Showing posts with label Catsimatidis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catsimatidis. Show all posts

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Hurricane Irma Batters Florida Today - Roosevelt Island Gristedes Owner John Catsimatidis Interviews Miami Mayor On Preparations And CNN Reports On Flooding, Storm Surge And Strong Wind Bursts

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket chain owner, real estate developer, billionaire oilman, former NYC Mayoral candidate and entrepreneur John Catsimatidis is also host of a very interesting Sunday morning  podcast. the Cats Round Table. Mr. Catsimatidis interviews local and national politicians, business leaders and other interesting people.

Among guests on today's Cats Roundtable, were Miami Beach Mayor Phil Levine who discussed emergency preparations for Hurricane Irma.

Take a listen.




CNN reports from Florida on Hurricane Irma.
And Fox:
Here's where hurricane's that hit the US start.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 8:42:00 PM 0 comments

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Friday, February 3, 2017

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Owner And Billionaire John Catsimatidis Tells Hillary Clinton She Should Run For NYC Mayor

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket owner, talk radio show host and billionaire businessman John Catsimatidis appeared on NY 1's Road To City Hall. Mr. Catsimatidis told host Errol Louis that he suggested to Hillary Clinton that she should run for NYC Mayor.

NY 1 is great NYC news site. I miss it since I switched over to Verizon FIOS service from Time Warner Cable.

I'm considering switching back primarily to receive NY 1.

Any thoughts on Verizon Fios versus Time Warner for Roosevelt Island cable and internet service?

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 1:12:00 PM 0 comments

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Monday, May 2, 2016

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Chain Owner John Catsimatidis Hosts Sunday Radio Talk Show Too - Interviewed Democratic Party Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton And NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton Yesterday

 Image Of John Catsimatidis From The Cats Roundtable

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket chain owner, real estate developer, billionaire oilman, former NYC Mayoral candidate and entrepreneur John Catsimatidis is also host of a very interesting Sunday morning radio talk show - the Cats Round Table on AM 970.

Take a listen. Yesterday, Mr. Catsimatidis interviewed Democratic Party Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton



and NYC Police Commissioner Bill Bratton



among others.

Here's Mr. Catsimatidis at the March 2013 Grand Re-Opening of the Roosevelt Island Gristedes and 2012 Roosevelt Island Gristedes Town Hall Meeting.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 1:44:00 PM 0 comments

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Sunday, April 10, 2016

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Chain Owner John Catsimatidis Hosts Sunday Radio Talk Show Too - Today Interviews Donald Trump On Presidential Politics, Archbishop O'Hara On Pope Francis, Congressman Peter King On Terrorism & NASA Scientist John Charles On Human Space Exploration

Image Of John Catsimatidis From The Cats Roundtable

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket chain owner, real estate developer, billionaire oilman, former NYC Mayoral candidate and entrepreneur John Catsimatidis is also host of a very interesting Sunday morning radio talk show - the Cats Round Table on AM 970.

Take a listen. Today, Mr. Catsimatidis interviewed Donald Trump on the Republican Presidential Primary,



Archdioces Of New York Bishop John O'Hara on the recent statement from Pope Francis on Family issues,



Long Island Congressman Peter King on terrorism



and NASA's Dr. John Charles on human space exploration.



Here's Mr. Catsimatidis at the March 2013 Grand Re-Opening of the Roosevelt Island Gristedes and 2012 Roosevelt Island Gristedes Town Hall Meeting.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 7:37:00 PM 0 comments

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Monday, December 28, 2015

Roosevelt Island Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney Discusses Passage Of 9/11 First Responders Zadroga Act And Panda Bear For NYC During Cats Roundtable Radio Interview With Roosevelt Island Gristedes Owner John Catsimatidis

Roosevelt Island's Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney

 Image Of Congresswoman Maloney & Panda Bear During 2014 Visit To China From Town & Village Blog

was a guest yesterday, December 27, on Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket owner/real estate developer/ NYC Mayoral Candidate/ Oil Billionaire John Catsimatidis radio program.

Image of John Catsimatidis Cat's Roundatable Radio Show.

According to Mr. Catsimatidis web site:
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney is a member of Congress in New York’s 12th congressional district., the eastern half of Manhattan and portions of Queens. A Democratic, she worked as a teacher and an administrator for the New York City Board of Education. The Congresswoman was the driving for to extend the provisions of the Zadroga Act, federal law providing medical monitoring and treatment for 9/11 first responders which passed just this week, Friday December 18, 2015. Congresswoman Maloney is one of the hardest working members of Congress; the reason is re-elected by ever increasing margins. Recently Congresswoman has been advocating the installation of a Panda bear exhibit in New York City whether it be Central Park or the Bronx Zoo system. Also one of the Congresswoman’s current projects is the Women’s Museum in Washington DC. After years of effort she and her co-backers have received approval and are moving forward.

To hear John CATS upcoming roundtable radio shows, tune in at 9 AM New York time every Sunday morning on 970 AM Radio: The Answer! Can’t get to a radio? Listen in online! The show is live at www.am970theanswer.com at 9 AM New York time every Sunday morning. Thanks for listening!
Listen below



to the Cats Roundtable interview with Congresswoman Maloney.

The full December 27 Cats Roundtable interview show is here.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 7:29:00 PM 0 comments

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Sunday, November 8, 2015

NYC Mayor's Office Reviews Past Week In 60 Seconds - Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermaket Owner/Radio Talk Show Host John Catsimatidis Interviews Mayor de Blasio And NYC Press Corp Not Happy With Mayor's Transparency

From the NYC Twitterverse

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket chain owner, real estate developer, billionaire oilman, former NYC Mayoral candidate and entrepreneur John Catsimatidis is also host of a Sunday morning radio talk show - the Cats Round Table on AM 970.

Mayor Bill de Blasio was among the guests this morning on the Cats Roundtable. Take a listen to Mr. Catsimatidis interview today with Mayor de Blasio.

Mayor de Blasio has been criticized recently by some in the NYC press corps for not taking questions on topics he does not want to discuss. According to CBS New York:
Mayor Bill de Blasio campaigned on a pledge to be the most transparent mayor ever.

But CBS2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer reported the mayor was aggressively trying to control the message Wednesday – taking reporters’ questions only about once a week on topics he has not pre-approved....


On November 6, Mayor de Blasio took questions from the NYC Press Corp on a variety of issues



including off topic subjects.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 5:31:00 PM 0 comments

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Monday, November 24, 2014

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Chain Owner John Catsimatidis Hosts Sunday Radio Talk Show Too - Discusses Immigration, Iranian Nuclear Weapons, Outer Space Development, Presidents Obama/Clinton Comparison, Japanese Economy & More

Image Of John Catsimatidis From The Cats Roundtable

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket chain owner, real estate developer, billionaire oilman, former NYC Mayoral candidate and entrepreneur John Catsimatidis is also host of a Sunday morning radio talk show - the Cats Round Table on AM 970.

Yesterday's November 23 Cats Roundtable discussed:
  • President Obama's immigration executive action,
  • Iranian Nuclear Weapons and the Middle East,
  • comparisons between President Obama and President Clinton,
  • Outer Space Developments, 
  • the Japanese Economy and
  • national politics
with guests,
Here's the Cats Roundtable from November 23,



Also, the Commercial Observer recently interviewed Mr. Catsimatidis about his various business interests including the Gristedes supermarket chain:
... Overall, how is the Gristedes franchise is doing?

It’s doing okay. It represents less than two or three percent of our company’s sales.

So why still own it?

Some of the people have been with us for 30 years and I’m keeping it for them so they don’t lose their jobs. And if I didn’t have Gristedes, I’d live 10 years longer and I would probably be worth more. Our main businesses are energy and real estate. And we’ve dwindled our businesses in aviation.

What I’m talking about is what’s happening in New York. It’s becoming very competitive. And it’s a big problem. The big problem is we had Whole Foods open up big stores. We had Costco open up. We had Fresh Direct open up. We had Amazon open up. We had Trader Joe’s open up. We had every drugstore in the city [become] a supermarket, just about. So the competition is not like it’s ever been before. And we are fully unionized. And our full-timers get $10 an hour in just benefits. So how do you make that work? And every lease that we have to re-up; it’s a minimum million-dollars-a-year rent. It’s the pressure of the real estate. The pressure of electric rates in New York City. The pressure of paying union charges and union work weeks. And it becomes like, try to win with one hand tied behind your back.
Here's Mr. Catsimatidis at the March 2013 Grand Re-Opening of the Roosevelt Island Gristedes and 2012 Roosevelt Island Gristedes Town Hall Meeting.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 7:08:00 PM 0 comments

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Sunday, November 9, 2014

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Chain Owner John Catsimatidis Hosts Sunday Radio Talk Show Too - Interviews Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins On NYPD, Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell On Midterm Elections, Republican Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos On NY State Politics, First Amendment Attorney Floyd Abrams & Canadian Ambassador Gary Doer

Image Of John Catsimatidis From The Cats Roundtable

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket chain owner, real estate developer, billionaire oilman, former NYC Mayoral candidate and entrepreneur John Catsimatidis is also host of an interesting Sunday morning radio talk show - the Cats Round Table on AM 970.

This morning the Cats Roundtable featured Mr. Catsimatidis interviewing:
  • Edward Mullins, Presidents of the Sergeants Benovelent Association, recent departure of Chief Phil Banks, the influence of Al Sharpton on the NYPD and lack of enforcement on marijuana possession,
  • former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell on the mid-term elections and future of Democratic Party,
  • Republican NY State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos on NY State politics
  • Canadian Ambassador to the United States Gary Doer on terrorism, North American energy policy and trade between the US and Canada and
  • First Amendment Attorney Floyd Abrams on Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch, President Obama's use of Executive Orders, advice for President Obama on dealing with the Republican Congress and the recent Supreme Court announcement accepting another challenge to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
Here's today's November 9 Cats Roundtable

and my interview with Mr.Catsimatidis during March 2013 grand re-opening of the Roosevelt Island Gristedes.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 8:09:00 PM 0 comments

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Monday, September 29, 2014

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Chain Owner John Catsimatidis Hosts Sunday Radio Talk Show Too - Guests Include National Health Institute Director Anthony Fauci On Ebola Outbreak, Former Ambassador John Negroponte On ISIS And Middle East Crisis & More

 Image Of John Catsimatidis From The Cats Roundtable

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket chain owner, real estate developer, billionaire oilman, former NYC Mayoral candidate and entrepreneur John Catsimatidis is also host of a Sunday morning radio talk show - the Cats Round Table on AM 970.

Yesterday, Sunday September 28, the Cats Roundtable discussed meeting with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, San Gennaro Festival, obtaining a Panda Bear from China for NYC, the resignation of Attorney General Eric Holder and hanging out with former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Mr. Catsimatidis then conducted very interesting interviews with:
Here's the Cats Roundtable from September 28,


Mr. Catsimatidis with former Vice President Dick Cheney
and my interview with Mr.Catsimatidis during March 2013 grand re-opening of the Roosevelt Island Gristedes.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 7:47:00 PM 3 comments

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Monday, September 1, 2014

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Chain Owner John Catsimatidis Hosts Sunday Radio Talk Show Too - Guests Include Mitt Romney, Ed Rendell And Kathryn Wilde

 Image Of John Catsimatidis From The Cats Roundtable

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket chain owner, real estate developer, billionaire oilman, former NYC Mayoral candidate and entrepreneur John Catsimatidis is also host of a Sunday morning radio talk show - the Cats Round Table on AM 970.

Yesterday, Sunday August 31, the Cats Roundtable discussed Joan Rivers illness, offers advice on not visiting doctors during the last two weeks of August and attending a Labor Day Weekend African Relief fundraiser for Blue Dreams.

Mr. Catsimatidis then interviewed former Massachusetts Governor and 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney, former Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania Ed Rendell and Partnership For NYC President Kathryn Wilde.
Here's the Cats Roundtable from August 31.



Here's Mr. Catsimatidis at the March 2013 Grand Re-Opening of the Roosevelt Island Gristedes and 2012 Roosevelt Island Gristedes Town Hall Meeting.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 8:45:00 PM 0 comments

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Monday, August 4, 2014

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Chain Owner John Catsimatidis Hosts Sunday Radio Talk Show Too - Guests Include Congresswoman Maloney On Getting a Panda From China, Former CIA Station Chief, Donald Trump And PBA President Pat Lynch


Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket chain owner, real estate developer, billionaire oilman, former NYC Mayoral candidate and entrepreneur John Catsimatidis is also host of a Sunday morning radio talk show - the Cats Round Table on AM 970.

Yesterday, Sunday August 3, the Cats Roundtable discussed costumed characters in Times Square, pedicabs, horse carriages in Central Park, NYC politics and more. Mr. Catsimatidis also interviewed:
  • Gary Bernsten, former CIA, Operations Officer and Chief of Station,
  • Donald Trump on Central Park Horse Show,
  • Roosevelt Island's Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney on her upcoming trip to China to get a Panda for New York City and
  • Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch
Here's the Cats Roundtable from Sunday August 3.



and my March 2013 interview with Mr.Catsimatidis



at the Grand Re-Opening of the Roosevelt Island Gristedes following its renovation.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 10:22:00 PM 0 comments

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Cited For Critical Deficiencies By NY State Inspectors - Owner John Catsimatidis Responds That Conditions Corrected And Store Passed Follow Up Inspection

Image Of Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket

Last Monday, several readers alerted me to this NY World article regarding conditions in NYC supermarkets. According to the NY World:
... Welcome to your neighborhood supermarket.

At least once a year, inspectors from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets visit every grocery store in the state. We’ve combed through their reports to find what the inspectors call “critical deficiencies” — issues the state deems “an immediate threat to the public health and welfare” — in New York City supermarkets over the last five years.

By typing in an address, intersection, zip code or neighborhood, you can see which chain grocery stores have had serious violations between Jan. 2008 and July 2013, and what those violations were. You can also see if conditions in that store have been getting better or worse.

The Roosevelt Island Gristedes supermarket was among those listed with "critical deficiencies".

Yesterday, I sent the following inquiry to Roosevelt Island Gristedes supermarket owner John Catsimatidis:
Several readers of Roosevelt Islander Online have sent me this story from the NY World, which is a Columbia Journalism School publication, about "critical deficiencies" at NYC supermarkets that were cited by NY State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Since 2013 these "deficiencies" were found at the Roosevelt Island Gristedes:

2013:
• One deli food preparation board showed a buildup of encrusted food soil on food contact surfaces. The equipment was then cleaned and sanitize during the inspection.
• One deli meat slicer showed an accumulation of dried encrusted meat residue on food contact surfaces. The deli slicer was then cleaned and sanitized during the inspection.
• The meat band saw machine exhibited a heavy buildup of dark, encrusted meat soil on food contact surfaces. The equipment was then properly cleaned and sanitized during the inspection.
• Bulk salads ( couscous, feta cheese in olives and mixed beans ) in the self-service olives bar were noted at an internal temperature of 58°F for an unknown time. A total of 18 pounds of salads were destroyed under signed waiver during the inspection.
• Cooked chickens and meat loaves in a holding unit in the kitchen exhibited internal temperatures of 105-110°F. Products had been in the unit for an unknown time. A total of 49 pounds of products were destroyed under signed waiver during the inspection....

I was surprised to see these "deficiencies" since following the Gristedes renovation, I have seen great improvement in the store.

Do you have any comment for the Roosevelt Island community regarding this report?
Mr. Catsimatidis replied that he would find out what happened and later that afternoon he and Gristedes Senior VP Charles Criscuolo told me that the 2013 inspection occurred in May and a follow up inspection on July 8 found that the deficiencies were corrected. They added that the Salad Bar internal temperature


deficiency was caused by a manufacturer supplied piece of plastic equipment which has since been replaced with metal that has solved the temperature problem. Also, the employee responsible for the dirty carving board was suspended for several days.

Here's an interview I did with Mr. Catsimatidis during the March 6, 2013 Gristedes Renovation Grand Opening in which he advised the Roosevelt Island community:
... If you have any complaints, let me know...



You can compare the Roosevelt Island Gristedes supermarket "critical deficiencies" to others in NYC at the New York World article.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 3:05:00 PM 0 comments

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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Roosevelt Island Supermarket Owner John Catsimatidis Talks About NYC Mayoralty Campaign - He Fixed Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket, Can His Business Skills Do Same For NYC?

Roosevelt Island's Gristedes supermarket owner Johnn Catsimatidis was interviewed by City And State. Here's what he had to say.



Mr. Catsimatidis held a Roosevelt Island Town Hall meeting in 2012 and I interviewed him at the Gristedes Grand Re-Opening last March.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 7:41:00 PM 7 comments

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Thursday, March 7, 2013

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Transformed, It's Beautiful Says Long Time Resident - Owner John Catsimatidis Kept His Promise For Gristedes Improvements And Much More

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Grand Re-Opening

The long awaited transformation of the much maligned Roosevelt Island Gristedes is finally completed and this week is the Grand Re-Opening of our local supermarket. Have you been in Gristedes recently - what do you think?

On Tuesday, I asked a long time Roosevelt Island resident, 39 years, what she thought of the new Gristedes and she said:
... it was beautiful. Roosevelt Island should be proud of this store...


Almost one year ago today, Gristedes owner John Catsimatidis spent several hours speaking with Roosevelt Island residents at a Town Hall meeting (video of meeting is here) and promised:
... improvements to be made at Roosevelt Island's Gristedes include offering more fresh produce and organic products at affordable prices....
During the March 12 Town Hall meeting, Mr. Catsimatidis heard:
... complaints expressed to Mr. Catsimatidis included expired products on shelves, dirty floors, inadequate product offerings, counter conveyor belts not working, long lines at checkout counter, lack of a full service pharmacy, leaking roof, poor lighting among others....
and Mr. Catimatidis resolved:
... to fix the problems described and urged any resident to contact him with specific complaints which will be addressed. He also asked for suggestions as to how to improve the store. I thought a great idea was suggested by resident Deborah Beck who recommended that the new store design include moving the store entrance from the dark tunnel like side entrance to better lit Main Street directly across from Manhattan Park....
Now that the Roosevelt Island Gristedes renovation is complete - how did Mr. Catsimatidis and his colleagues do? Commenting earlier this week, one resident said:
I really dig the new Gristedes. I also see an "upgrade" in staff. It was a very pleasant experience yesterday. The renovations are not quite done, though. The exit door is still being worked on.
another reported yesterday:
There's a party going on! Lots of free samples, some of which are good! The store is well-stocked and looks nice. Many of the items are lower in price than they were in the past -- sometimes down to normal. I hope they keep it up.
Free Samples At Roosevelt Island Grand Opening Preview Yesterday

though one skeptic expressed concern that improvements might not continue:
when they became a superstore a few years ago . the first few weeks the prices were low just to get people in as they were trying to fool everyone but then after a few weeks it was back to the same high prices so i am sure this will be the same .long live the shoppers bus.
I've been there the last couple of days and I think the Gristedes folks did a FANTASTIC JOB. Gristedes even listened to resident Deborah Beck's suggestion made at the Town Hall meeting and moved the store entrance to the better lit side of Main Street.

I spoke with Mr. Catsimatidis at yesterday's Grand Opening. He promised that:
 ...the quality will be there ...we guarantee everything...  I answer every email. If you have any complaints let me know...
About Gristedes pricing, a Gristedes representative said:
... you're not going to see we open up with real hot prices and all of a sudden we raise prices...  what the market bears we're going to give you the price when we can make a deal we're going to pass it on to you... we're trying to give you a fair but better quality package...
Main Street Retail Master Leaseholder David Kramer from Hudson Related attended yesterday's Gristedes Grand Opening Celebration as well. I asked Mr. Kramer what he thought of the Gristedes renovation and he said:
It's Big...  Gristedes is the anchor to Main Street... I think it is a great big step for Gristedes and great big step for Main Street retail... Gristedes becoming a more successful anchor is going to have a multiplier effect for the rest of the corridor.
 Mr. Kramer added:
...Trellis is starting renovation sometime this calendar year.... two more stores are about to open... three or four in the pipeline...
Here's the full interview with Mr. Catsimatidis and Mr. Kramer



and reactions from Roosevelt Island residents as well as Gristedes meatball vendor Mama Mancini's.



Meet the new Roosevelt Island Gristedes offerings.

The  delicatessen,


International Foods,


Organic, Natural and Sugar Free,


Vegetables,


Craft Beer,


Cafe,



with pizza, ice cream, fried chicken and meals to go





and the pharmacy.


It's a very good beginning for the Roosevelt Island Gristedes. Let's hope it continues.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 5:00:00 PM 7 comments

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Thursday, January 24, 2013

A Plea For Compassion And Better Prices To Gristedes Owner John Catsimatidis From A Roosevelt Island Resident - Mr. C Says We Will Like The New Renovated Supermarket When Finished In A Few Weeks

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Renovations

Roosevelt Island resident Nina Lubin shares this plea she sent to Roosevelt Island Gristedes


 owner John Catsimatidis earlier today regarding ongoing renovations

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket Renovations

and pricing at our local supermarket. From Ms. Lubin:
Good Morning Mr. C.

Or perhaps not.

I came to your construction site -- oops, I mean the Roosevelt Island Gristedes -- at 5 pm last night. The store remains one big, hot mess.

At the front, near the pharmacy, was an open, unsecured construction area with no barricades, tape, or any markings to prevent someone from walking or tripping. The floor at the pharmacy remains uneven and bumpy, and someone could easily trip or fall -- please remember we are an Island of people with many motor disabilities and challenges.

The relocated meat and poultry area could only be reached by walking past open ladders with no protections, and again, active construction with dust and debris unprotected by any plastic or vinyl sheeting. The temperature in the relocated poultry case was not cold enough to safely store anything perishable (and was reported to one of the managers).

We are now in the 3rd or 4th month of being held captive by your senior staff and disorganized demolition and construction crew and it is unfair and not safe for the staff and your customers.

Really, Mr. C, have a little compassion for us on Roosevelt Island. Because this morning, it sure seems like you have more compassion for the folks in Kips Bay and on the Upper East Side than for us Islanders who have few choices. With your big full page ad in today's New York Post, declaring WAR ON INFLATION, it is clear that you are really declaring war on the new Fairway store on East 30th Street and 2nd Avenue, conveniently located in between two of your stores, in the midst of a big residential neighborhood and 3 major hospitals, as well as the Fairway on E.86th Street. Some of those prices in that ad are the same prices we on Roosevelt Island have been hoping for for many years and are still waiting:

Corn Flakes - $ 1.49 for 18 oz
Cheerios - $2.99
Bumble Bee Solid White Tuna - $ 5 for 4 cans
Chicken Cutlets - $ 1.99 / lb

A start -- with a $ 5 off coupon -- but only for the 3 stores in in Manhattan in direct competition with Fairway. Unfair to us, who should be getting some price breaks while our store is a construction site and for many the only place we can shop.

If you really are the businessman you claim to be, if you are thinking about running for Mayor, if you really want to declare war on inflation, if you really want to not further alienate or aggravate the Roosevelt Island residents, show us a little concern and favoritism and get the work done already, lower some prices, and work to get us back in the store.
Mr. Catsimatidis replied:
You will Have a New store in a Few weeks that we will all be Proud of
A corporate Gristedes official told me that the renovations should be completed by middle of February.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 3:15:00 PM 8 comments

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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Beginning Long Awaited Renovation, Moving Entrance To Main Street, Adding Cafe, New Deli, Produce Section & More - Coach Scot's Main Street Sweets Ice Cream Store Almost Complete Says Hudson Related's David Kramer

I noticed that renovations appear to be starting at the Roosevelt Island Gristedes supermarket this week


so asked Gristedes owner John Catsimatidis:
what is the latest status on the renovation of the Roosevelt Island Gristedes? When will it begin and what changes are being made?

I understand that the entrance will be moved from the side beneath the garage to Main Street near the Post Office entrance. Is that true?
Mr. Catsimatidis replied:
Paperwork all signed and submitted to the building dept for permits. Due to hurricane a little behind
adding:
Entrance moved correct
Cafe added
New deli and produce
New floors
Prepared foods
New decor
Reported last month that a representative from Main Street Master Leaseholder Hudson Related told me that:
... Gristedes will soon be undergoing their promised and long awaited complete store renovation. Included in the renovation will be moving the gloomy and depressing store entrance from beneath the Motorgate Ramp


to the light and brightness of Main Street next to the Post Office.


Interestingly, the suggestion to move the Gristedes entrance came from Roosevelt Island resident Deborah Beck during March 12 Town Hall Meeting with Gristedes owner John Catsimatidis...
I also asked Hudson Related's David Kramer for an update on Main Street retail stores. Mr. Kramer replied:
We have 3-4 pending negotiations. The ice cream store is almost complete, which will be followed by the natural foods market and then the wine store. Trellis is developing their renovation plans. 
Future Home To Coach Scot's Main Street Sweets

 Check out the web page for the soon to open Coach Scot's Main Street Sweets

mmmmmm, tasty.


Looking forward to Coach Scot's Main Street Sweets opening and the Gristedes renovation.

Also, here's recent interview of Gristedes owner John Catsimatidis from the Stoler Report.



Mr. Catsimatidis talks about Roosevelt Island at the 12 minute 30 second mark. He says the Roosevelt Island Tram "never really worked right".

Not sure what he meant by that.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 1:39:00 PM 124 comments

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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Gristedes Supermarket Owner John Catsimatidis Comes To Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting - Hear's A Mouthful Of Complaints From Residents, But Some Compliments Too

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Image From Roosevelt Island 360

Gristedes supermarket chain owner, billionaire oil man, real estate developer and NYC Mayoral aspirant John Catsimatidis came to Roosevelt Island last night to discuss with Roosevelt Island residents the renovation and redesign of our long complained about Gristedes supermarket. David Kramer, a principal of Main Street Retail Master Leaseholder Hudson/Related Companies hosted the event which he described as a Town Hall Meeting, Customer Satisfaction Survey and/or Focus Group.

 Gristedes Owner John Catsimatidis and Hudon's David Kramer Town Hall Meeting

Mr. Catsimatidis began the Town Hall Meeting with a bit of history, recalling that he first came to Roosevelt Island over 20 years ago when his company bought Sloan's Supermarket which is now Gristedes. Mr. Catsimatidis introductory remarks focused on recent improvements made at Gristedes with the change in suppliers to Shop Rite which, he said and the audience agreed, provides higher quality products than what was previously offered. Also, improvements to be made at Roosevelt Island's Gristedes include offering more fresh produce and organic products at affordable prices. According to Mr. Catsimatidis, the new Gristedes slogan will be:
Supplying Organic Foods To The Community At Supermarket Prices Not Whole Paycheck Prices
Mr. Catsimatidis then said that he came to listen to Roosevelt Island residents opinion and asked for questions and comments.

Boy, did he get some.

Residents lined up to express their unhappiness with high prices at Gristedes compared to other nearby NYC supermarkets and Fresh Direct online (one resident even handed him discount price flyers from competing stores). Mr. Catsimatidis answered that the cause of their high prices was due to the rent and expensive cost of being in the New York City supermarket business citing the bankruptcies of a long list of NYC supermarket chains. Gristedes pays approximately $7 sq ft in rent for 25,000 square feet of space. Gristedes also pays it workers union wages.

Other long time complaints expressed to Mr. Catsimatidis included expired products on shelves, dirty floors, inadequate product offerings, counter conveyor belts not working, long lines at checkout counter, lack of a full service pharmacy, leaking roof, poor lighting among others.

Some residents complimented the Gristedes store for recent improvements and noted assistance provided by its staff and manager.



Mr. Catsimatidis expressed the intent to fix the problems described and urged any resident to contact him with specific complaints which will be addressed. He also asked for suggestions as to how to improve the store. I thought a great idea was suggested by resident Deborah Beck who recommended that the new store design include moving the store entrance from the dark tunnel like side entrance to better lit Main Street directly across from Manhattan Park.

The rest of the Town Hall meeting is shown in videos below. (Here and here too.) Unfortunately, the audio and video in second video are out of sync but I think you can still understand what is going on.





Time will tell whether improvements will come to the Roosevelt Island Gristedes Supermarket but I give Mr. Catsimatidis a great deal of credit for holding a public meeting with his customers and I hope for the best.

Now, if Gristedes will only stock the Goya Ginger Beer on a regular basis, I will be a more happy customer.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 3:46:00 PM 13 comments

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Roosevelt Island Gristedes May Become Red Apple Supermarket Says Owner John Catsimatidis

Crains NY Business reported yesterday on possible New York City Mayoral candidate, billionaire oil man, real estate developer and Gristedes supermarket owner John Catsimatidis:

... In his supermarket business, Mr. Catsimatidis is trying to get his timing back. Gristedes' $250 million in revenues represents only about 5% of Red Apple Group's sales, yet it is the business he's known for, and where he made his first million at age 25.

In the past decade, those traditional supermarkets have been hit with competition from Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Fresh Direct and other progressive grocers, which, he says, have a competitive advantage because they are nonunion.

Gristedes is struggling to break even and continues to shrink. “It's obvious we shouldn't be in this business anymore,” he said. “I do it for my employees, not for myself.”

To compete with the new consumer favorites, last month he resurrected the supermarket brand that launched his career in the grocery business. The last Red Apple disappeared from the city landscape about 20 years ago, but now The Andrea apartment building has one. Red Apple is known for its no-frills and low-cost merchandise.

Bringing back Red Apple is a smart strategic move, according to supermarket consultant Burt Flickinger. “It's one of the great names in the supermarket business and will still connect with consumers as standing for value at a time when prices are higher in New York City,” Mr. Flickinger said.

Mr. Catsimatidis said he plans to open more Red Apples in New York and is considering replacing some of his faltering Gristedes stores with the brand. Gristedes operates only in Manhattan...
Click here for the entire Crains article.

I asked Mr. Catsimatidis:
An article in today's Crains NY Business indicated that you are considering replacing some Gristedes stores with a resurrected Red Apple Brand supermarket.

Does that rebranding apply to the Roosevelt Island Gristedes and are there any other changes being planned for the Roosevelt Island Gristedes?
Mr. Catsimatidis replied:
Its Being considered changing it to a Red Apple
As referenced in the Crains article, the new Red Apple supermarket opened late October in Fort Greene Brooklyn according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

Image Of Brooklyn Red Apple Opening From Brownstoner (Mr. Catsimatidis with scissors)

At the October 20 Main Street Retail Town Hall Meeting, Hudson Related Master Leaseholder Principal David Kramer expressed his agreement with many Roosevelt Island residents who expressed dissatisfaction with the Roosevelt Island Gristedes and promised to insure that Gristedes complies with the terms of their lease.


You Tube Video of Main Street Retail Town Hall Meeting

An earlier post which Mr. Catsimatidis responded to elicited these comments from readers on the Roosevelt Island Gristedes. From Westviewer
... We'll never get rid of Gristede's, even though that would be the one thing more than any other that would immediately improve living here.  Does anyone shop there except out of dire necessity?
YetAnotherRIer:
Plenty of people, actually. I think Gristedes has become a lot better over the last 2-3 years.
Barton Fink:
the store has improved and has any and everything one needs. I wish those that are basing their comments on 4 years ago would shut up. Slander is slander.
Westviewer again:
It is a little better in some areas; worse in others, but still inadequate. 
Barton Fink again:
Gristides the store has never been an issue, it was the management that ran it into the ground 3 and 4 years ago..anyone who has gone in as of the last year, would see all the shelves have been cleared and restocked and everything has been cleaned and up to date. Threre is a new manager and I wish everyone would stop badmouthing the only big nice store we have on the island...before the hurricane, I think everyone was glad it was here. 
bakgwallo
... do you think you could clean up the Gristedes on RI? Maybe remove all of the dust covering the beer, too. Also, do you think you could stop charging 13 bucks for a 6pack of Sam Adams? I mean really, that is pretty bad gouging.
and finally Westviewer:
It's not the service -- its the quality and prices.   For example -- what happened to Murray's chicken?   Too good for Gristede's?   Why is  Kerrygold Irish butter $2.79 a half-pound at Trader Joe's and $3.89 at Gristede's?  I'm sure TJ's isn't losing any money on it. 
During a conversation I had with Mr. Catsimatidis, he strongly advised anyone who has complaints with the service at Roosevelt Island Gristedes to report them to this email address.
CustomerService@gristedes.com
Give it a try and see what happens.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 1:21:00 PM 5 comments

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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Gristedes Considering Bankruptcy & Latest On Roosevelt Island Main Street Retail Revitalization - Master Leaseholder Hudson Related Listening To Resident Concerns and Town Hall Retail Meeting On October 20

Roosevelt Island Gristedes Image From Roosevelt Island 360

The NY Post and Gothamist both recently reported that Roosevelt Island's favorite (cough,cough) supermarket chain, Gristedes, may consider entering bankruptcy. According to the NY Post:
This billionaire is crying poverty.

Gristedes owner John Catsimatidis has threatened to shutter the supermarket chain if he can’t renegotiate terms of a $3.5 million wage settlement with his workers.

The once -- and possibly future -- mayoral hopeful recently told a judge that “Gristedes is suffering” due to the weak economy and last year’s bankruptcy of grocery giant A&P and its Food Emporium chain....
{UPDATE 9/22 -  Had a telephone conversation with Gristedes Chairman John Catsimatidis who emphatically stated that Gristedes is not considering in any way going into bankruptcy. Mr. Catsimatidis was very pleasant and emphasized that if there are problems with the Roosevelt Island store he wants to know about it. Will have more on this later.}

Back to the original story from 9/21.
Many Roosevelt Island residents over the years have expressed the fervent wish that the Roosevelt Island Gristedes be replaced with another supermarket. If Gristedes does go into bankruptcy, that may present an opportunity for new Main Street landlord Hudson/Related to bring in another Roosevelt Island supermarket operator.

One of the benefits of having Hudson/Related as the new Master Leaseholder and operator for the Roosevelt Island Main Street stores instead of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) is that, unlike RIOC, Hudson Related has the expertise and ability to enforce lease provisions that Gristedes and other current tenants may not be complying with and evict them if legally feasible.

What's the latest on the Roosevelt Island Main Street retail situation? Hudson/Related took over Main Street retail operations from RIOC in August. Hudson/Related representatives have been meeting with  residents and store owners recently including a September 15 meeting with Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Matt Katz, Island Services Committee Chair Aaron Hamburger and Planning Committee Chair Frank Farance. I asked the RIRA meeting participants to comment on the meeting.

According to Mr. Katz:
The Roosevelt Island Residents Association has arranged a Town Meeting to supplement the retail surveys distributed throughout the Island by the Hudson Company. The purpose is to offer residents an opportunity to meet with the Master Lease holders and to engage in a conversation as to what kind of shopping and restaurants we want and how to make our retail corridor more attractive. We have set Thursday, October 20 at 7:30 p.m. for this important meeting, which will be held in the main sanctuary of the Good Shepherd Community Center. This forum may be the only opportunity for the Roosevelt Island community to share their needs and preferences with the developers and we hope for a large turnout.

Matthew Katz

President, RIRA
Mr. Hamburger added:
We had a very good meeting with Dave Kramer and Andrew Jackson. Basically, Dave talked about his concept of making Main St the vibrant center of our "village".
We didn't get any details, just his general thinking. We did help him plan a community meeting which will probably occur in late October. We're having troubling scheduling  at Good Shepherd - they seem all tied-up every Tuesday & Wednesday evening . 
Anyway, the meeting will likely start with a power-point presentation by Hudson-Related, then thrown open for the questions, comments, etc. from the public.
and Mr. Farance:
Matt Katz (RIRA President), Aaron Hamburger (RIRA Island Services Chair), and I (RIRA Planning Committee Chair) met last Thursday with David Kramer and Andrew Jackson.  Mr. Katz had called the meeting so we could plan for community meetings on the Retail Master Lease effort.

Here's some of the key points discussed in the meeting:

- Mr. Katz would call for a town meeting (since scheduled for October 20, 7:30 PM at the Good Shepherd, 543 Main Street) where the community could provide input.  We agreed that Mr. Kramer would "set the stage" with his own Powerpoint presentation to inform the community of his ideas and plans.  (Note: A similar approach was taken with Hunter College and Public Safety in prior town hall meetings.)
- There was a lively discussion on the removal of the windows in the arcades in Eastwood and Westview.  I made the point that the arcade, and the weather protection afforded by the windows (rain, snow, wind), is REALLY important to Northtown residents.  I think Mr. Kramer now understands this.  Regardless, Mr. Kramer will have to get permission from the building owners to do some of his refurbishment work.  I pointed out the residents have a close relationship with the owners of each building (Westview, Island House, Eastwood have tenants associations; Rivercross is a co-op), so Mr. Kramer will need their support if he wants to make changes.

- Mr. Kramer envisions the merchants all paying "market rates".

- Mr. Katz noted that the mom-and-pop operations have been more connected with the community, while the chain stores don't really participate.  Mr. Hamburger disagreed with this perception.  Mr. Kramer said he's OK with mom-and-pop operations as long as Roosevelt Island is their third or fourth store, not their first store.

I've asked for the raw data from the survey so we can do other analyses.

In a follow up E-mail with Mr. Kramer, I pointed out that Northtown and Southtown are different marketplaces with different clientele: China 1 has a $4 meal for kids, and Trellis has a $6 kids meal with drink and dessert, meanwhile a kids meal at the Riverwalk Bar and Grill is about $12 (with drink/dessert), and Fuji East is about $20-25 per person.  A good number of people I know (including from Southtown) don't/little patronize Southtown restaurants because of the higher prices.  Alphonse, Sal, and Jonathan are nice guys and I wish them well, I'm just pointing out that there are different markets and different price points.  In other words, we still need that $4-6 kids meal (or maybe we still need two nail salons).

Mr. Kramer responded with "As far as I'm concerned, there's a wide range of incomes throughout the entire neighborhood, and the retail mix should reflect that", and I think that is a fine response.  Mr. Kramer feels that higher rents would be offset by higher volume, which he hopes will come through his refurbishment of the Northtown retail area.  As a followup, I posed the following:

To Mr. Kramer: Just out of curiosity, would you agree that the steady state of businesses is reaching the right equilibrium of growing while maximizing profit?  Or said differently, if there is no growth potential, then all that is left is maximizing profitability ... money spent on anything else (e.g., fancy store windows) that doesn't add to growth or profitability is wasted money, right?  So when Jennifer Connelly's "Dark Water" was shot on Roosevelt Island [circa 2005] and they dressed us up as a "dump", some of that dumpiness is still present: the cleaners didn't change their store front from the dumpy one the movie crew painted on.  The cleaners made their fee from the movie, yet even a dumpy painting didn't diminish their business ... certainly the movie crew would have restored/refurbished it.  <-- supports my equilibrium comments, right?  My hunch is that there aren't many retail dollars to spend.  I would be happy to be proven wrong.  Good luck to you!

I haven't yet received a response from Mr. Kramer.  My sense is: the higher volume necessary to support the higher rents isn't there in Northtown.  Or said differently, if Mr. Kramer moved Riverwalk Bar and Grill to Northtown and spent as much money as Mr. Kramer wants to make its outside look fancy, do you think Riverwalk Bar and Grill would be doing the same level of business?  I don't think so because their present location is a positive factor in their business: Southtown residents can just as easily hop on the subway/tram to Manhattan or Queens.  Years ago, Manhattan Park residents grumbled that going to Northtown (Trellis, Pizza, Back Page Sports Bar) was just far away enough to discourage their patronage, yet when they moved into Northtown their patronage increased.

Anyway, the community should voice its opinion.  And the WIRE buildings' tenants associations will need to get active on negotiating the kinds of changes Mr. Kramer is proposing.
Below is video from September 19 RIRA Island Services Committee discussion with Mr. Hamburger, Katz and Farance reporting on the Main Street retail meeting with Mr. Kramer.


You Tube Video of RIRA's ISC Main Street Retail Discussion

I have been told that Hudson/Related is seeking $50 per square foot for new Roosevelt Island Northtown Main Street leases. I asked Mr. Kramer earlier today to confirm that but have not received a reply yet. Gristedes is currently paying $7 a sq. ft for more than 25,000 sq. ft. of space with a lease through 2032

I asked Mr. Kramer for permission to attend the meeting with the RIRA members so that I could report on it to the Roosevelt Island community. Mr. Kramer declined, stating that he wanted an open discussion and did not want those attending concerned that their comments would be made public. I then asked the RIRA members I knew would be attending if they objected to my presence at the meeting. Neither Mr. Hamburger or Mr. Farance had any objection but Mr. Katz did object to my presence because he did not want anything to "impede the free flow of ideas". So I was not allowed to attend.

I asked Mr. Katz:
By excluding the press from a meeting composed only of the RIRA President, and two RIRA committee chairs with Hudson for the reason that it may "impede the free flow of ideas" can only increase the public perception that something is being kept secret.

Is there anything you might say at this meeting that you are not willing to say in public? i doubt that and I doubt that applies to Frank or Aaron either.
Mr. Katz later wrote to me:
The discussion was frank and informative. I really think that it would have been less so had the press been present. Nevertheless, we discussed dates for a community Town Meeting in October, and I’m working to finalize a date. I’ll let you know just as soon as that’s accomplished.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 3:44:00 PM 76 comments

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