Lou Beverage, History
In 1922, Luigi D’Addezio, a 17-year-old Italian man, was sent to America to “make the family fortune.” After time in Atlantic City, NJ, he married another Italian immigrant, Filomena Viscichini, and they settled in Downingtown. After years of working as a bricklayer, Luigi decided to open his own business. In 1946, Lou Beverage opened their doors in a basement on Church Street in Downingtown. With only 50 cases of beer, they were a small beer distributor. Luigi and Filomena, with the help of their sons Louis and Anthony, worked hard and grew the family business, eventually outgrowing their small location. After a short while, using his skills as a bricklayer, Luigi built the current location at 602 East Lancaster Avenue.
Throughout the years, the company has grown and the new location has seen 3 expansions. In 1972, Anthony, his wife Maryann, and Louis took over the business, but Luigi was still an ever-present fixture in the store. In later years, his health began to fail him, but his children and grandchildren could always be seen in the store, helping him out. In 1996, at 91, Luigi happily celebrated the store’s 50th Anniversary. Sadly, in November of 2000, Luigi passed away. He had worked in Lou Beverage most of his life and was a smiling face to all of the patrons over the years.
In 2005, the company changed hands once again. Luigi and Filomena’s grandchildren, Tina, Anthony, Nick and Vinny, took over the company and still run it today. For more than 70 years, Lou Beverage has been serving Downingtown!
