Mansfield grocer Melissa Nassfa spotlights family-run NASF Marketplace, prepared Lebanese foods and catering for Foxborough area

Melissa Nassfa, owner of NASF Marketplace in Mansfield, told Foxboro Cable Access viewers that a family produce business that began in Fall River in the early 1900s has evolved into the retail market she now runs in Mansfield.

Nassfa said, "My name is Melissa Nassfa. I am the owner of NASF Marketplace in Mansfield, Massachusetts," and described family paperwork that includes bills for horse-and-buggy deliveries from the business's early years. She said the store opened in Mansfield's old Benny's Plaza two years ago and recently celebrated its second anniversary.

The market, she said, grew partly out of a COVID-era pivot. With restaurants and schools closed, the family launched an online ordering and curbside pickup system from their Fall River wholesale base. "We would put it in their trunk when they got there, and they'd drive away," she recalled, describing packed car lines and deliveries coordinated from trucks.

Nassfa described NASF Marketplace's product mix as a blend of conventional grocery items and ethnic specialties. "Our hummus is very popular. We make it ourselves," she said, adding that the shop carries grape leaves, tahini and other Mediterranean items alongside deli sandwiches and sliced-to-order meats. The store also operates a grab-and-go case; Nassfa said all prepared foods are made by hand on-site.

She said the market offers catering through EasyCater and has supplied corporate and community events, with orders reaching customers in nearby cities. The store also continues to offer deliveries to individual customers and institutional clients.

On operations, Nassfa said the market added a salad bar (open daily) and a hot bar (weekday hours) and is open seven days a week, including Sundays for game-day traffic. She noted significant family involvement: her brother Steven and several relatives help run the business, and her daughters have worked in the store at various times.

Looking ahead, Nassfa said the market is exploring additional offerings and licensing: "We are working on getting our [beer-and-wine] license," she said, and the family has discussed expansion ideas such as food trucks once current operations are consolidated.

Host Steven Uden encouraged viewers from neighboring Foxborough to visit the Mansfield market; Nassfa said the store already serves customers and local accounts from Foxborough, including the fire department. The program closed with information that the market's contact details and social links would appear on screen.

The interview highlighted a local, family-run business that traces its origins to an immigrant produce operation, converted to meet pandemic demand and now operates a neighborhood market, deli and catering service.