Wegmans To Open First Manhattan Store With Swanky Style This Fall

The people of Manhattan are in for a welcome treat, as grocery chain Wegmans is set to open its first location this fall. Wegmans is a New York institution, but from upstate in Rochester, New York, where the first store was founded over a hundred years ago. Since then it has grown slowly but surely, cultivating a loyal fan base that turns out in droves for new openings and becoming famous for massive stores that stock a huge variety of specialty items in addition to grocery store staples, with an average of 60,000 products per store. The first New York City location opened in 2019 in Brooklyn to much fanfare and press coverage, and true to the company's style was a massive 74,000 square feet, usually unthinkable in the dense area.

Located at 770 Broadway in Manhattan's historic Astor Place district, the new store will open on October 18, according to a press release from the company. It will clock in at 87,500 square feet, and include a huge amount of amenities including hot and cold prepared foods like sandwiches, pizza, wings, and Asian entrees. The biggest standouts in the dining area may be the sushi bar and the champagne and oyster bar, which are scheduled to open a little later than the store itself, in 2024.

New York can be a tough place for outside businesses to break in, but Wegmans unique business model has managed to build excitement in the city instead of provoking the normal backlash around the closing of local businesses that often accompanies a new, big store entering the market. While it has a reputation for upscale groceries, it's actually a relatively affordable chain compared to competitors like Whole Foods. It's also a family-owned business that is consistently ranked as one of the best companies in the U.S. to work for, with Fortune ranking it number four this year. Its regional nature, with only a little over a hundred stores, and focus on community input have helped ease the gentrification concerns of neighborhoods where it opens.

Wegmans certainly cultivates this image, too, with the new store's manager, Matt Dailor, saying in the press release, "Wegmans is a celebration of food and people, and we can't wait to open the doors on October 18 to our community here in the East Village." The store is set to employ 600 people, which should also be a boon to the community. So mark your calendars, shoppers of Manhattan, you only have a few months left before you get to experience the hype in person.