Remembering the McGinnis Sisters: Food & Family Stories

Join us for an evening discussion of food traditions and innovations with one of Pittsburgh’s most renowned food families, the McGinnises. We’ll hear rarely heard stories behind this beloved local chain of specialty food stores straight from the McGinnis family.

What’s more, the conversation will be led by Dr. Ashley Rose Young, Food Historian at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and daughter of pioneering McGinnis sister Sharon McGinnis Young.

The McGinnis Sisters were recognized as one of Western Pennsylvania’s early leaders in the gourmet and specialty food business, tapping into ideas like organic food and international cuisine long before those became the popular food trends we know today. Awarded locally and beyond for their visionary thinking, these entrepreneurs understood the importance of warmly stoking and sharing family food traditions with their customers. In this way, the McGinnis Sisters became a holiday staple for generations of Pittsburghers.

Dr. Young will be joined by McGinnis sisters Bonnie McGinnis Vello and Noreen McGinnis Campbell as well as Jennifer Daurora, part of the third generation who ran the family business.