Bushwick shoppers just got a new place to purchase fresh food.
A 15,000-square-foot Foodtown opened at 54 Noll Street, helping outer borough residents to stay in their neighborhood to buy staples for their home.
Besides customary pantry goods, the store, which opened on January 12, boasts a sushi station, juice bar, a vast gourmet cheese selection and a coffee counter.
Owner Shady Widdi expressed his aspiration to go beyond conventional standards and be a trendsetter.
“In all the stores I have built, I have always wanted to go beyond what everyone else does,” said Widdi. “Foodtown of Noll Street is the actualization of a dream for me.”
The Widdi family owns three Foodtowns in the city.
Joseph Fantozzi, the president of Allegiance Retail Services and Foodtown, said developers approached the grocery co-op to build a new store in the neighborhood, which has quickly gentrified over the past two decades.
Although not considered a food desert like East New York, Bushwick food stores have traditionally been small, where fresh fruits and vegetables were not readily available.
Many local politicians were on hand for the grand opening, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, who said she has known the Widdi family for 20 years. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, City Council member Crystal Hudson, Assembly member Martiza Davila also attended the ribbon cutting.
