The Sheridan Fruit Company's first southeast Portland store was originally right on Union Avenue (now Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) In 1961, the current building was completed and the old stores location became its parking lot.

Step through the doors of the central eastside’s iconic Sheridan Fruit Company and you won’t find the bright lights and wide, shiny aisles of a modern grocery store.

Instead, it’s something much more authentic, a family grocery store that matches its historic blue-collar neighborhood to a T.

You’ll find is some of Portland’s freshest produce, and a full-service meat department that hand-makes more than 100 varieties of sausage. There’s a deli that serves workers from across the central eastside, including those construction laborers who are dramatically changing the landscape of the neighborhood.

But most of all, you’ll find a staff that treats the store as the icon that it is. Many are family, or are treated like family for the decades of service that they’ve dedicated to Sheridan Fruit. During the holidays, Sheridan produces hundreds of fruit baskets for retail and corporate customers including the Made in Oregon stores. Those baskets are put together by Jeff Heitzler who came into the store in high school and never left. He’s 41 now.

Sheridan Fruit Company will celebrate a century in business with a celebration this summer. About half of the company’s business is retail, and the other half wholesale, serving more than 500 restaurants and other businesses across the metro area.

“We try to keep Sheridan what Sheridan was,” says Anne Barwick. She remembers going into the store as a kid, and her dad always had animal crackers for the kids. It’s a tradition that he carries on to this day, according to Anne. Sheridan is currently owned by her parents, Vince and Carol Torchia, and her husband Tom Barwick.

There’s something special about shopping at a grocery store where people know you — even if not by name. They know what you’re shopping for, what you like, and what you don’t. Unfortunately, many of those places have gone away. Strohecker’s in Portland’s west hills recently closed after 114 years. Wizer’s in Lake Oswego (where I worked as a kid) has transitioned into a wine shop.

Corno’s, just down the street from Sheridan was a rival, but it was also family. “The Corno’s were mom’s cousins,” says Anne Barwick, “They would try to buy together. But they were very competitive.”

People come from across Portland to visit the store, says Vince. “We have a really diverse clientele, because they have to actually drive down here,” he says. He walks through the store greeting customers who have been shopping the store for years, and says that a lot of new customers are coming in for the specialty foods.

“They come because they like the atmosphere, they like what we have to offer,” he says. Wander in at lunch hour and you’ll find a broad cross section of Portland, from the aforementioned construction workers to people rushing in and out, taking advantage of the store’s small size. Then there are some who you can tell are there for the experience. They’re not in any hurry, they’re savoring the time they spend in the store.

“We want people to feel really comfortable about coming in here,” says Carol. For the lunch crowd, there’s a service deli inside, and a barbeque going outside.

John Sheridan started the company in 1916, as a small fruit stand on Portland’s west side. He later moved it to the east side, with a fruit stand fronting Union Avenue. Carol Torchia’s dad Sam Poleo and his brother Larry bought the store from Sheridan in 1946, but kept the old name on the business.

In 1961 the current store was built on the west and south sides of the block, and the old fruit stand site became the store’s parking lot. They’ve added things here and there through the years, to the point where they’re now a full service grocery store. A bulk foods area has grown to be one of the most popular features of the store.

In 1960, they started the wholesale department, with the Meier and Frank department store as their sole client. It’s now a huge part of the business, touting a client list that includes several McMenamins restaurants and caterers from across the region.

The operation runs nearly 24 hours a day. When the retail store closes at 8:00 p.m. the wholesale staff takes over, working until 5:00 a.m. to prepare the day’s deliveries. Then the retail reopens at 6:00 a.m.

At its core, are four generations of family members. Vince and Carol Torchia are the second, after taking over the store from Carol’s dad and uncle. The third generation includes their daughters Lori Torchia-O’Leary and Anne Barwick along with their husbands Sean O’Leary and Tom Barwick. The fourth generation includes Justin Barwick and wife Caiti.

One of my greatest pleasure of being in the store is all the hugs that you get,” says Anne. “You make them feel part of our family. After all these years, we still have that kind of relationship with so many of our customers.”

Their neighborhood is changing, with the arrival of modern-mixed use developments just up the street at the Burnside Bridgehead and the completion of the Portland Streetcar loops. An area that used to be populated by warehouses is increasingly occupied by creative endeavors.

As Vince laments the loss of a long-time neighbor, Shleifer Furniture, to a hotel development, he also looks forward. “It looks like the future is going to be bright,” he says. “It’s got a good heritage, and it’s been good to the family through the years.”

Sheridan Fruit Company

Established: 1916

Opened by: John Sheridan

Current family took over: 1946

Current generations: Four

Location: 408 S.E. Third Street, Portland

Employees: 75

Hours: Monday — Saturday 6 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday 6 a.m.-6 p.m.

Operations: Retail and wholesale foods

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jvincent@pamplinmedia.com or @OregonsCarGuy on Twitter