New Gourmet Supermarket Opens In Harlem
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After a soft opening about a month ago, there was much fanfare on Friday as a new gourmet supermarket chain officially opened its first location in Harlem. Borough reporter Rebecca Spitz filed the following report.The first Best Yet Market in Harlem officially opened on Friday, offering succulent strawberries, savory olives, fresh fish and row after row of affordable fresh produce to nearby residents.
"They don't got supermarkets like this in this neighborhood around here. Maybe like 20 blocks away or 10 blocks away, but not in this immediate neighborhood," said shopper Angel Cortes.
The store, which is part of a small Long Island-based chain, is located on Frederick Douglass Boulevard between 118th and 119th Streets. It took $2 million to open, and half of the amount was loaned from the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone.
President Aviv Raitses of Best Yet Market says there are 140 employees working at the Harlem location, and about half of them are from the neighborhood.
"It's so good. I'm right in the neighborhood, I don't have to go far. I can walk to work," said employee Melvina Jacobs. "It's so convenient and this neighborhood actually needed a store like this."
Best Yet Market officials say the store helps fill Harlem's need for fresh produce.
"Most of the stores here have very small produce departments, small perishable departments. They're mostly focused on groceries.... We feel we have the perfect fit for this area," said Raitses.
UMEZ officials called the project an investment in the health and welfare of the community.
"People won't have to go to the suburbs or in some cases walk 20 blocks for quality goods and services. They're going to get it right here," said UMEZ President Kenneth Knuckles. "We thought through the combination of goods and services, job creation, this fit to a tee our mandate."
Shoppers like the Roberts family were thrilled not to have to walk for blocks only to lug their groceries home.
"We're very happy to have this here," said shopper Babette Roberts. "Because not only is their produce section like huge, which we didn't have before, they also have an expanded cheese section and organic food that we haven't been able to really get access to."
Located two blocks from the subway, the store also is convenient for people from neighborhoods nearby. Customers who end up buying more than they can carry home, can get delivery to locations between 96th to 125th Streets, between Fifth Avenue to the Hudson River.