The doors are locked and the shelves are bare at Arnone's Bakery and Italian Deli, an institution in the Little Italy section of Erie since the mid-50's.
The wholesale side of the business will close after fulfilling a few last orders Monday, bringing an end to an era in this west Erie neighborhood.
One former employee said she worked there for 23 years but could see the decline in recent years as the business struggled to keep market share against larger chain operations.
The deli was a favorite for customers both in and outside the neighborhood. Lunch fare included a variety of pizza slices, wedding soup, antipasto salads and more.
Shelves were stocked with imported olives and olive oil, Italian candies and cookies.
But perhaps best known was the bakery's pepperoni bread which neighbors could smell as it baked.
One customer who tried the locked door just shook his head.
"Wow, we're going to miss this place" he said.
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