A new grocery store to serve Stuy Town and parts of the East Village is coming to the former Associated space on 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.
Yesterday, Stuy Town management informed residents that Chef's Local Harvest, a 10,000-square-foot grocery store, will open early next year. (Thank you to everyone who shared the message!)
And some familiar names are behind the new store: The family-run market is owned and operated by father-son duo Paul and Aaron Fernandez, who helped create the Union Market chainlet (as seen on Avenue A and Houston) and Ideal Marketplace in Chelsea.
Here's more from the announcement to residents:
Paul Fernandez has operated best-in-class supermarkets in New York City for the last 40 years and has worked to provide quality service and products throughout his career. He grew up in Little Italy after immigrating to the United States at 14, and is a founding member and principal in the Union Market chain, as well as America’s Food Basket Banners.
He is also a former president of the National Supermarket Association, a coalition of independent supermarket owners. His son Aaron began his career playing professional baseball with the Detroit Tigers before joining his father in the family business.Chef's Local Harvest will feature a combination of fresh produce, fish and meat, in addition to a wide selection of prepared food and grab-and-go options via a café, deli and more.The space will also conveniently include an entrance directly connecting to the Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village community, providing quick and easy store access for our community. The store will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Associated closed in December 2019. Joseph Falzon, the store's owner, previously told Crain's that a confluence of factors had cut business nearly in half. For starters, construction on 14th Street for the L train obscured the supermarket with a 12-foot fence for nearly two years.
A Trader Joe's opened across the street in early January 2020. (The Target on 14th and A opened in July 2018)
During the pandemic, City Harvest used the space for a distribution center called the Stuy Town Pantry.