When Zully Vielma and Louis Hamper settled in Greenville in 2016, for Louis Hamper, whose mother lived there, it was a homecoming. For Vielma, it was fleeing her homeland of Venezuela after threats and violence forced the family to leave.
Now the pair are owners of Fishmongers Seafood Market at 4011 Plainfield Ave. NE, a small business that blends a wholesale seafood arm, a seafood market, and a small eat-in area. Fishmongers offers everything from raw oysters to fresh whitefish, from shrimp to crab legs, from soup to spices.
“We are not a full restaurant, not a full market. We are both,” said Vielma. “People ask how to cook fresh salmon and we can get the chef to talk to the person about how best to prepare it.”
Fishmongers (fishmongerseafoodmarket.com) opened in December 2024 to little fanfare, but it quickly became popular with folks in the north Plainfield area. More and more people are discovering the business’s unique blend of fresh seafood to take home and a quick lunch of clam chowder or fried perch.
The business began as Bayo Food, a wholesale seafood business. They bought the Plainfield location several years ago as the business office, but people started requesting to buy directly from Bayo.
“They didn’t want 10 pounds of snow crabs or a case of fish, just a filet or a few pounds,” said Vielma. “We had the space, so we decided to start Fishmongers. It’s so rewarding to sell to customers. We never expected so many people to come.”
The Hampers are dedicated to the community, offering jobs to local kids, training staff, providing good and healthy food. Seven employees work for Bayo and six for the market. Hamper is in charge of operations, while Vielma is in charge of administration. Their son works as a cashier and in the kitchen after school.
“Seafood is my number one food. I like the feeling that we are doing something to help people enjoy good food. We are very community oriented and offer fresh seafood at affordable prices,” said Vielma.
