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New York City Store Tour

July 5, 2023

The New York City grocery stores, from small to large, offer a large selection of goods and a window to the world foods. 

If you are walking the streets of New York City it is impossible not to pass by a grocery store. You will actually see one every few steps. From Trader Joe's and Whole Foods to more specialty stores like Eataly and Citarella Gourmet Market, to small mom and pop stores, New York City has them all offering both gourmet and convenience options. 
Let's take a look at some of them!

Your corner store - Adam's Market Place

At the corner of 8th Ave and W 20th Street we found Adam's Market Place which is a typical Deli/Grocery/Convenience store that you find at every corner in New York. These small stores like Adam's Market Place are open 24h and offer an option of a warm meal as well as getting some of your staple foods and household needs like snacks, pasta and sauces, ready to eat foods and cleaning products. Small with narrow aisles, these type of stores find an eye pleasant way to arrange the wide variety of goods in small space and be able to offer something for everyone. 


National Chains - Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market


The two national chains present in New York City are Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market. Tucked in the city buildings and blending with the architecture; the outside look of these stores is different from what we are used to in other parts of the country. However, the typical assortment of organic and healthy foods is up to the standards.


  • Whole Foods has 18 stores in NYC - 14 in Manhattan and 4 in Brooklyn
  • Trader Joe's has 9 stores in NYC


I visited the W33rd location of Whole Foods and it felt like a breath of fresh air in the busyness of the city.

Wide aisles and lots of lighting the store greets you with a cafe at the lower level and opens a great shopping experience and restaurant area on the second floor. Many local items are completing the nationwide offering and international selection in the store.


Neighborhood Grocers


Westside Market, King Kullen, Fairway Market, Morton Williams, Gristedes Supermarket, D'Agostino's are all chains born in the New York area that grew to address the needs of the neighborhood.


King Kullen is a family owned and operated chain with 29 locations. The Smithsonian Institute acknowledges King Kullen as America's first supermarket.


West Side Market is a family owned and operated chain with 8 locations in NYC  "as unique as the neighborhood it serves."


Fairway Market is a 4 store chain that started from a humble corner fruit and veggie stand. Fairway flagship store is on Broadway & W 74th Street.


Morton Williams Supermarkets includes 14 stores in NYC, 1 in Bronx and 1 in New Jersey. Also a family owned and operated food retailer that customizes the offering based on the needs of the neighborhood.


Gristedes Supermarket has 19 locations in the NYC area offering a large selection of items.


D'Agostino or D'Ag has 11 locations in the NYC area operated by the D'Agostino family.


Citarella Gourmet Market is known for it's high quality seafood that you can order not only at one of their 9 locations but online as well. Vitarella Gourmet Markets also provide a large assortment of meat, produce, pastries and groceries for everyone's taste.


Specialty Markets


EATALY - with a limited number of stores in main markets like New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Toronto, Eataly offers all Italian gems from pizza to gelato and everything in between.


Eataly has two stores in NYC where you can dine, shop and discover authentic Italian products.


Mediterranean Foods - specializes in Greek and Mediterranean gourmet foods.


H Mart - is the place to go to for Korean and a variety of Asian products. Present in 14 US states with 97 locations, HMart has three stores in the NYC area and it is the largest Asian supermarket chain in the US.


KATAGIRI - with two locations in NYC, Katagiri provides Japanese groceries.


New York Biltong - a specialty store selling South African groceries

Let's wrap it up with the top 10 NYC grocery stores by store numbers:


National and Regional Chains

Whole Foods - 18 stores

Trade Joes - 9 stores

HMart - 3 stores

Eataly - 2 stores


Local Chains

King Kullen - 29 locations

Gristedes - 19 stores

Morton Williams - 14 stores

D'Agostino - 11 stores

Citarella - 9 stores

Westside Market - 8 stores


Corner stores and Farmer Markets


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