Thursday's parting shot

The coveted watermelon-toss head shot today outside Westside Market today via Derek Berg... 😍

The new Westside Market on 3rd Avenue (finally) opens today

EVG reader Harry Weiner shares these photos from outside the new Westside Market on Third Avenue between 16th Street and 17th Street... the signage says that they are "finally" opening today... at 11:30 a.m.



The original coming-soon signage pointed to a late spring debut.

The retail space had been a Met Foods, which closed three-plus years ago. The East Village Westside, five blocks to the south, opened in October 2014.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Westside Market opening in the former Met Foods space on 3rd Avenue and 17th Street

[Updated] Westside Market looking closer to opening on 3rd Avenue in Gramercy Park

The new Westside Market at 180 Third Ave. between 16th Street and 17th Street is shaping up...



Word is it will open by the end of July June. The space looks like a smaller version than the one just five blocks to the south at 84 Third Ave.

The Gramercy Park location is one of three new Westside outposts to open this year. In total, there will be seven in the city.

The retail space had been a Met Foods, which closed in the spring of 2015.

The East Village Westside opened in October 2014.

Updated 6/28

The store opens on June 28, 11:30 a.m.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Westside Market opening in the former Met Foods space on 3rd Avenue and 17th Street

Westside Market opening in the former Met Foods space on 3rd Avenue and 17th Street

[Photo by Harry Weiner]

Westside Market is opening a new location on Third Avenue near 17th Street. (H/T EVG reader Harry Weiner!)

The signage points to a spring opening...



The retail space has been for lease since the longtime Met Foods closed in the spring of 2015.

This is an interesting spot for Westside, the family owned mini chain of markets. The Westside opened in the East Village on Third Avenue and 12th Street in October 2014. Two locations within five blocks?

The Westside location on Broadway near 77th Street closed last month, per the West Side Rag. (As they reported, "the issue was not a rent hike, but [the landlord's] rejection of a plan by Westside Market to rent the available adjacent space.")

This location will be the fifth for Westside.



Previously on EV Grieve:
The Met Foods on 3rd Avenue in Gramercy Park is closing

Westside Market opens tomorrow

[Photo from last month by Stacie Joy]

At noon, according to reps for the grocery on Third Avenue at East 12th Street.

This is the fifth location in the city for the family owned Westside Market.

You can read our preview of the store here.

At Westside Market, opening soon on 3rd Avenue

In recent weeks, reps for Westside Market have invited local media outlets to preview the new store opening this month on Third Avenue at East 12th Street. We decided to take them up on the offer.

Text and photos by EVG contributor Stacie Joy

George Zoitas wasn’t sure if quotemaster Peter (“the Cheese Guy”) would be able to put Grateful Dead quotes on his cheese packages at the new Westside Market, opening soon at 84 Third Ave.


[George Zoitas]

It was my first question in our interview and one that seemed to surprise him. The Dead quotes are an unusual touch that I recall from shopping in another Westside Market location. That and the fact that there were plenty of vegetarian options and a pizza bar, not to mention a live-lobster tank.

George's parents, Ioannis (aka Big John) and Maria, opened the first Westside Market on Broadway near 110th Street-Cathedral Parkway in 1977. The East Village location is the family's fifth location.

George and his brother-in-law, Jimmy Beleses, are managing this store, which they want to be a one-stop destination for East Village residents.

That looks possible, with seriously credentialed pizza ovens, a sushi section, a separate vegan area, convenience items, a juice bar, and lots and lots of prepared foods (helmed by Maria, who is also famous for her cheesecake) filling up the 15,000-plus square foot space.

Prepared foods are made at the on-site kitchens in the lower level (so much stainless steel!) and blast-chilled in enormous fridges before sale. Big John handles the produce section, which although empty when I went to photograph it, looks potentially amazing.









George moved to the neighborhood for the year prior to the store’s opening, and says he’s ready to cater to the East Village’s special needs (see aforementioned vegan section). He says he loves the neighborhood and is passionate about serving the area’s denizens.

When I asked him what makes his store different than, say, Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s two short blocks away, he says that the family has the ability to buy from many suppliers, vendors and providers, and aren’t locked into carrying certain brands. In addition, he says that each Westside Market has its own buyers, so nothing is centralized, making for a localized experience.

Some things that make this supermarket different: no self-checkout lanes, which I appreciate; the new and eco-friendly compressors and water-cooled machines and dedication to environmentally friendly processes; the ability to order and stock customers’ preferred favorites, like a particular brand of cat food, your kid’s yogurt, or a cleaning product that’s hard to find (suggestions are welcomed by the Zoitas family). And the fact that it’s a family owned and operated business, with George crediting his parents for his knowledge and achievements.

The market plans to open this weekend and will be open 24 hours a day thereafter. Updated: Reps say the market will not be open for a few more weeks. We'll keep you posted.

Getting to know the family behind Westside Market, opening this fall on 3rd Avenue

The Times checks in with a feature on Ioannis (aka Big John) Zoitas and his wife, Maria, who opened Westside Market on Broadway near 110th Street-Cathedral Parkway in 1977.

Since then, the family has expanded, with store No. 6 opening this fall on Third Avenue at East 12th Street. The Zoitases' son, George, and his brother-in-law, Jimmy Beleses, will run the new store.

To the Times:

George has lived near the new market since June 2013 to learn about the neighborhood’s food mores. He shopped at markets, visited coffee shops and wine bars, and talked to residents about what they wanted in a community market.

Most of the Westside Markets operate around the clock, seven days a week. The inside of each store is designed by Big John with pencils, paper, a ruler and a few erasers.

As for the prepared foods, every dish is either made by Mrs. Zoitas, 57, or made with her recipes...

The Times does note that the new location is "something of a gamble: It will be less convenient to a subway entrance than the other stores, said the Zoitases’ son, George, and it will be going up against two nearby giants, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's."

Not to mention M2M on the southeast corner of Third Avenue and East 11th Street ... and there is Heavenly Market opening later this year on the northeast corner of Third Avenue and East 11th Street.

The market watch is on...


[Westside interior shot from Tuesday]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Westside Market coming to the East Village

The new Westside Market on Third Avenue will have Wi-Fi

Westside Market signage arrives

Just noting the arrival of the Westside Market signage on Third Avenue at East 12th Street … the store anchors the retail space at the new luxury rental The Nathaniel. (Still not really feeling that Nathaniel name.)

Although the Market's ads promise "We've got what you're hungry for" …



… they do not just yet here. Workers are still assembling the interior.



The family owned mini chain of markets, which debuted in NYC in 1965, announced their arrival here last October. From the official news release:

Offering freshly-prepared foods, specialty products and catering, the two-level store will occupy 18,871 total square feet – 10,500 square feet at the ground level and the remaining space at the lower level.

Shoppers at this location, Westside's fifth in the city, reportedly will be able to connect to Wi-Fi from electronic devices including smartphones and tablets. Westside is also using technology to create faster checkout counters and an advanced security system.

No word yet on an opening date.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Westside Market coming to the East Village

The new Westside Market on Third Avenue will have Wi-Fi

Westside Market revealed on 3rd Avenue

Workers yesterday removed the rest of the fence/plywood along the new residential building at 84 Third Ave. … exposing the signage/brandage for the incoming ground-floor tenant – Westside Market…





The family owned mini chain of markets, which debuted in NYC in 1965, announced their arrival here last October. From the official news release:

Offering freshly-prepared foods, specialty products and catering, the two-level store will occupy 18,871 total square feet – 10,500 square feet at the ground level and the remaining space at the lower level.

Shoppers at this location, Westside's fifth in the city, reportedly will be able to connect to Wi-Fi from electronic devices including smartphones and tablets. Westside is also using technology to create faster checkout counters and an advanced security system.

The space here at East 12th Street was previously home to Nevada Smith's, Yummy House and a parking lot.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Westside Market coming to the East Village

The new Westside Market on Third Avenue will have Wi-Fi


[84 Third Ave. from Saturday]

The new Westside Market on Third Avenue will have Wi-Fi

Last Monday, we posted the news that Westside Market NYC would open in the base of that monstrosity luxury rental building at 84 Third Avenue and East 12th Street.

Westside CEO George Zoitas, whose father John opened the first store in 1965, shared more details on the new space with The Commercial Observer.

Customers who visit the store will be able to connect to Wi-Fi from electronic devices including smartphones and tablets. In addition to installing Wi-Fi, the company is using technology to create faster checkout counters and an advanced security system.

Trader Joe's, take note.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Westside Market coming to the East Village, 15 comments

Westside Market coming to the East Village

The new residential complex rising on Third Avenue and East 12th Street has its first retail client — a Westside Market NYC.

Here's the official news release from today:

Westside Market NYC, the family-owned and operated neighborhood food markets in New York City, has announced that it will be opening its latest location at the base of the new luxury rental building, 84 Third Avenue. Located in the East Village on the corner of East 12th Street, this marks the fifth Westside Market NYC, and the first for the brand to be located on the East Side of Manhattan.

Offering freshly-prepared foods, specialty products and catering, the two-level store will occupy 18,871 total square feet – 10,500 square feet at the ground level and the remaining space at the lower level. Noticing a gap in the market for food retailers in the area, representatives from 84 Third Avenue felt that adding Westside Market NYC to the building would help further elevate the offerings at the nine-story, 90,000 square foot residential development and the neighborhood overall.

“Since the original Westside Market NYC was opened by my father, John, in 1965, we have worked diligently to provide the best supermarket experience to residents along the West Side of Manhattan,” said George Zoitas, CEO of Westside Market NYC. “After 48 years, four locations, and many people asking when Westside Market NYC would meet the East Side, we felt that the opportunity with 84 Third Avenue was the perfect introduction for our brand to the other side of Manhattan.”

Currently under construction, Westside Market NYC and 84 Third Avenue will be completed early next summer.

The space here was previously home to Nevada Smith's, Yummy House and a parking lot.

I'm familiar with the Westside Markets, though I've never shopped at one. Can anyone offer their opinion on them?