Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Lost in Key Food on Avenue A? You may not be alone!
First stop: the cake aisle — or rather, the former cake aisle (top photo). Gone are the "cakes for all occasions" signs (graduations! backyard parties! cake-worthy Tuesdays!).
In their place? Soup. And packaged sides of an ambiguous nature. Think shelf-stable mystery mash.
Looking for sushi? It's no longer near the front. The nigiri's been quietly relocated to a smaller case near the deli. (Slim pickings if you wander in post-8:30 p.m.)
What took its place? An expanded cake-and-dessert section, now featuring puddings and parfaits — but oddly, no signage about what occasions they're for.
And the cheese? Oh, the cheese. It's been divided like a dairy diaspora. Most of it now lives in dueling cases at the back of the store, flanking a surprise pasta island. Except feta, which has defected to hang with the olives and hummus where the original cheese section once stood.
Meanwhile, at the deli, the rotisserie chicken corner is thriving, now offering seasoned options like adobo and Italian herb, as well as Murray's organic birds for the purists.
As for the signage — look closely, and you might notice a new font gracing the iconic yellow Key Food signs. When asked, store manager Richie, who usually makes them, shared that this round came courtesy of "one of the scanner cashiers." A bold typographic pivot.
Despite the store's reshuffle, shoppers remained unfazed on Wednesday night during our first reorg visit. The aisles were calm, with a low-key energy. Phil Collins on the store's sound system.
Perhaps in the East Village, a little chaos is just part of the charm.
