Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Lost in Key Food on Avenue A? You may not be alone!
As we mentioned on April 22, Key was going to rearrange a few things ahead of a checkout aisle upgrade.
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.
I adore your reporting on Key Food, but this piece is simply top notch. The best thing I've read today (and I'm totally not being sarcastic.) Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteFully agree. I rarely comment but I felt I had to send over gold stars for this piece. Special mention to *dairy diaspora*. EV Grieve's ongoing love affair with Key Foods brings me such joy.
DeleteIt is good that they are reorganizing the items in the store I hope they relocate the rolls that are by the front doors next to the deli counter which can be very awkward to get to. I especially hope they upgrade the cash registers and credit/debit card scanners as I am so tired of them rejecting my card because of a defective chip or expired card when that is not the case.
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