cream dipped in chocolate…for about 50 cents! Those were the days!
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Grover Carter was truly an icon at the Cupboard in Gloucester. He and Cindy purchased it from the Nielsons many years ago and expanded it to what it is now. Cindy is a Gloucester native who went to Gloucester schools, graduated from GHS and met Grove when they both were working at the Blacksmith Shop in Rockport. Each year they would return to Georgia for the winter and then back to Gloucester for the summer. Both of their children would matriculate into the Gloucester schools in the spring and fall and than back to Georgia without missing an educational beat. Their grandchildren did the same.
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