Contributor: CabCo Moms
Ever have one of those days when the last thing you want to do is cook dinner, and you’re sick of fast food? Well, Leo’s Gourmet Market owners Cody Chiarenza and Cailin Arsenault have been preparing their favorite dishes since 2021 and selling them frozen or fresh out of their market in Concord.
- Our contributors, the CabCo Moms (aka Ashley and Tania) are regulars at the market and prepared this feature for us to share with our readers. In fact, they even made a video tour of the market to show exactly how you can shop at this great local market.
How Did They Land in Concord?
Cody and Cailin were living in Vero Beach, FL, working jobs with opposite hours, and barely having any time together when Cailin learned she was pregnant. They had the decision to make on where they wanted to raise their baby and what they wanted their careers to look like going forward.
- They started researching restaurants for sale as Cailin was a server and Cody and his family had always been very into cooking. The search ranged anywhere from Georgia to Virginia when during one search, a former sushi restaurant popped up in Concord and they immediately jumped on it.
Concord wasn’t completely unfamiliar to the couple as she had spent some time in Taylorsville, NC, and Cody went to high school in Weddington. Once they arrived, they immediately went to work and were completely hands-on in transforming the former restaurant into the market it is today.
When talking with Cody and Cailin, you can easily feel their passion for the food. In fact, they don’t make anything they wouldn’t eat themselves or serve to their family.
- Cody’s personal favorite dish to make is the Beef Braciole while Cailin loves to bake the desserts you find in the store when she’s not busy running the front.
Their menus are planned weekly with rotating items throughout the week and there is truly something for everyone.
Whether you are craving some meat and potatoes, made-in-house sausage, or a vegetarian option like their cheese ravioli or creamy pesto gnocchi, there is always something homemade and delicious waiting! And we can’t forget to mention the homemade sauce. Their loaves of bread are shipped in from New Jersey as well as bagels from New York, and there are always a wide variety of desserts to choose from.
The best part about the food? It can be easily frozen so you can stock your freezer and always have a quick, delicious meal available to you. The CabCo Moms’ personal favorites are the chicken meatballs and short rib mac and cheese.
In their spare time, Cody and Cailin continue to settle into Concord. They love to explore the area with their 2-year-old son, the inspiration for the name of the store, Leo. You’ll often find them at local parks or taking a weekend trip over to the mountains to enjoy some peace and quiet. And Leo often gets in on the family business, featured on social media in Raffles and Contests, and always looks incredibly cute doing his part!
Be sure to follow Leo’s Facebook and Instagram pages so you can shop for what’s for dinner any day of the week and share with us on our social media channels what your new favorite meal is from their gourmet market.
Planning to visit? Tell ’em Cabarrus Weekly sent ya!
