Chris's Superette Has a New Owner, A New Atmospere and a New Name

Chris's Superette, the small grocery store on the corner of Banks and Surrey Streets, changed hands last week. Residents of Mather and Dunster Houses who rely on Chris's for their late night snacks will find the atmosphere greatly changed.

On any given day, a student could walk into the old Superette and find unstocked shelves, a CB radio tuned to the police channel and a proprietor who wore a switch blade in his belt.

Empty Shelves

"The store was often closed in the middle of the day, and there was never much on the shelves. I don't see how they could have made a business out of the store," Regina Boyland '78-4, a resident of Mather House, said yesterday, adding that a lot of House residents would rather walk up to Cahaly's which had a "nicer atmosphere" for their supplies.

"Chris was always talking on his CB. He was really into CB lingo. He thought it was the hottest thing since popcorn. He made the customers wait until he finished his conversation," Sam Sharar '79, another resident of Mather House said.

"We never could figure out how Chris made his money. There was never anything on the shelves, though there were always a lot of people going in and out," Sharar added.

Financial Trouble

An area resident who asked to remain unidentified said yesterday that the store's difficulties began about three years ago, when Chris's wife died. The resident explained that Chris's wife had managed the store, which ran into financial difficulties after her death.

The former owner, Chris Sautiri, could not be reached for comment. He had owned the store since 1967.

One Mather House senior, who asked to remain unidentified, speculated that Harvard students felt uneasy in Chris's because of the cultural differences between the students and the proprietors.

"They were typical Latin macho guys," the student said. "People in the Harvard community are not used to that type of person. There's a real class difference and an ethnic difference."

New Name

"This place wasn't run too swift. We're going to have a lot cleaner and a lot fuller shelves," Luigi Parisi, an ex-construction worker who is the new owner of the store said yesterday. Parisi also plans to change the name of the store to "Louie's".

Gene Williams '81 characterized the new owners as "ridiculously polite."