It's official. Key Food coming to Fleetwood

[jcmods]

According to the flyer in my building, Key Foods have signed an agreement to move in where Samba Na Brasa was. Interesting since I had heard that no supermarket would touch it because of the lack of free parking in the garage. I was beginning to think there would never be another market there.

I have heard bad things about Key Food, but I don't see how it could be worse than that crappy A&P. It will be great to have it nearby so that you don't always have to drive (even though Super Stop N Shop will likely remain my "go to" market for more variety).

Overall, I think it is very good news.

[Doreen]

The Key Food in Pleasantville has the most amazing and freshest fish around these parts. The produce is also excellent.

[menton1]

Supermarket fresh fish is generally blah and more importantly, staffed by amateurish clerks who move around into the deli dept as well...

The ABSOLUTE best fish in the county, bar none, is Apple Farm in WP. An awesome variety of the freshest fish ever. Staffed by pros. Immaculate and beautifully presented. Also a variety of pick-your-own whole fish, bring it to the counter, and they clean and/or fillet it for you. Apple Farm is the BEST!

[roxlet]

Hmm. The one time I purchased fish there, it was pretty mediocre, and not as fresh as I had thought when buying it. I never returned there for fish, and now my DH has a card for the Restaurant Depot. The RD has fish and other seafood with tags telling you where it was caught and/or harvested. The other day we had mussels that were less that 2 days out of the water. So fresh and delicious!

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Restaurant Depot
650 S Columbus Ave, Mount Vernon, NY 10550

[menton1]

Apple Farm has similar signage telling the origin and date as well...

[jcmods]

Can anyone shop at Restaurant Depot? I keep passing it on the way to Fairway and wondered about it. I thought you had to prove you are a restaurant.

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Restaurant Depot
720 Stewart Ave, Garden City, NY 11530

[roxlet]

I think you need a resale number for a business. My DH has a small BBQ business, so is able to shop there. I have a friend who wandered in there not knowing, and they let him buy what he had in his cart, so maybe it is worth a try...

[jcmods]

Wonder if it was the same asian guy the Fleetwood store had. It seemed like he was only there on consignment or something because he was not there every day. I thought the fish did look better than Stop N Shop and most supermarkets. Maybe it is not the most ultra fresh on earth, but it was lacking that sorta grayish look that turns me off.. If Key Food does re-open I hope they don't get rid of the portuguese stuff. Maybe the reason they didn't have enough customers was they didn't sell enough processed junk. That would be sad if they had to dumb down their product line. And the rotisserie chickens were better too.

[Doreen]

We eat fish 3/4 x per week. Asians run the fish section in our Key Food. It is always pure smelling, firm and extremely fresh. If you're lucky, your store will have the same concession.

[Sloth]

This article explains some of what went wrong. http://www.mvinquirer.com/key_food_su...
Did not know the same owner was responsible for Samba Na Brasa.

[jcmods]

Now the super duper rumor is that Met food is looking at taking over. Why all the conspiracies over a super market?

[delightfuldiva]

Key Food was great for "last minute, I forgot to buy x" but in general it wasn't a great store. The prices were a bit ridiculous. It's unfortunate they are closing but I won't miss it. Trader Joes would rock in that space. I need to send them a tweet so they can seize the opportunity.

[jcmods]

You can't compare the concept to Trader Joe's. I really thought that Key Food had a great mission for a small store...ie the Portuguese stuff (because even Little Brasil in MV doesn't have a great market and it felt like "Little Newark" in there). Granted, I was walking distance which is why I am biased. However, they really stocked some very interesting products. Trader Joe's is more about Schtick or something. I love it but I go there as a novelty more than necessity.

[jcmods]

Opened July 2010....gone March 2011. Really stupid. I wonder what will go in there now. Hopefully not another overpriced steakhouse.

[rolise]

My friend told me today that Key Food is going to reopen under new management. She usually knows stuff like this, don't know how. Hopefully she is right.

[jcmods]

I really hope your friend is right. The line at Harvest Field Market was twice as long as usual yesterday. I don't have the patience to go through that on a regular basis.

[jcmods]

Almost exactly one year later it is gone....or soon to be gone. I am so bummed.

[JMF]

Really? I went a couple of months ago, and then have been out of town. I drove by yesterday and thought that I need to shop there again. it looked open.

[rolise]

A friend of mine told me yesterday that they were closing soon and there is hardly anything on the shelves.

[elzbthabeth]

I'm bummed too. Shelves were 1/2 empty when I stopped in on Friday after my commute. I like the fairly recent Harvest Market too (next to the CVS), but it's a bit out of my way. WTF? Fleetwood can't support a supermarket? They must have really been losing money, because opening shop had to be quite expensive.

[jcmods]

After a few visits, I am more than pleased with the new selection. They really have quite a few exotic things for a small market including Aidell's Andouille, Olive Oils from Spain and Portugal, really good looking seafood (they had a whole red snapper which was mighty tempting and they sell the heads for stock). They really don't have so much processed junk like the A&P had. I still have reasons for going to Super Stop N Shop (ie. Sourdough Bread, greater selection of Amy's and organic frozen entrees, Wickles, selection of juices etc.) But this is a great market to have in the neigborhood for during the week when you don't really want to get in the car and drive to stop n shop. SO MUCH BETTER THAN A&P WAS. Millions of light years better I would say.

[rolise]

My 9 yo son who loves hot sauce was thrilled with the carribean section. He got "jerk" rub and two new hot sauces to try. He also picked out a really good mango. Their sale prices are not bad.

[menton1]

ShopRite in Tuckahoe has the best selection and pricing IMHO...

[rolise]

I like the new Shoprite in New Rochelle as it is bigger and cleaner. they are also building a new Shoprite on Rte. 100 in the shopping center where Red Lobster is.

[JMF]

What Shoprite in Tuckahoe? There's one in Yonkers on Tuckahoe Rd., but not one in Tuckahoe.

[rolise]

they mean the one on Tuckahoe Road

[Sloth]

Been there 3 times now. Couldn't really shop the first time because their credit card lines were down. Overall, glad to have them in the neighborhood. Much better than the A&P used to be. Staff could use more training in produce recognition (I had to tell the cashier the difference between garlic and ginger). Rotisserie chickens weren't available yet. Lots of little quibbles that should get sorted in time. Bottom line; Fleetwood now has a perfectly acceptable supermarket. Yay!

[swept]

I went to Key Food on the 17th -- and was very impressed.. While its not a huge store, it has a nice and wide variety of produce, a bakery, fresh fish, a nice meat selection and of course all the other grocery needs. Seems to cater to the ethnic diversity of Mt. Vernon, with items that are more typical for Jamaican, Latin and Southern cuisines... and of course Italian... Nice to see that variety in a small store. Prices are a bit higher than the typical Stop N Shop, but hopefully folks will support this store.

I like the fresh fish section -- bought some salmon steaks on sale, and they were lovely!

Store staff needs to get their feet under them but that will happen in time.. just like any other newly opened establishment...

[otisman]

The Key Foods Marketplace in Pleasantville is a pleasant place to shop in. Assume the Fleetwood store would be the same.

[rii23xo]

I've drove by CVS and saw a "Key Food coming soon". Hey.. I'm all for it! No more driving far places to get groceries. Save on gas too! Sure A&P was a pretty crappy store but not all "Key Food's" will be like that. I sord of think the one in Fleetwood would be a nice touch. I was too annoyed that they put ANOTHER CVS there when we already had a duane reede close by. Forget the Walgreens! WE HAD DUANE REEDE! But the fact CVS is open 24/7 is pretty good. And now there will be a quicker way to pick up groceries because key food is coming. All I want is a job over there. I know its going to make alot of money. Any ideas on how to get a job at the Fleetwood Key Food? Please post!

[rolise]

Rumor is it is opening up in July. I would go by during the day when construction is underway and ask someone. Also maybe check key food website if there is one.

[rolise]

Big sign up stating Grand Opening is July 14th!!

[rolise]

Drove by yesterday and they changed the date on the sign to July 16th. From my brief glimpse inside it looked nice with decorative hanging light fixtures.

[jcmods]

I thought so. Walked by and looked inside. Resembles the Food Emporium in Bronxville in terms of at least trying to make the space look attractive. Will check it out later today. Hopefully not too crowded, after all it's not exactly Fairway.

[delightfuldiva]

I wish it was Trader Joes instead of Key Food. Key Food is just so subpar...well the few I've been to are. Here's to getting in the car and driving to Stop and Shop.

[jcmods]

That could be, but perhaps you are not familiar with just how bad the A&P it is replacing was. Truly horrible! Worse by far than the A&P in Journal Square in Jersey City that I used to go to in the 80's.

[varsitysg]

I have to ask just who the source of the flyer is. There are so many rumors flying around about the leaseholders of the Samba space so unless that flyer is from a reliable and non-anonymous, I wouldn't get my hopes up.

Now, on the other hand if true, that would be great news. There are different operators of Key Foods locations, some are not so good and some are good. I think that with a new grocery store, coupled with the new CVS (which is supposed to open this weekend) and the WindMill Cafe, things are looking up in Fleetwood. Also coming is almost a million dollars in renovations to the Fleetwood parking garage.

[jcmods]

Not sure, but it seems it was put up by the building management and there is a banner above the deck at Samba Na Brasa saying "Key Foods Coming Soon".

[rolise]

The sign says "key food marketplace" whatever that means. i drove by today specifically to look at it. Maybe designates a smaller specialty store? And as much as I am annoyed by another CVS I am happy it is 24 hour store as before we had to trek late night to New Rochelle or the Walgreens in Yonkers just off the Saw Mill.

[miss_chalet]

Check out http://www.keyfoodmarketplace.com/abo...

Looks like a more upscale Key Food market!

In other news, CVS to open Sunday, February 28th. Regarding the adjacent retail/market space, I heard rumors that Decicco was interested so I sent them an email. John De Cicco responded:

"The truth is we don't know. We are talking with the landlord. Someone else holds the lease and the landlord is trying to find out what his tenant is doing.
Thanks for your interest. John"

Seems less likely to happen now that Key Food is a definite.

[jcmods]

Just saw a notice that the Meateria is moving into that space, so definitely no Deciccio's. Hope the new Meateria will be able to stock more free-range and sustainable meats. Up till now we always had to special order those products.

[anonymouse1935]

Meateria? Key Food? Has Fleetwood gone into a time warp?

Unless we're talking about two other wonderful stores, Meateria and Key Food have been around since the middle of the 20th century and bring to mind dirty, dingy, old groceries, and cellophaned packages of half grey chopped meat.

It must be two other stores. Oh, and DeCicco brings to mind C-Town.

Here's to Fairway!

[elzbthabeth]

The Keyfood will be brand new and looking for business. I seriously doubt it will be dirty and dingy. I, for one, can't wait to be able to bring home fresh food on my way up from Metro North in the evenings. I love that it may actually be possible to buy an evening's meal fixings on a daily basis, instead of stocking up over the weekend at a mega store.

[Sloth]

Exactly what I'm looking forward to. If in combination with the other shops in the nabe I don't have drive to Stop & Shop for a weekly re-stocking, I'll be happy.