Monday, February 27, 2012

Looking at the Key Food renovations

Speaking of markets and groceries... A lot of people have been pointing out the ongoing renovations at Key Food on Avenue A and East Fourth Street... figured it was time to document some of the changes... First, with the entrance, which is just to the right of the old one... it's a more straightforward entry...


...the old entrance is semi-blocked off for the moment... (What will happen to the community bulletin board?)


...aside from the front entrance, the most visible work has been done near the beer selection...


...where workers are expanding the space...


...which still smells like dead vampires.

Thanks to Goggla for getting the scoop from a cashier recently... From the comments the other day:

"... she said the entrance wasn't very accessible to wheelchairs. With the growing elderly population across the street, they may be trying to make it easier for people with walkers to get in. The checker said the old entrance also made it to easy to steal stuff. A few years ago, as a junkie convulsed and went down in an aisle (taking out an entire shelf of cleaning supplies), the paramedics struggled to get a gurney through the checkstand. That could also be an explanation."

Key also moved the self-serve checkouts away from the doorway. Funny how people react when you start taking photos of cash registers and stuff. So, no photos of these for the moment...

12 comments:

glamma said...

good job keyfood. At least SOMEONE is catering to the junkies and the elderly!

Anonymous said...

Its nice they have started classing the place up. The fruit and veg isle is a lot nicer and the quality of the produce has gotten better. I assume the prices will start to climb soon but at least they have great deals on berries.

Anonymous said...

Hate those self-checkout aisles. It seems clear that they're working toward getting rid of the cashiers altogether.

Yes, dead vampires -- or rats, more likely. For years. Why?

Also, what the commenter above said about the produce aisle. It is looking better. Fewer visibly rotten/mold-covered berries priced to sit, better deals of late. Liking that.

Anonymous said...

I pulled a loaf of moldy rye bread out of the pile just in front of the deli counter about 6 months back. Handed it to the deli guys and said, maybe you want to go through the rest of these? Hopefully, the blank stare I got in return will also be going away with the renovations.

Anonymous said...

ha! I always assumed the dead vampire (is that possible?) was from their rancid meat station hidden behind the swingy doors. Same smell from the delivery door on 4th. Blech.

Anonymous said...

"...which still smells like dead vampires."

Jeeze!! you got that right. I don't even want to buy my Tecate there, just 'cause I'm afraid that stench will be stuck onto the can when I lift one up to take a sip.
(major spit-take)

Anonymous said...

How can someone own a chain of grocery stores and care so little about anything relating to food or pleasure or even salesmanship? Key Foods has the crappiest veggies (now they have just wrapped them all in individual plastic wraps!), the highest prices on packaged goods, expired/out-of-date meat and cheese, and the most miserable I-couldn't-care-less-because-my-working-conditions-are-so-awful employees. Its the "Darwin's Nightmare" of grocery stores.

eringobiteme said...

They made the aisles even narrower so it is a nightmare to negotiate. The last time I was there I vowed to never return. Whole foods+More$=wider aisles

Anonymous said...

Every time I visit a supermarket anywhere else in the city I get so jealous. No matter how far out in the outer boroughs or the income level of the area, from the poorest to the richest, all the supermarkets are practically glamorous compared to Key Foods..., in terms of cleanliness, quality of meat and produce, and designs of the spaces nothing is ever as horrible as what we are stuck with on Ave. A... Key Foods is disgusting, and the employees practically slap you on the way out. I will trek miles out of my way to NYU hell to shop at the Morton Williams where not only is the experience more pleasant, and the selection much better, but the prices are actually cheaper than on Ave A. Otherwise I will save up and go to Whole Foods, where one is treated like a human being. Key Foods on Ave A I avoid, at all cost, unless I am desperate and too tired to walk further...

Anonymous said...

It's still better than fine fare

Anonymous said...

I have generally found the prices at Key Food to be good, and sometimes excellent on sale items. I generally buy stuff like milk, cottage cheese, canned fish, rice, pasta, pasta sauce, and their "oil and vinegar cole slaw" though. I rarely buy produce there; fir fruits and vegetables, Westside Market has better stuff at better prices.

And in general I've found the staff at Key Food to be helpful and even friendly at times. I think it may be an "East Village" attitude thing.

It's my favorite supermarket. Trader Joe's is my other preference.

Glenn Belverio said...

Cheezus, you people really like to bitch and whine. I've been shopping at Key Food on Ave. A for 21 years (since I was a toddler) and I think the cashiers are usually very nice and friendly. If you're having bad experiences, the cashiers are probably just reacting to YOUR surly, self-entitled attitudes.