Photos by Linda Campos

The late Ed Hyder got his start in retail at age 10, working alongside his father and uncles at their family market on Worcester’s Grafton Hill. By 1975, he had resolved to start his own market on the other side of the city. The young Hyder brought to life a 300-square-foot storefront on Park Avenue, selling jewelry from Lebanon and Syria alongside a variety of imported groceries. He also repaired musical instruments at the shop and played the drums professionally for a number of jazz and Middle Eastern groups on the weekends. As the market began to draw a regular crowd, Hyder’s chopping block grew into a de facto community center for the neighborhood.

In 1994, Hyder purchased the historic firehouse at 408 Pleasant St., where Ed Hyder’s Mediterranean Marketplace currently resides. The addition of a wine program in the new location expanded Hyder’s already dedicated following. Loyal patrons swore by Hyder’s world-famous “hoomus” and extensive spice collection. As the prepared foods section evolved, Hyder’s grape leaves, spinach pies, olives and cheeses became Worcester party staples. “If Hyder’s doesn’t have it, you don’t need it,” became a common sentiment among Worcester’s culinary community.

When Ed Hyder passed away in 2018, the whole city mourned his loss and looked to his son Greg and daughter Miriam to carry on tradition as fourth-generation shopkeepers. Like their father, Greg began working for the family business at age 10 to save up for his first drum set. Miriam’s creative marketing background had similarly prepared her to ensure Ed Hyder’s continued relevance by expanding the market’s social media presence. Hyder’s wife, Edna, a beloved Worcester Public Schools teacher, became a pivotal team member—preserving the family business in her retirement.

Miriam Hyder maintains that her father’s legacy goes far beyond food. “The way he made people feel welcome when they entered his store and how he took time to truly get to know his customers are traits that people will always remember him by,” she said. “We were fortunate enough to hear from hundreds of people via phone, email and social media after his passing and the main theme from so many was, ‘Once I started shopping there, and got to know Ed, Worcester really felt like home.’”

Hyder’s children learned early on that relationships with customers were just as important as the quality of the food they sold. “People can shop anywhere, but they choose to shop with us,” said Miriam. “We don’t take it for granted that they go out of their way to make us a stop in their busy week.”

Ed Hyder’s also instilled a love of food and community in a long line of its former employees, but perhaps none more than cookbook author Katzie Guy-Hamilton. Guy-Hamilton, who has traveled the world as a chef and even appeared on Bravo’s “Top Chef: Just Desserts,” credits much of her success to working at Ed Hyder’s.

“The tone and style of your business starts from the top, and the Hyders don’t just have the utmost integrity—they also carry the best products,” Guy-Hamilton said. “I work in the culinary industry in New York City; I know what the ‘best’ looks like and I can tell you that everything at Hyder’s, right down to the wine, would impress any New Yorker.”

edhyders.com

This story appeared in the Spring 2021 issue of Edible Boston and Edible Worcester.