As a lifetime resident of Plymouth and owner of Pioppi’s Package Store, people often ask Peter Balboni, why the name? Peter’s grandfather, Tony Pioppi, started the business 91 years ago. Tony received the first liquor license in Plymouth after prohibition and was very active in the beverage industry, both locally and nationwide.

Pioppi’s is the essence of a family business. Tony and Muffy started downtown in a small shop with a telephone number of 28! They handed it down to Peter’s parents, Dennis and Brenda, who moved the store to Benny’s Plaza in 1972. It is now run by Peter and his wife and showcases a huge selection of fine wine, bourbon, spirits, brew, and much more.

I grew up on Sandwich Road in Chiltonville, back in the day when you could ride your bicycle down the middle of the road and not see another car for a mile. We love the neighborhood and still live on the family property.

I enjoy beekeeping, boating, fishing gardening and spending time with my wife, Kim, our two children Max and Isabella, and our golden lab, Hunter. 

While we love all the local restaurants, we also love staying home, cooking and entertaining. We also enjoy spending time at Browns Bank (that’s the large sand bar just off Long Beach, locals know as a little slice of heaven which is only accessible at low tide: According to brownsbankplymouth.com, “it's a magical island that's there and then it's not, every 12 hours”).

I went to school for business, but did not intend to work at the package store. After several years of working in an unrelated industry, I was asked to fill in for a sick employee, which soon turned into a part-time job. 

I worked for many years learning the business—and the industry. I soon realized that the new industry, all the new products, and dealing with the salespeople and customers was fun. It wasn’t long before I started working full time. 

In 2008, I decided I could help grow the business by adding on to the existing store. This remodel brought Pioppi’s into a new era and has provided for my family as it did for my parents and grandparents.

Over the years, Pioppi’s has grown and expanded its size and selection and keeps on the

cutting edge of the liquor industry’s ever-changing trends. 

We accomplish this with friendly, educated staff who are always willing to help, a selection that surpasses all others with rare and hard-to-find liquors, including a phenomenal whiskey and Bourbon selection, and a massive wine selection which includes a fine wine corner comprising all the top producers. Our beer and RTD (ready to drink) selection of 21 cold doors combined with a warm selection of microbrews will fill any hophead’s glass. 

These standards as well as competitive pricing makes Pioppi’s the success it is, earning us Retailer of The Year!

The liquor industry has its own challenges, like every business: increased supplier costs, over-regulation, and cost of utility expenses and inflation, to mention a few. However one benefit we have over most is we own our own building and this allows us to absorb some of those increases and stay very competitive with the big box stores.

Reach out to us if you’re hosting a small gathering or a large party. We can handle it all—whether it’s special order, a hard-to-find item or something bigger. We gladly advise

on quantities needed for every event, from a small get-together or a wedding for 500! We have the knowledge and experience to make events memorable, and bring them to he next level. Pioppi's raises the bar, literally.

I am most grateful to my grandparents for having the foresight to purchase the first liquor license in Plymouth, my parents for teaching me a hard work ethic, and my family for always being there to help when needed—they understand the demands of our family business. 

Most importantly, I am thankful to be able to enjoy the benefits of hard work with my friends, family and the community.

How is Pioppi’s involved with the community? 

Like my grandparents and parents before me, we are very involved locally. 

I am a member of the Pilgrim Society and the Chamber of Commerce and was very active on committees with the Plymouth 400. We support many organizations in the community, most significantly for causes concerning veterans. 

We also put on an annual car show, “The Packie Run,” for local post-1822, and have helped raise 35k over the past four years! We have sponsored the Plymouth Public Library’s largest annual fundraiser, Taste of the Town, now in its 19th year and are hosting the next one coming up on November 6th. We also support BID-Plymouth (known to locals as Jordan), which we are so fortunate to have in our community.

I love receiving Stroll magazine because of its informative articles, glossy pictures, and hometown feel, which brings people together. We agree!

When customers and friends come back and say that they received the best service or loved the product we recommended, that is most satisfying.

*****SIDEBAR*****

In short, recognition and awards, lots of them! Pioppi’s is used to being at the top in the liquor retail industry. In just this year alone….

As Business of the Year, Balboni’s went to the American Beverage Licensees convention this past summer in San Antonio, Texas and Pioppi’s represented Massachusetts for the grand honor of the National ABL Retailer of the Year 2024 award.

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