Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
The grocery conversion of the former Rite Aid on the SW corner of First Avenue and Fifth Street continues.
And now we can reveal the brand: Metro Acres Market.
Ennis Said, an owner, confirmed the name and said they are aiming for a mid-February opening.
While it is not related to the other Metro Acres Markets, residents may be familiar with the brand. One opened several years back at 175 Clinton St. between East Broadway and Grand Street in Seward Park.
A Metro Acres Market also opened in the Bronx (in a space that housed a Rite Aid and later a Walgreens) in July.
A review of that location in The Market Report referred to it as "a pleasant, attractive store."
This outpost has a deli with grab-and-go items. The Bronx market doesn't have a bakery, though it carries items from local bakeries like Terranova and Zaro's. No word yet about a bakery in the EV store.
Said, who also owns Food Universe stores in Brooklyn with his siblings, said he is partnering with his brothers here — "just a few young guys eager to grow and get involved with the community."
The East Village Rite Aid closed on Aug. 24 after five weeks of going-out-of-business sales. The 63-year-old pharmacy chain filed for bankruptcy twice in two years before shutting down entirely last month.
The EV lease for the 8,500-square-foot space was auctioned off this past summer. (The auction was just for the lease, set to expire in January 2032, not the building.)
H/T to EVG reader Jake Bialer!
Based on the reviews of the store on the LES, this doesn't seem like the greatest replacement for RiteAid, considering all the other good grocery brands out there.
ReplyDeleteAnything would be a great replacement to that Rite Aid, even a funeral home or a shooting range...
DeleteWell lI guess it's better than another bank or bubble tea place and I wish them well. BUT I REALLY MISS RITE AID!
ReplyDeleteI'll give them a try, but it'll take a lot to pry my Wegmans seltzer from my stiff cold fingers.
ReplyDeleteI miss Rite Aid even more now that Walgreens was bought by private equity and took away employees holiday days off. Also assume the "efficiencies" of PE will wreck the brand further. So boycott Walgreens. There is always Block Drug over on Second and Sixth too. Good to know that it the space isn't a bank and may actually be useful to locals.
ReplyDeleteAldi would be nice. This is just a generic grocery but will compete with Key Food.
ReplyDeleteYou might not notice the small flyer posted outside the Metro Acres grocery on Grand Street…
ReplyDeleteThe hidden camera reality show Impractical Jokers is shooting inside the store. The notice warns shoppers that, by entering, they consent to being videotaped for the show.
So beware, a trip to the neighborhood grocery could land you on a cable reality program.
I miss having a general goods store (even if it was a chain) next door to my apartment.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note I hope the never ending loud construction on that corner speeds up because of the store opening.
It's been going on since at least the spring time. 2 of the 3 beautiful trees along the side of the building have been killed off by the constant digging :-(
I was at Metro Acres the other day on the LES and was SHOCKED by how expensive it is. It is easily more expensive than Whole Foods, Wegmans and even Key Foods, which has, incidentally and absurdly, become the most expensive one of the 3.
ReplyDelete
DeleteAldi
And they NEVER have sales!
DeleteMetro Acres is not consistently more expensive than Whole Foods, come on.
DeleteWhole Foods has become a whole lot more affordable after being bought up by Amazon. Store brand staples like milk, chicken breasts, etc. are often substantially cheaper and of higher quality than Key Food, especially when you incorporate the Prime membership discount and coupons. This goes for the main store, not the Daily Shop. Also I’m not being paid to say this, am just a broke twenty-something :-)
DeleteGrowing up in across the street for those who don’t know, that site was an A&P supermarket (where I worked as a teen in the 70s) so I guess what goes around comes around. Still wish it was a drug/general store but we will keep our hopes up. Better than an empty storefront!
ReplyDeleteI recall it was a SLOAN'S in the late 80s/early 90s, Rite Aid came after that.
DeleteDon’t think Sloans, possibly Met?
DeleteTJ's and WF's are the best grocery stores by far. I have no clue why anyone shops at Key Food.
ReplyDeleteI used to shop at the Metro Acres on Grand Street for a while but stopped because of their high prices. I get better shopping deals at the Traders Joes across the street from them. However, Metro Acres is a more high-end supermarket, which sells fresh fruits and vegetables which is sorely needed in our neighborhood.
ReplyDeletewhole foods is a bargain compared yo key food
ReplyDeleteFrozen fruits and veggies are better because they retain a higher percentage of their vitamins and minerals.
ReplyDeleteKey Food is the best deal we have going in our neighborhood, aside from the outside fruit stand! Nowhere else can you find buy one, get two free when they have a Thomas English muffin sale, or a Haagendas Ice Cream sale. Not to mention all their other cheap priced items! I can never find anything affordable in Whole Foods, and even Wegmans has more sane prices! So the only place of value for me is Key Food!
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt!
Delete