Exactly 5.3 miles or 11 minutes from the heart of downtown Kansas City, Missouri on Waukmois Drive in the Northland, you will find a true hidden gem, “The Little Store” aka: Price Rite Market & Deli.

What makes this store so unique is you cannot really consider it a true grocery store or delicatessen, but a little of both, also selling straw, livestock feed, salt blocks and so much more.

Purchased in June, 2014 by Santo and Jeannine Smiraldo, the store had been closed since 2009. A former grocery man, Santo was looking for an opportunity and “The Little Store” called to him. When they purchased the store, it was packed full of old groceries, staples, fixtures and let’s face it junk as it was like the previous owners just locked the door and closed. It took them over two weeks just to clean it out. Both Santo and Jeannine wanted to add restaurant quality food to the store and revamped the kitchen to accommodate their vision of made to order items and ready made food offerings to take home and heat up or they offer a a patio area with picnic tables and lawn furniture under a covered area for customers to eat and relax.

What makes the store so unique is the made to order and ready made food selection. Family recipes are used from their Italian heritage and the store offers house made items in individual meals or "family style" such as Spaghetti & Meatballs, Manicotti, Chicken Spiedini, Chicken Parmesan, Beef Tortellini, Meat Lasagna, Cannoli and more. They also offer daily specials available not just for lunch but all day long to include Italian Steak Sandwich, Meatball Sandwich, BLT, Chicken Parmesan Sandwich, Chicken Spiedini and New York Style 16" Pizzas just to mention a few.

Word has spread about “The Little Store” and people not only from the surrounding neighborhoods frequent the store, but drive from Johnson County, downtown and all over the Northland. "The Little Store” also offers catering options for both personal and company functions.