Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting On Gristedes Supermarket With Hudson Related's David Kramer and Gristedes Owner John Catsimatidis Scheduled For March 12 - First Tangible Benefit Of Main Street Retail Master Lease Agreement
Roosevelt Island Gristedes Image From Roosevelt Island 360Here's the first tangible benefit of the Roosevelt Island Master Retail Leasehold Agreement with Hudson Related Companies. I spoke with Hudson Related principal David Kramer today who reports that a town Hall Meeting with Gristedes owner John Catsimatidis will take place on Monday March 12, 7 PM at the Good Shepherd Community Center.
This will be an opportunity for Roosevelt Island residents to tell the Gristedes owner what we would like to see happen with our local supermarket. So, come and ask questions, make comments and listen to what Mr. Catsimatidis has to say. Consider this Town Hall Meeting your chance to participate in a Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Customer Focus Group.
According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC)
Hudson/Related and Gristedes invite the community to a public meeting to get input and feedback in anticipation of Gristedes’ planned renovation and redesign of the Roosevelt Island supermarket.Here's what Roosevelt Island residents had to say about the Gristedes Supermarket at October 20, 2011 Main Street Retail Town Hall Meeting.
Monday, March 12 at 7 PM at the Good Shepherd Community Center.
As to the remaining Main Street Retail Stores, Mr. Kramer said that he does not wish to make any announcements until leases are signed which has not yet occured.
11 comments :
This is great and welcome news.
I sincerely hope Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Customer Focus Group will find a way to update the latest price comparison with other supermarkets so that the matter of pricing can be fully aired (and maybe product and shelf life as well)
8 oz. Kerrygold butter, Trader Joe $2.90
8 oz. Kerrygold butter, Gristede's $4.99
The problem is not just that they are over-priced, but also that they are under-stocked. There are shelves and shelves of bottled water that no one buys except under threat of some kind of emergency, but try finding, say, a can of chili con carne, the way I did last Sunday. (Usually I make my own, and thought I had some frozen, but it turned out that I didn't and to make a long story short, I needed a can of chili. Fortunately, the grocery did have some. Next time, I'll go there first.
Does Gristede's wonder why it doesn't have customers? Do they even care, with the next-to-nothing long-term lease they hold?
I'm usually an improvisatory cook, but sometimes I want to follow a recipe. I know, in that case, that I will need to start shopping early enough so that I have time to leave the island and come back, because, invariably, there will be one critical item (no matter how commonplace) that I won't be able to get at Gristede's.
There is a good reason why Fresh Direct chose Roosevelt Island as it pilot program.
Another example of pricing issues - which normally I can't even gt to because I categorically refuse to go into that store unless I absolutely have to have something in order to get to the next day when I can get a Fresh Direct order.
Antibiotic free chicken breasts - Fresh Direct - $4.39
Gristerrible - $8.37 !!
But even the thought of going is so repulsive that I normally ask the man of the house to go. I really tried to be open-minded when we moved here 5.5 years ago but I finally gave up - too unattractive (floors, horrid lighting), too old-fashioned, cashiers too brusque ... we all know this so I am just posting in case I don't make it to the meeting.
Kerrygold is pretty much the same ($4.99) at all grocery stores throughout NYC (The Food Emporium, for example). TJs (and most likely Fairway) are an exception to this because they are known to be the "cheap" grocery store. So, the butter is kind of a bad example for how overpriced *our* Gristedes is. Over the last few years Gristedes became a lot better and priced more reasonably and it is definitely not more expensive than other Gristedes stores throughout the city. We are just unlucky to have a Gristedes but what other choices are there? There are very few reasonably priced chain stores in this city and a TJs would not be sufficient to be a replacement. I'd love to see a Fairway but I doubt they are interested.
It is an extreme example, but not a bad example.
A few weeks ago I bought Cream of Wheat to make breakfast for a visitor. $5.99 at the Deli; $6.75 at Gristede's; $4.39 at Fresh Direct.
What an incredible ripoff by Gristedes! For cereal/staples, you should try Costco's. The annual membership cost more than makes up for the money you save. It's even accessible on foot if you don't drive - it's only a few blocks away on Vernon. It's also adjacent to Socrates Sculpture Park - so you can enjoy the park and then shop. (There's even a pleasant park area that Costco has put in on the river side of its lot.)
Ms. Shull, I had the impression that you were someone actively in favor of equality of men and women, but when you believe in a role of "the man of the house" who is responsible for "normally" interacting with things "repulsive", then I get a different impression. Just thought you'd like to know.
+1 Frank and just to reiterate most of these are suggestions which Gristedes can take or leave at the cost of getting or not getting your business. There is no way to have any say over their prices or any of these things, other than not shopping there. Complaining about the price of this and that to the wind changes nothing. This is NYC, we pay more for rent, food, taxes, but we also supposedly get a lot for these extra costs (e.g., opportunities) and no one is forcing anyone to live here.
I used to live in MP, next to Gristedes. MP has horrible management, but it was a good deal, and while lots of things suck on average at Gristedes compared to any other grocery store in the nation, they have a lot of stuff and some good deals. I don't have to live there, just shop once and a while, so I am fine if its not a palace insite.
I got tired of it and moved near the tram. Gristedes and MP lost my business, but I did use them while I was there and like Frank said way more lights are on than burnt out.
Gristedes, HR, do not take these suggestions lightly, we all have the power to walk away from you (and some have), but we are also reasonable and think you could easily meet residents needs in the middle.
Frank... and I kill the spiders. What do you make of that?
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