One hundred and twelve years ago, founder Robert L. Wholey envisioned a meat and live poultry shop in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. In his first store, Robert added to his selection by offering sausages and coffees, and soon it became a family affair. Robert's son, Robert C. Wholey, quickly followed in his father's entrepreneurial footsteps, selling Christmas trees and running fruit and vegetable stands as a teen.
In 1948, after serving as a Captain during World War II, he returned home and opened the Robert Wholey Company Poultry Market in the Diamond Market in downtown Pittsburgh. He sold dressed chickens, eggs, duck, turkey, and held his popular chicken barbeques. In 1955 the city of Pittsburgh demolished an aging Diamond Market—but shortly after, Robert Wholey Company Poultry Market relocated the business to 1711 Penn Ave. in the Strip District, where Wholey's has remained since.
It was 1960; after enjoying a bustling business as Wholey's became a staple of the Strip, Robert expanded their market lineup by adding fish and seafood to his thriving poultry business. By importing the freshest and premium quality frozen fish from all over the U.S., Robert created a company that could expand into wholesale, and he purchased a fleet of trucks to make deliveries directly to his customers' houses.
The 1980s marked a significant expansion for Wholey, as the company purchased the Federal Cold Storage building and began storing frozen products for its customers. The wholesale division and company headquarters also moved to 1501 Penn Ave. cold storage. The late 80s marked the beginning of Wholey's International, which begin distributing fish and other products around the globe.
In 1997, Wholey opened Western Pennsylvania's largest cold storage facility in Cranberry where companies from around the country store products there for distribution in Pennsylvania and neighboring states.
Today, the little meat and live poultry shop envisioned by Robert L. Wholey and his son, Robert C. Wholey, has become one of the most beloved meat and seafood markets in person and online, with a wide variety from the traditional to the unusual. We are passionate about making food and cooking exciting again for families around the world.
