By Gus Saltonstall
A Wegmans grocery store will possibly open on the Upper West Side, but the exact details of the business venture are unclear.
Danny Wegman, the chairman of the popular supermarket chain, which recently opened its first Manhattan location on Astor Place, just signed a “long-term lease” at 1932 Broadway, the former Bed Bath & Beyond store between West 64th and 65th streets, a spokesperson for Wegmans told West Side Rag.
Representatives from Wegmans emphasized to the New York Post, though, that the lease at 1932 Broadway was a “personal investment” by Danny Wegman, the third-generation leader of the company, and that there are no plans to open a store at the Upper West Side site “at this time.”
However, a spokesperson from the company provided other details to the Rag that made it seem like the door was certainly being left open for a Wegmans supermarket or some other business venture at 1932 Broadway.
The spokesperson explained that before the opening of the Astor Place outpost, the company was working with Glenwood Management to lease the space at 1932 Broadway, but when that did not pan out, the grocery-store chain had the opportunity to sign a lease at Astor Place.
Shortly after the company committed to the Lower Manhattan location, 1932 Broadway did become available, but the timing was no longer right, and management was focused on the design and permit process of its Astor Place location.
Following the Astor Place opening, Mr. Wegman learned that 1932 Broadway was still available, and personally started negotiations that led to the recently signed long-term lease.
The Bed Bath & Beyond store across from Lincoln Center shuttered its more than 50,000 square-foot space in the winter of 2023.
“At this time, we are continuing to learn from our Astor Place store and will use those learnings moving forward,” the Wegmans spokesperson told the Rag.
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Now that would be a great addition to the UWS!!!!
Thank goodness! Finally, an alternative to Fairway. As Fairway’s prices ascend, their attentiveness to their customers’ needs descend. I’ve seen their employees ushering people through the cash lines actually scolding their customers. Uptown at Trader Joe’s, their customer service is such a helpful breath of fresh air. They must select their employees for friendliness and helpfulness.
Fairways really isn’t the same since it was taken over by Shop Rite, more expensive and the quality of the produce is not the same, I was hoping Westside market would win the bidding war when the finance bros who bought Fariways had to sell.
There is simply no comparison between Fairway’s fresh produce and Trader Joe’s, which is the weak spot in their retail operation. Both in terms of variety and freshness. TJ’s produce is days old before it even hits the stores. Trader Joe’s is great for many things but not necessarily the produce. And the long lines are ridiculous. You shouldn’t have to wait 10 – 15 minutes just to check out your purchases. You never have to wait that long at Fairway, now that they have self-checkout.
Fairway has many strengths, and our weekly visits there are always positive — and if Fairway closes, we will observe an outpouring of sadness across the UWS. Is it perfect? Of course not. The trolls who instantly seize upon any excuse to hyperbolically trash Fairway are fascinating.
TJ’s quality has gone down so much, the customer service hardly matters. They’re only there to placate you.
I just mentioned that I like Fairway, and Trader Joe’s is a good store too. They don’t duplicate each other for me — I shop for different things at each. The customer service at Trader Joe’s is wonderful. We’ve literally never had anything but pleasant interactions with them.
Oh look another store in crowded Lincoln center area! What about wegmans between W 86th and W 96th? It’s groceries, residents from this area will have to lug heavy load and we have a plenty of empty store space available.
They are running a business. Were you under the impression that this is government-run and paid for by your taxes and that they locate their businesses for your convenience? It’s not. It’s a private business. They open stores where they know their business will do well.
Precisely my experience at Fairway. Trader Joe’s has earned my loyalty. I only go to Fairway when necessary.
I like Fairway.
And the staff is always nice to me and my family.
That’s been my experience at Fairway, too. I think much of the dislike for Fairway has racial undertones.
Boris-bravo!! You filled the bingo card today by making an innocuous discussion about grocery stores into something “racial”😂what distinguishes the ethnicity of their employees from other grocery stores?
I agree that their staff generally is a good crew but a demoralized one. The butchers are gone and the sad remnants of it and the fish counter makes a tear come to your eye. Let’s not even discuss the deli, the bakery, the fresh variety of snack mixes or produce.
I appreciate that there are many happy customers here but if you knew what Fairway once was (I was brought here in my baby carriage and shopped with my great aunt and grandma in the 70’s & was one of there biggest fans as a young professional in the 90’s onward) -it is a Foodtown takedown.
My visit last week to pick up balsamic vinegar and a bag of apples found me gasping at the cost of the apples- $8.99 a bag!
Same bag of apples are $3.99 or $4.99 at FreshDirect. They have superior produce, unusual varietals, phenomenal pricing on organic and stand behind their product. It’s a no brainer given the absence of true supermarkets with reasonable prices.
Me too. Fairway has always been a fine place to shop.
A trip to Fairway seems like a trip to the DMV in terms of customer service. You’re right – I feel like I’m being reprimanded when waiting to checkout.
My neighbor informed me they will be hiring from the immigrant community? Are you aware of that news?
Better from the eager immigrant community than most American-born ingrates who won’t deign to do certain jobs (unlike my great-grandparents who came with nothing and supported a large family that somehow all went to college).
Good. It will give Melania something to do when Donald loses in November. Maybe she can pay his legal bills rather than his MAGA kool aid drinkers.
That’s wonderful news. The new arrivals are hungering for employment. I help them fill out their work permit applications at a local center. They’ve been through hell and high water to get here, and they’re looking forward to setting down roots and getting to work.
We’re upstate monthly and it’s rare that we don’t come home with at least $200 in groceries from Wegman’s. It is the best, period. Go, Danny, GO!
But will people stop with the badmouthing of Fairway? Among other facts, prices for several staple items there have actually dropped in recent weeks. Hopefully a good sign that they’re ready to compete with Morton Williams and others. The house brand foods, especially packaged vegetables, are fine. And some of the prepared salads and dishes are pretty good.
Wegmans will put both of those places out of business
The badmouthing is well-deserved. I’ve been going to that location since its opening (yes, I’m old). I never feel the store is quite clean…the produce is atrocious.
We will all be sorry if Fairway goes. I’d love to have a Wegman’s closer though. When I taught at Cornell it was a rear treat to shop there.
My friend used to do quality management for Fairway. You are 100% correct that the store is not quite clean…
I used to wait tables at one of the top resorts in the state. I learned then that you don’t want to know what goes on where you don’t see it.
There are inspectors for a reason and the level below which things are unsafe isn’t subjective. I’ll rely on the Health Department.
This is desparately needed and Wegmans will be full. Stores like Gourmet Garage and Mortons and Williams are not cutting it. They are terribly cramped, expensive, and lousy shopping experiences. Not sure how many people know about Wegmans, but they are in for a treat.
I sometimes go from UWS down to Astor Place Wegman’s because it is such pleasant shopping. Aisles are huge, no one crashes into me, ready-to-take prepared foods are attractive and easy to grab, and they have a program of loyalty discounts. The staff members are helpful and nice and seem happy to work there. It’s worth the trip. Having Wegman’s nearby would make our UWS lives remarkably better
Even before they opened in Astor Place, I used to schlep to Wegman’s in Brooklyn (the joys of retirement) because it’s so pleasant to shop there. Nothing on the UWS compares (and I’m glad you mentioned people who slam their shopping carts into you, shopping at Whole Foods is practically a contact sport)
We make that trip down to Astor Place as well. It’s just not fun lugging bags of groceries back on a subway and bus. Having a Wegman’s closer would definitely be a real treat!
And the places are CLEAN too. They don’t mess around. There’s a reason why they’ve built up such a reputation. And they grow very slowly.
Bring Wegmans to 80s and 90’s we have so many empty storefronts old Gristedes on 86 old DSW 79 old Bed bath and beyond on 90th and Broadway
PC Richards is going into the DSW space. I’ve never been to a Wegmans but hear many good things about it. I’m at Fairways constantly and have been for 54 years. There have been changes that I don’t particularly like since the buyout such as the skyrocketing prices during the peak inflation period and I wish they would enforce the “no dogs allowed” health code, which got totally out of hand. All that said, I’ve always had good experiences with the staff and they sell a number of products that are not available at Trader Joe’s. Whenever I’ve needed help, the staff has always politely provided it. There may be a few “bad apples” there but in general they are hard working and helpful. I’ve avoided Morten’s because of so many negative comments . If Wegman’s opens, I’ll take my cart to W. 64th as there’s no way I can carry heavy groceries that far anymore. Hopefully, it will open before too long.
Susan,
Yes a growing problem – people taking dogs into grocery stores though not allowed.
The space PC Richards is vacating would make a good grocery store. But it’s not enough for a Wegman’s, which needs huge space. The unfortunate fact is there aren’t any spaces in the 80s big enough for a mega grocery store, which is what Wegman’s is.
I agree, we are in desperate need of a grocery store in the 80’s. It’s becoming a desert.
A girl can dream .. PLEASE!
It great for them and people that live there
Omg! Please, please, please open here Wegman’s. 🙏
How about another market where Westside Market used to be before Harmon deserted the space? We are in need of a market between 79 and 86.
That space isn’t big enough for a Wegmans.
They need about double that size for a store.
The new Key Foods on Broadway (at 88th?) is a good addition to the neighborhood. Clean, decent selection for its size, better prices than Gristedes.
Some of the locations people suggested are too small for Wegmans, fyi.
Whenever I happen to go to a Gristedes, knowing comparative prices fairly well, I am always astounded at how Gristedes gouges the community.
Price gouging refers to a sudden increase in prices in times of short supply of essential items. What you’re talking about is simply a higher price than what you would like to pay.
It’s hard to consider this really the UWS. They’re even referring to it as Lincoln Square. It has nothing to do with what I think of as the UWS. others’ thoughts?
There was never a neighborhood, at least not that I ever heard, for the west side above Hell’s Kitchen. That is where the UWS starts. I think it’s always been that way. According to every source I can find, including wikipedia, the UWS starts at 59th street.
David,
I grew up on the West Side.
The area in the 60s was always referred to as Upper West Side.
Lincoln Square is a more recent real estate “name”
In my 40 years in the West 70s, I always laugh at how the boundaries of the “UWS” have expanded, thanks to the branding by the real estate industry.
laugh
Hoping this opens up by next year! Am I the only one with this UWS grocery habit:
Essential pantry and frozen stock – Trader Joes
Fish and Meat – Citarella
Quick buy/Emergency/Late Night – Fairway
My only issue with Wegman’s is I find they don’t have all the basics I need. Like if I want boxed cake mix(Duncan Hines. pillsbury, etc), they only have some weird brand rather than the regular stuff. This is based on shopping on the one up by 684/hutch. The store is nice and clean, but doesn’t cover everything. Honestly, sometimes Pioneer is simply the best option.
This would be swell!
Yes, please.
I’m puzzled….
I thought stores like the Food Emporium (closed 2014?) and West Side Market closed because of high rents and low margins in food market business.
And then there was explosion of delivery like Fresh Direct and ecommerce delivery like Amazon, Instacart etc.
And then instant-gratification grocery like Getir.
Given that context plus already existing Whole Foods, TJs, Fairway (and other food stores) not understanding how Morton-Williams decided to open on 69th Street?
And H-Mart is supposedly opening on 70th Street?
And Wegman’s?
No one is losing money on supermarkets, I’m sure. Their mark-up is enormous. I used to shop at Sloan’s, Fairway, and sometimes West Side Market. I even went to Chinatown sometimes. Then there was Grossinger’s, Eclair, Gruenebaum’s, H&H. Does anyone remember Beaudesir? A french bakery/deli? I worked there for a while.
Oy– don’t get me started on the dirth of real bakeries on the UWS (I’m not talking about cakeries like Magnolia!)!
Magnolia? A total waste and stale, bakery goods.
We need a “real” good Italian
Fresh “homemade” bakery up in this area…. Upper 70s to high 80s.
Like Rocco’s on McDougall Street in the village.
The funniest part of the new, poorly-designed Morton Williams is all the mirrors.
You turn the corner and think you’re about to run into someone.
But it’s just you.
It is kind of anxiety-inducing to go in to Morton Williams – the narrow high aisles, the mirrors….it’s nice that all the white subway style tiles are so clean, but combined with the dizzying visual choice that goes above and below your sight lines, the maze-like-layout of claustrophobia-inducing aisles – forget trying to pass another shopper; you just have to turn and double back – it’s like a dream or video about being lost in an unending asylum of bright groceries….
Sandy Love your comment
Yes please!!!!
Ah, I miss Bed Bath and Beyond quire severely. And the one farther uptown too. They were always my “go-to” stores. Now there is no place like that to “go to”. I don’t give a hoot about Wegmans. Key is.very good with prices, tho lately their prices have been going up.,and Zabars., and West Side Market.
That’s the best news. I’ve been out to the Brooklyn Wegmans it’s a terrific huge supermarket with excellent prices and endless product choices and their own name brand products.
Yes, it would be wonderful to have a Wegmans between 86 and 96. Isn’t PC Richards relocating? And the old Food Emporium spot is free.
Still, grateful for the clean, well-maintained Key Foods on Broadway, a better alternative to Barzinis for basic kitchen staples.
We were enthusiastic about Wegman’s when we lived in NJ. Would be a great addition to the UWS.
Desperate for a supermarket between 74th and 89th!! There are several sites available.
We could use a Wegemans at 86th and Broadway in the old homes of Gap and Gristeedes. Please???????
I love Fairway, and, yes, it’s changed through the decades, but their digital online coupons and $10 off on every $500 spent are two new bonuses. I find it neither dirty nor unfriendly, two criticisms found here. As far as expense, every supermarket has gone up, but Fairway beats Morton Williams and Gristedes at every turn, and they have plenty of choice. My only issue is the fruit bins: I have taken HoneyCrisp apples from the McIntosh bins and vice versa, or, more specifically, I’ve been gently reprimanded by the supervisors at the automated checkout line for putting the two kinds in the same plastic bag, a big no no since they’re different prices. I slunk out in shame with my head down; I suppose I have to be a more attentive fruit picker!
True Fairway is no longer the “original” but still very thankful to still have Fairway and its quirkiness – a reminder of the days before the West Side became luxurified.
I always find the staff to be very helpful.
And Fairway staff is very kind to some of the shoppers who have difficulty managing….
And glad that the restaurant is back.
Fairway also gives a 6% senior discount on Tues & Wed. That plus the Insider Discount adds up. As to the cleanliness, I call BS. People will eat in a dirty street shed and shop in a farmers’ market on a filthy street/sidewalk, yet they’ll only complain about Fairway being dirty.
Wegman’s would be a great addition to the grocery-starved UWS! Living near a Wegman’s has been beneficial – they also hire a LOT of people.
Yes!! Another vote for Wegman’s! I’ve been to the Brooklyn and the Astor Place locations and this would be a huge asset to our neighborhood. I would also love to have it at the old Gristede’s location, plus the entire ground floor above. Selfishly, since I live nearby.
We need more grocery stores on UWS.
Wegman’s was my local grocery in Pennsylvania until I moved to NYC last year. It is amazing. I am curious to check out the Astor Place store and see how they are adapting to NYC conditions. The suburban stores are very spacious, with wide aisles. Prepandemic, there was even a supervised play area for little ones.