A Highland Park Tradition Since 1920
Since 1920, when it started as a "green grocery", Pino's Gift Basket Shoppe and Wine Cellar has been a Highland Park tradition. The “mom and pop shop” started by the Pino family, has endured prohibition, recessions, relocation and changes in ownership. The promise to offer "constantly superior" product, is why Pino's has remained a tradition since 1920. As the third owners of the business in 98 years, when Steve and Siobhan Weinstein purchased Pino's in 2013, they had a vision for the Highland Park "Gift Basket Shoppe and Wine Cellar". It started with a new look-an image over haul. Bright walls, vintage artwork, clean floors and shelves and a revived, carefully chosen, selection of product.
The community always boasted that the "old" Pino's, formerly on the corner of North 4th Ave and Raritan, was one of a kind, a reflection of it's original owner, Vinnie Pino. Customers recall that he was eclectic, knowledgable and meticulous in the selection of product he offered his customers. The famed "wine cellar" in the basement, with sawdust on the floor, where you had to duck to enter, is the tale most commonly told. Each of these stories, photos, and bits of History influenced the choices Steve and Siobhan made as they set out to breathe new life into the shop. As Highland Park residents themselves, they take pride in their community and understanding its roots so they can provide a nostalgia filled store, residents can be proud to say, is located within the boundaries of their little town of Highland Park.