Central Super Market is owned by the Machus family, on its fourth generation with the business. The market opened in 1952 when Alex Machus converted a bar into Central Super Market.

The market would then be passed on to son Dave Machus and eventually to current owners Jim and Lori Machus, with their son, Brad Machus, now managing the business.

Brad Machus has worked at the market for 27 years, starting at age 13. He has been the manager for 10 years. Other than some taxidermy, Machus has never worked anywhere else.

Machus said growing up in the business came with some challenges.

BUTCHER GARY SPAULDING prepares to cut sirloin steaks, which is done daily at Central Super Market in Kingsford. (Jim Paul/Daily News photo)

“When you are open seven days a week, you are always focused on making sure everything is going okay at the store,” Brad Machus said. “So, yeah, there were a lot of things we did not get to do as a family because we were here.”

In addition to Machus, the store regularly has on site his mother, Lori, and cashier Bill Orchard, who has been at Central Market for 18 years. A recent addition to the staff is Gary Spaulding, who brings more than 50 years of meat-cutting experience, allowing Brad Machus to take the occasional day off.

Machus attributes Central Super Market’s longevity to dedication and consistency.

“Lots of hard work, blood, sweat and tears,” Machus said. “The market changed over the years, it changed a lot, with all the different stores coming into town; however, we have made a niche for our meat department.”

Being set back in their own little area of Kingsford helps the store bring in customers that live nearby, but their meat quality, price and variety increases that draw to customers from throughout the area, he noted.

“We do have really good meat prices. I try to keep my prices low to keep people coming in,” Machus said. “We don’t have the overhead that the big stores have so we can do that with the prices.”

Central Super Market features a wide variety of meats, including bratwurst, breakfast sausage, potato sausage and Italian sausage, much of it made on site. Central Super Market also carries steaks that are cut fresh daily.

Machus says the products in demand vary throughout the year.

“In the summertime you see more hamburgers, bratwurst and steaks for people to grill,” he said. “In the colder months, we do more porkettas and sausage.”

In addition to the meat department, Central Super Market carries a full line of groceries. Also featured are deli items, including a special — a cheeseburger, bag of chips and a soda pop for $3.99.

Central Super Market is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.