Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Opens With a Bang

The totally rebuilt Gristedes supermarket at 101 Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights reopened in a glorious fashion Friday morning with a VIP party and actual VIPs!

John Catsimatidis, chairman and CEO of Gristedes Foods (above), Brooklyn BP Marty Markowitz (below), Councilman David Yassky, and State Senator-elect Daniel Squadron and various store managers were among the ribbon-cutters.

Half of Brooklyn Heights enjoyed free breakfast as delicious nibbles -- including fruit, bagels and lox, fresh-baked muffins and free coffee -- were generously handed out.

Neighborhood shoppers' reactions were generally awestruck. The store appears to be much larger than before last April's disastrous fire, owing to a new traffic-flow design, and the shelves are stocked with fresh, clean items. Service, at least Friday morning, was cheerful and polite. The produce department is particularly impressive, fully stocked with fresh and organic greens.

There are many more choices for carnivores than before as well -- the poultry department now carries Murray's and Coleman's organic chicken.

The store has new freezer units, stocked with Lean Cuisine and other convenience foods. The deli looks pretty awesome.

One drawback is the prices. We had to notice that many of the items that we generally buy seem to be about a dollar more at Gristedes than at Key Food or Trader Joe's. This probably won't deter many North Heights shoppers, especially if Gristedes keeps the store clean, the shelves stocked with fresh items and the service friendly, but it might hurt them with South Heights customers who are closer to the other stores.

But we commend Gristedes on a job well done. The supermarket is completely rebuilt, modern clean and friendly. The large amount of organic items is a big plus. The greens look scrumptious. And Lydia is back!

Check it out. Free coffee all week.

More details at the Brooklyn Eagle, the Brooklyn Heights Blog and the Brooklyn Paper.

- Gristedes Workers Scramble to Get Brooklyn Heights Store Ready
- VIP Party Friday at Brooklyn Heights' Gristedes!
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Major Upgrade, Hiring Nov. 5 - 7
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes to Go Upscale With Coffee Counter
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes All Cleaned Up
- Inside the Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- The Line at Peas and Pickles
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Closed Until July
- Schumer Endorses Former Aide in Front of Burnt-Out Grocery Store
- Fire-Damaged Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Pharmacy To Reopen?
- Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

Photos by MK Metz
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

VIP Party Friday at Brooklyn Heights' Gristedes!

The Big Opening Day is coming up fast for the Brooklyn Heights' Gristedes!

A VIP party will be held Friday, Nov. 21 from 8 - 11 a.m. All are invited to come and help celebrate the reopening.

Burnt to a crisp last April 1st, the wheels of change have spun full circle and a reloaded, replenished and redesigned supermarket is almost ready to roll.

Last month, Gristedes sent us this message about the store:

"Our newly renovated full service supermarket will include a full service Chock Full of Nuts Cafe with breakfast sandwiches and a full array of coffee selections. Our in-store bakery will feature a highly qualified baker preparing baked goods fresh daily as well as specialty cakes and pastries. Our Deli will feature a Gristedes original Mike's Sub Shoppe with a cornucopia of fine sandwich selections. Our Deli will also feature a fresh Olive Bar, Hot Food selection, prepared Meals To-Go."

- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Major Upgrade, Hiring Nov. 5 - 7
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes to Go Upscale With Coffee Counter
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes All Cleaned Up
- Inside the Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- The Line at Peas and Pickles
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Closed Until July
- Schumer Endorses Former Aide in Front of Burnt-Out Grocery Store
- Fire-Damaged Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Pharmacy To Reopen?
- Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

Photo by MK Metz

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Major Upgrade, Hiring Nov. 5 - 7

Brooklyn Heights residents have been watching and wondering for months about the reopening of the fire-ravaged Gristedes supermarket on Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights.

The store was gutted last April 1, and has experienced several delays on the road to reopening. But activity has certainly picked up recently, Gristedes has been kind enough to post a construction update for us here at McBrooklyn. We're reposting it here:

"Our crews are working fast and furious to bring you an updated, full service and modern supermarket as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience while we continue to push for the opening. Our newly renovated full service supermarket will include a full service Chock Full of Nuts Cafe with breakfast sandwiches and a full array of coffee selections. Our in-store bakery will feature a highly qualified baker preparing baked goods fresh daily as well as specialty cakes and pastries. Our Deli will feature a Gristedes original Mike's Sub Shoppe with a cornucopia of fine sandwich selections. Our Deli will also feature a fresh Olive Bar, Hot Food selection, prepared Meals To-Go.

"We will be having career days scheduled on 11/5 through 11/7 from 10AM thru 4PM at the store. Tables will be setup and we will be accepting applications for various store positions.

"We appreciate your patience and look forward to serving the neighborhood with our newly renovated Supermarket.

"Please feel free to contact us anytime to let us know your thoughts. We can be reached at customerservice@gristedes.com "

- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes to Go Upscale With Coffee Counter
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes All Cleaned Up
- Inside the Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- The Line at Peas and Pickles
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Closed Until July
- Schumer Endorses Former Aide in Front of Burnt-Out Grocery Store
- Fire-Damaged Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Pharmacy To Reopen?
- Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

Photo by MK Metz

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Gristedes Workers Scramble to Get Brooklyn Heights Store Ready

Workers at the Brooklyn Heights Gristedes were still scrambling tonight to get ready for tomorrow morning's VIP Grand Opening party. Expectations are high; workers are hustling, and debris is stacked up at the front of the supermarket, on Henry Street at Clark.

Will the store be ready? Will the neighborhood render a positive verdict?

We'll know tomorrow . . .

- VIP Party Friday at Brooklyn Heights' Gristedes!
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Major Upgrade, Hiring Nov. 5 - 7
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes to Go Upscale With Coffee Counter
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes All Cleaned Up
- Inside the Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- The Line at Peas and Pickles
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Closed Until July
- Schumer Endorses Former Aide in Front of Burnt-Out Grocery Store
- Fire-Damaged Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Pharmacy To Reopen?
- Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

Photo by MK Metz

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Fire-Damaged Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Pharmacy To Reopen?

While many comments have been made about the freshness of Gristedes' honey-glazed ham and baked goods, it's occurring to hundreds of Brooklyn Heights residents that they relied on the burnt-out Henry Street store for their pharmaceutical needs.

Several years ago Gristedes bought out the drug store roughly across the street, gaining both the idiosyncratic assistant pharmacist (now gone) and the pharmacy's customers, many of them elderly residents of the Cadman towers.

With this in mind, a representative of Gristedes told the Brooklyn Eagle Wednesday: “We aim to have at least the pharmacy opened up by Friday at noon." They hope to make prescriptions available to consumers to be picked up at the 101 Henry St. location, or delivered to homes or other Gristedes locations, they said.

Meanwhile, the cleanup continues. Contractors replaced glass that had been smashed by the Fire Department during Tuesday evening's fire and washed down surfaces.


Hundreds of bags of damaged goods were thrown into bins or piled on the sidewalk.


Ash-covered computers were dumped like damaged tomatoes.


Independent contractors came in bunches. Someone yelled out that Gristedes was hiring clean-up crew -- no questions asked.


But a union worker told the Eagle that he and his coworkers were notified by their union sometime around noon on Wednesday to stop working inside the store due to the still “unsafe working conditions” inside. “They had to get everybody out,” he said.

Unsafe conditions may not have held back some creative midnight shoppers, however... A commentator said on an earlier McBrooklyn post about the fire, "Gristedes got completely cleaned out sometime after sundown to sunrise..."

Photos by MK Metz

- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath
- Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes

Gristedes 'Trader John's' vs Trader Joe's

Gristedes owner John Catsimatidis (shown above at the opening of the recently renovated Brooklyn Heights Gristedes) is in hot water with Trader Joe's for opening up a Trader Joe's clone. Called "Trader John's," the TJ's lookalike is just three blocks away from the Trader Joe's Union Square location.

Stories in the NY Post, Forbes, Bloomberg, Gothamist and more report that TJ's filed a complaint Jan. 8 that Gristedes "gutted, renovated and renamed and redecorated to make it appear more similar to Trader Joe's." It was a "blatant attempt to confuse consumers and capitalize on Trader Joe's hard-earned goodwill."

Forbes says that Trader Joe's has 326 stores in the U.S. and is expected to ring up $7.2 billion in sales in 2009, while Gristedes has 35 stores with $275 million in sales in 2008.

That means thatTrader Joe's makes roughly three times per store than Gristedes. The NY Times noted in September 2007 that the number of Gristedes stores has dropped from 78 a decade ago to 39.

UPDATE: Vanishing New York reports that "Trader John's" has covered up its sign. See photo here.

See all past Brooklyn Heights Gristedes stories here.

Photo by MK Metz

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Brooklyn Heights Gristedes to Go Upscale With Coffee Counter

Insiders say that the Gristedes supermarket in Brooklyn Heights -- undergoing a total redo (see above) since it was destroyed in a fire last April -- will include a coffee counter, along with other upscale amenities.

The coffee counter will be in the front of the store near the windows facing north.

Insurance delays have held up the store's reconstruction, sources say, but things are starting to move along now.

The store had hoped to open by the end of September/ early October, but there's no word on whether that time frame still stands.

- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes All Cleaned Up
- Inside the Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- The Line at Peas and Pickles
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Closed Until July
- Schumer Endorses Former Aide in Front of Burnt-Out Grocery Store
- Fire-Damaged Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Pharmacy To Reopen?
- Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

Photo by MK Metz

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Brooklyn Heights Gristedes All Cleaned Up

Behind that paper plastered all over the windows at Gristedes on Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights, the fire-gutted store has actually been cleaned up. The above was shot from the front of the store.

Below you can see what the same approximate area looked like in May. This photo was shot from the back -- the front windows can be seen to the right.

The fire took place April 1st. Back in May, the manager said he hoped the store would reopen in July. Now, he told McBrooklyn he's hoping for September, but no promises. One problem they ran into had to do with insurance, he said.

Workers say the store will be "better than ever" when it reopens.

- Inside the Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- The Line at Peas and Pickles
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Closed Until July
- Schumer Endorses Former Aide in Front of Burnt-Out Grocery Store
- Fire-Damaged Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Pharmacy To Reopen?
- Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

Photos by MK Metz

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

The Line at Peas n' Pickles

Ever since the fire at the Brooklyn Heights Gristedes, the lines at Peas n' Pickles next door are longer than ever.

Their good luck has been extended till midsummer -- the manager of Gristedes confirmed Friday that the store will be closed until at least the first week of July.

Peas n' Pickles has stepped up to the plate. Lately there are two staff members operating the registers (if not, the efficient Russian guy operates both all by himself). If they don't know a price there's none of this running back to the aisles to look it up -- they just make one up and get on with it.

The Brooklyn Heights Blog wonders if they're shaking us down. (Prices do seem a bit high.) But another possibility is that the fire coincided with a general raise in food prices everywhere.

- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Closed Until July
- Schumer Endorses Former Aide in Front of Burnt-Out Grocery Store- Fire-Damaged Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Pharmacy To Reopen?
- Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

Photo by MK Metz

Inside the Brooklyn Heights Gristedes

Here's the interior of the Brooklyn Heights Gristedes as it looks today, more than a month after the fire that ruined everything inside the Henry Street supermarket. The top two photos are shot (roughly) from the area where the dairy department was. That's a phone hanging down from the ceiling in the top photo.

This bottom photo is shot from (roughly) where the eggs were sold. At the top right is the front of the store, where the cash registers were.

The manager confirmed last Friday that the store will be closed until at least the first week of July.

- The Line at Peas and Pickles
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Closed Until July
- Schumer Endorses Former Aide in Front of Burnt-Out Grocery Store
- Fire-Damaged Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Pharmacy To Reopen?
- Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

Photos by MK Metz

Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Closed Until July

The reopening date of the Gristedes supermarket in Brooklyn Heights -- closed after an April 1 fire -- has been pushed back to the first week in July, according to employees working at the store Tuesday.

"We're going to do it right," one man told McBrooklyn. He said that everything in the store still smelled heavily of smoke and would have to be replaced.

After the fire, management hoped that the store, on Henry Street in the North Heights, would be back in business by the end of May. (A small, walled-off section containing the pharmacy has been reopened.)

Peas n' Pickles, the deli and produce market next door, has never been busier.

- Schumer Endorses Former Aide in Front of Burnt-Out Grocery Store- Fire-Damaged Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Pharmacy To Reopen?
- Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

Photo by MK Metz

Brooklyn Heights' Noodle Pudding Had a Bad Day on Tuesday, Too

In all the excitement about the fire at Gristedes Tuesday, we neglected to post photos from an incident that could have been equally catastrophic.

The Fire Department was called to Noodle Pudding restaurant at 38 Henry Street (near Cranberry Street in the North Heights) earlier on the same day as the Gristedes fire. A gas leak was discovered and everyone had to get out.

Luckily they caught it in time. The Fire Department (which is right around the corner) stayed quite a long time checking things out. They threw open the windows and installed a fan to suck the gas out of the basement (see photo, left). The restaurant is on the ground floor of a residential building.

It would have been a terrible loss if anything happened to the place. Noodle Pudding is consistently rated as one of the best restaurants in Brooklyn.

Noodle Pudding is a New York Magazine Critic's Pick: "Noodle Pudding prepares some of the best Italian food in the city."

Photos by MK Metz

- Fire Damaged Gristedes: Pharmacy to Reopen?
- Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

Will Peas n' Pickles Challenge Gristedes' Supremacy in North Brooklyn Heights?

With the acquisition of the next door storefront on Pineapple Walk in Brooklyn Heights (shown above as workers were transferring goods from the original store), Peas n' Pickles market is expanding from a convenience mart into an supermarket/deli, with enough square footage to challenge Gristedes supermarket right across the walk.

While Gristedes is much larger and includes a pharmacy, their inventory control is chaotic and prices can be outrageously high.

If Peas n' Pickles can keep their friendly service and reasonable prices (cheaper than Gristedes anyway) the place should do very well.

Peas n' Pickles owner Jung Sook Lee told the Brooklyn Eagle the deli and salad bar portion will open in about two months, after the original section is renovated.

(Factoid: The Brooklyn Heights' Peas n' Pickles -- there is another branch in DUMBO -- has its own listing in the Urban Dictionary.)

Photo by MK Metz

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Schumer Endorses Former Aide in Front of Burnt-Out Grocery Store

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer endorsed former aid Daniel Squadron for the Democratic nomination for state senator, 25th District, this past Sunday.

The event drew a small crowd in front of the burnt-out Gristedes grocery store, on Henry and Clark Streets in Brooklyn Heights -- a curious site, but quite convenient.

The significance of this endorsement, according to the Brooklyn Eagle, is that the seat has continuously been held by State Sen. Marty Connor since 1978.

Schumer cited “complete integrity” and the political experience gained from being his assistant as Squadron’s qualification for the post, according to the Eagle. Marty Algaze, a spokesman for Connor, had a different opinion of Squadron: “His resume is about as deep as a paper clip."

Schumer, in Startling Move, Endorses Connor’s Opponent Brooklyn Eagle

- Fire-Damaged Brooklyn Heights Gristedes: Pharmacy To Reopen?
- Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes
- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

Cleanup Begins at Brooklyn Heights Gristedes

Crews were hard at work this morning cleaning up the mess at the Henry Street Gristedes in the north Heights (more photos will be posted later).

Carpenters were sawing planks, and workers from glass companies were on site, replacing a large number of broken windows. (See the full post from last night's fire here.)

Two large dumpsters were filled to overflowing with bagged merchandise by 10:30 a.m. Workers confirmed that the fire started near the deli area, and said that everything in the store had to be tossed because of smoke or water damage. (One guy joked that the store was having a sale on smoked turkey.)

The Brooklyn Eagle reports that police officers had to fend off the large crowds that massed in front of the store during the fire, some taking photos with their cell phones.

UPDATE here.

- Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

Photo by MK Metz

After Gristedes and Trader Joe's, What's Next for Downtown Brooklyn?

Now that Brooklyn Heights has their Gristedes back, and Cobble Hill has Trader Joe's, Downtown Brooklyn is waiting for their own spiffy supermarket.

Back in March, The Real Deal reported that Freshway Marketplace inked a 15-year lease at 200 Schermerhorn (that's ground floor at State Renaissance Court, shown above) for its first NYC retail space.

Brownstoner reported that the deal had fallen through. In October, however, Brownstoner got a tip that a market called Brooklyn Fare was coming in.

The Brooklyn Paper confirmed the story, and the Brooklyn Eagle reported that Brooklyn Fare has negotiated a 30-year lease. Owner Moe Issa, who says he hopes to open in January, told the Eagle that the market will have "food to go, a seafood department and a butcher, a cheese bar with a selection of at least 500 cheeses, a chef onsite, a bakery and a kitchen."

The Eagle also reports that "a new market will soon replace the Associated market that closed this summer at the Concord Village residential complex at Tillary and Adams streets."

Photo by MK Metz

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

A Run On Crab Cakes At Brooklyn's Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is another retailer that seems to be coasting through the recession. The frozen food coolers were half wiped out Sunday about 5 p.m.

We were there to load up on crab cakes and vegetable gyoza, both gone. Shrimp and chicken stir-fry, chicken tempora, various vegetable blends and deli items were also out.

Workers were refilling other bins, so perhaps they just didn't have time to refill these items.

The lines, as usual, wrapped around the store, but they do move quickly.

- Gristedes' 'Trader John's' vs Trader Joe's
- After Gristedes and Trader Joe's, What's Next for Downtown Brooklyn?
- Frozen Meals Return to Brooklyn's Trader Joe's
-Trader Joe's Warehouse Fire: Frozen Food Meltdown in NYC, Brooklyn
- An Insecure Fruit Stand Guy in Brooklyn's Trader Joe's Territory
- Brooklyn Hulas To New Trader Joe's

Photos by MK Metz

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Brooklyn Heights Gristedes Fire Dismal Aftermath

This is the result of this evening's fire at Gristedes Supermarket on Henry Street near Pineapple Walk in Brooklyn Heights.

Black smoke billowed north up Henry Street during the fire. Stores on Pineapple Walk closed early, and the smell still lingers inside buildings all the way to the end of Henry Street.

A worker told McBrooklyn that the fire started in the unit that keeps the bread and donuts warm, just past the deli. Store workers told the Brooklyn Heights Blog that the blaze was caused "by an electrical malfunction in the deli department."

A police officer told McBrooklyn "what the fire didn't get, the water from the Fire Department did." He also said that the basement was totally flooded.

Here, officials inspect the damage.

The condition of the ceilings seems to indicate that the Fire Department tore them down as they put out the fire.


UPDATE here.

Photos by MK Metz

LICH Merger with SUNY Downstate, and Other Brooklyn Briefs

- The plan to merge Long Island College Hospital with SUNY Downstate has some supporters, but also a large group of doctors who are vehemently opposed. Brooklyn Eagle

- The Division of Housing and Community Renewal has denied the Riverside Apartments building owner’s plans to construct an underground garage/garden. Brooklyn Paper

- For shame: The treasurer of the Gristedes supermarket chain -- Michael Seltzer --was charged with trying to have sex with a 14-year-old girl he met online (who turned out to be a cop). NY Post

- Brooklyn home prices fell 16 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier and sales of new condominiums slid by almost half. Bloomberg

- David Letterman posted his largest weekly victory over The Tonight Show since 2000. Is Conan losing his grip? Gawker

- When Housing Works on Montague St. was "Mammy's Pantry." Pardon Me For Asking

- O.M.G. The Republicans are promoting their new web site -- only problem is, it's filled with obscenity, degrading images and stereotypes. Seriously. AMERICAblog via Huff Post

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Bikers, Robbers, Seniors, Weiners, and More Brooklyn Briefs

Cop gives cyclist Casey Neistat $50 ticket for riding outside of bike lane-- which is not against the law. This (video, above) is what happens to Neistat when he tries to stay in the bike lane. (Via Gothamist)

- Coney for seniors? CEO of the Gristedes supermarket chain John Catsimatidis may target his new "Ocean Dreams" development there to middle-aged adults and seniors. TRD

- Photo: Robbers used a stun gun to rob a man waiting for the F train in Borough Park. Fox

- The data of hundreds of thousands of Citibank card customers was hacked. Huff Post

- Weiner's seat may be sacrificed in redistricting. NY Times

- He'll be popular there: A former cop who was part of a crew that tortured, kidnapped and robbed drug dealers will spend the next two decades in federal prison. Brooklyn Eagle

- Awesomely creepy puppets coming to re-enact Shackelton's voyage at BAM. Gothamist

- Too brownstoney: Landmarks sends 27 Cranberry Street in Brooklyn Heights back to the drawing board. Brooklyn Eagle and BHB

- There's another rally against the city’s planned closure of Engine Co. 205 in Brooklyn Heights today. Brooklyn Eagle

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.