By COLlive reporter
A new supermarket in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn is hoping to raise the bar of Jewish grocery shopping experience.
The Marketplace, formerly known as The Shuk on 589 E New York Avenue, is aiming to set new standards in selection, service, and pricing, we’re told.
“No one here ever experienced such a store in Crown Heights before,” a member of the management told COLlive.com. “It will be aesthetically modern and beautiful.”
He added, on condition of anonymity, that they will be “achieving the seemingly impossible: lowest prices combined with amazing customer service.”
Owner Itzik Benabo, who bought the store in 2009 and owns Kol Tuv and Empire Kosher supermarket in the neighborhood, has hired a new CEO to run the growing franchise.
He did not want to disclose the person’s name as of yet.
A substantial number of Crown Heights residents regularly shop at the Kollel store, Paperific and other stores in Boro Park and Flatbush.
Using its 10,000 square feet, The Marketplace will aim to keep these customers close to home by showcasing a fresh produce department, high-tech deli kitchen, fresh fish section and a full-line of goods baked on premises.
It is scheduled to open after the 2010 summer. “Around September,” the source told COLlive.com.
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donate extras to the local food pantary which benefits many crown heights residence. kollel store and pomegranet do. why not crown heights stores too?
I haven’t seen the amazing customer service at the kollel store in boro park! actually what customer service??? Cstomer service is a foreign word in Boro park. so it can’t be the reason why our “clever” people run there…. and the prices are not always the greatest etheir.
cross between pomogranate and kollel…what a deal!
he IS the stores in home
-not for prices, & not for customer respect.
People who are barely making ends meet, find it increasingly hard to shop in CH.
If i recall you said that about Empire kosher that that would be just like the kollel store. yea right ……………..
Yes i am one of those who shop by the kollel every week you cant compare the prices the kollel store is so cheap comparing to Empire Kosher.
and then when he (smartly) gets CHts to purchase in our own shechuneh, we hope he will give all his maaser / tzedakah to CHts orgs too.
b’hatzlucha raabeh
hope he will take requests on food items and have courteous workers, with a yiddisha atmosphere
lol, what an original name!!! somehow tho, i have a feeling that it will always be called the shuk…
Customer Service is my #1 priority! When the workers are rude or don’t give you the time of day, yes,I will go out of crown heights to shop! I hardly shop on Kingston Ave. anymore because of all the rude workers who don’t have time for their own community shoppers!! They take us for granted. Well I don’t need that during my shopping experience. If this Marketplace keeps up the customer service that they say they will provide, I will shop there. Otherwise I will go to the Kollel store. Empire Kosher started off with great customer service but it… Read more »
1. Options for the customer are always good 2. How will he address parking? (On the other hand, with free delivery, there’s no need for parking). 3. “Someone” bought Singers on kingston, hung up a new sign like this one going up. The sign is still there and that’s it. (Not even used as a Pesach or Purim specialty store anymore. Just an ugly warehouse on prime real-estate on kingston. Unitl this one actually opens, all there is, is a sign. 4. Continuing from above, could the owner of that large space on prime Kingston please do something with the… Read more »
When he was going to open empier kosher he said the same thing “prices will mach Kolel prices” and now its the same old expensive prices
I wish it will happen but unfurtenely I dont think it will happen
“modern”? i want chassidish? does he think he will get more untzniusdke women by making it modern? let the food not be moldy! my mom sais that when she shops the kolell she leaves the store with a savings of $70.00 and feels more satisfied. and w/ more selection! bezras hashem itzik should have hatzlacha! just make shure to sell the chassidish stuff!
some of you guys and gals just get a life. When you start krechtzing and writing pathethic comments it doesn’t say much for all of us. Look how trashy VIN comments have become. How insane and immature makes us all look so nebach. Chill – this place will do super – ya think he hasn’t a clue what he’s doin. evevryone with there great hashoges ppppplease this Mr B guy knows what to do and how to do it. I applaud his effort and conviction in CH and wish him well. I for one and my extended families (4 seperate… Read more »
Mr. Benabo, thank you for your hard work and for trying to improve the neighborhood. Hope the cashiers dress and talk tzniusly.
I believe every week 200 CH families are leaving their $300 per shopping trip in Kolel store. It is 2.88M in sales a year. It is 1.5M in profit. Do you think more than 200 families shop in Kolel? Do you think they spend more that $300 per trip? Do the rest of your math. Prices??? Prices will be always higher than in Kolel. At least 5-10% as a friction of the gas cost and the cost of one hour you waisted on driving their. If not more. Go Itzik, go!
watch the prices be really low with a 100.00 minimum purchase! there is no way he can keep the prices as low as the kollel, he just does not have the clientele like bp. sorry, CHers will shop elsewhere if it means saving money.
-Stores that don’t give service with a snarl
-Decent parking (why do you think that Empire is so successful?
-Packers who know how to pack and put the bags into your cart
-Reasonable pricing
-Decent selection
he says he will give customer service and cheap prices 2 things kol tuv and empire kosher dont have!! instead of opening a new store just offer customer service and low prices to his 2 stores now and everyone will be happy!! why compete with yourself?
berel u made it in the pic!!!!!!!
CUSTOMER SERVICE IS IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!
get good cashiers please>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
ACTUAL costomer service would be a novel idea. Perhaps cashiers that are friendly and aren’t messing with their crackberry or ipods while they ring you up or maintaining a conversation with their next door cashier.
how much are poeple going to eat, you are not going to sell more, what are you gaining, where do you think the pople are going to come from ? empire kosher & kol tov – how stupid could this become – you think you are going to get more money?
why do we need another grocery owned by the same guy with the same pricing and customer service?
The type of store we DON’T have in Crown Heights is Amazing Savings or Bargain Hunters, etc
wishing him much hatzlacha. It will be great to have a supermarket right around the corner.
I never have to worry about parking! lol Lookin forward to it opening (sooner, rather than later!)
sorry. I dont know if I should believe this. Maybe they will start off with low prices, and after they receive our trust, it will ever so slowly go back to the old more expensive way as is befitting Crown Heights.
Now that Ben Abou has a monopoly of this neighborhood he can do what he wants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish Mr benabou hatzlcha, but I also wonder. He is concerned to keep shoppers “close to home” but what about hurting stores that are “home” in CH?
the only way kollel store shoppers are going to shop at this new place are if the prices match kollel store prices! Believe me people dont shop at the kollel store b/c of the look of the store… its all in the price and customer service!!! ( yes the modern and clean place is an added bonus!)
why do people shop out of crown heights?
prices are cheaper……duhhhhhhhhhhh
also customer service.
dont take local shoppers for granted !!!!!
I hope he emulates Pomegranate! That would be a huge move into that arena, and would cater to the many YUPPIES moving in also around South CH and Prospect Lefferts Gardens. I know a few and they hate Flatbush Ave – Sounds like this guy knows what he’s doin 🙂
parking parking parking
the prices r gonna make it!!!
How come it can’t open until September? It was once a grocery? So much time to prepare?
Wow, this is great news, Empire Kosher gets too crowded these days, with everyone cramming in to shop in the same store.
Antoher supermarket is welcome news
they should change the facade of the buildung
BS:D
He is gonna undercut his own stores. Wow what a tzadik