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So What Is Best Market?
The good news from earlier that regional grocery chain Best Yet Market has agreed to buy the Tribeca Food Emporium—it just needs the bankruptcy judge’s approval—is followed by a question: What is a Best Yet Market like? I posted the description below (from the company’s website) earlier, but it doesn’t really answer the question.
Best Market is a private, family-owned company. It grew from a small fruit and vegetable stand operated by Ben Raitses, the father of the current owners. The business expanded into a storefront produce store and, later into the first Produce Warehouse in 1994. A family-owned, regional chain of supermarkets with 20 stores in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. The company is headquartered in Bethpage, New York, and has been owned by the Raitses family since its first store opened in 1994. Best Market focuses on fresh foods, especially produce, meat, seafood, deli, dairy, and bakery items, as well as traditional grocery store items.
I called the Best Yet Markets headquarters in Bethpage to see if anyone there had photos of inside the store. I understand it’s premature to expect details about what, specifically, the Tribeca store will be like, but I was hopeful that general interior shots could give us an idea of what’s in store, so to speak. It was a dead end, alas. I turned to Yelp, where, for whatever reason, people post photos of places. Here are some of what I found for stores in Harlem, Queens, and Long Island. Best Yet Market has stores branded Best Market and Best Yet Market; the former seem to be larger, suburban-style supermarkets.
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I really hope George gets to stay!
Love George! Ditto.
Yes! We must be sure that Best Yet Market realizes that George is for sure the “best yet”. They must keep him.
If there is an organized effort to help keep George around, count me in.
Count me in for the organized pro-George movement!
Thanks so much to keeping us informed!
I really hope the horror landlords agree to give this super market a lease. If not we will have nothing
I understand the buyers are buying the current lease. Whether there will be a renewal lease depends upon the lease terms and the landlords.
I’ve been to the Best Market in New Hyde Park and it was very nice. I hope it does come here.
I hope most of the staff will stay especially George and the deli guy; he was all but in tears yesterday! Tx for keeping us informed! Would have loved Trader Joes!
I’ve been to the Best Market in Harlem countless times. It’s a pretty decent store. Nothing overly fancy, but clean with an especially nice produce section. This area needs an alternative to Whole Foods and I’m happy to hear another grocer is taking the space!
I don’t know George, but my whole family loves Cheryl! (I hope you read this, Best Market people!)
I was just surfing the web for info about a new supermarket in Tribeca and I discovered this chorus of affection for George. I add my voice. For the most part, staff was cold and rude, but George was a golden exception.
By the way, Best Market is not BUYING the Food Emporium space; they are taking over the Food Emporium’s lease – just as many other A&P stores that closed had to sell their leases, etc. when they all closed. (A&P, Pathmark, Walbaum’s, Food Emporium….) I am amazed that A&P, which had such a great record years ago, allowed all of those stores to fall down and have to be replaced. The F.E. had another year and a half on their lease and the management of Independence Plaza says they are welcoming the new store – so I assume they are getting a good deal on a future lease. Hope so. Best, Diane Lapson
Why would you assume there will be a future lease? They have systematically cleared out most of the other retail tenants. Unless political pressure is brought to bear on the landlord, I predict there will be no renewal of this supermarket lease.
I can’t imagine any business would open a new store unless there was a guarantee of a decent renewal period following the expiration of the initial year and a half left on the prior lease.
Perhaps they are gambling on the political pressure angle to ensure a renewal. Nevertheless, i think they can make money even in the short term. They bought the lease for a relatively cheap price compared to their other purchases. They are not unionized unlike Food Emporium / A&P–but will have to make “good faith” efforts to hire back some of the employees–so their costs will likely be lower than those of FE. They get to test the local market, even if they relocate elsewhere in Tribeca after the lease expires.
Since they appear to be doing a complete re-modeling of the interior (rather then simply stock with new food product which would be expected if they thought they would only be in there until the lease expires), why would the invest all that extra money if they weren’t planning on remaining long term?
Also, would it not be a benefit for ipn management to have a regular supermarket in that space since it is an attractive “sellling point” for them as they try to attract new market rate tenants to rent apartments that become available here…
I would think that would give them an incentive to work out a reasonable renewal for Best Market when the lease does expire…