3 Guys from Brooklyn pioneers ‘Get the Good Stuff’ produce program

March 7, 2022 Jaime DeJesus, Brooklynreporter.com

3 Guys From Brooklyn, a local institution at 6502 Fort Hamilton Parkway in Dyker Heights, is open day and night. Eagle file photo by Lore Croghan

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Three Guys From Brooklyn at 6502 Fort Hamilton Pkwy., a 24-hour produce market and grocery store, is fighting food insecurity by being the only Brooklyn supermarket in which Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/EBT) users can get free fruits and vegetables through a city matching-point program.

The program, known as Get the Good Stuff, is sponsored by the NYC Health Department. For every dollar you spend using SNAP/EBT on eligible fruits, vegetables and beans, you get a matching dollar in reward points (up to $10 per day) that can be used for the next purchase of eligible produce. The SNAP program was formerly known as the Food Stamp program.

Eligible foods include fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs, frozen fruits and vegetables without added sugar, salt or fat, canned and jarred fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils without added sugar, salt or fat.

The city has only six supermarkets that participate in the program, one in Queens and the other four in the Bronx. More locations will soon begin participating in the program, which began in 2019.

The market offers same-day delivery service from Instacart, an American company that operates a grocery delivery and pick-up service.

Huge amounts of quality produce, accessible from the street, have made 3 Guys From Brooklyn well-known in Dyker Heights and surrounding neighborhoods. Eagle file photo by Lore Croghan

Three Guys Managing Partner Philip Penta said that with transportation often serving as a barrier to the grocery store for some people, the market’s delivery options via Instacart make accessing food easier for customers.

“Partnering with Instacart to further enable our customers to use their EBT SNAP benefits for their grocery delivery and curbside pickup orders is an important extension of our mission to remain accessible to the community and help fight food insecurity,” he said.

Elected officials commended the store for working together to make getting groceries more convenient and affordable for families in the Dyker Heights neighborhood.

“This year has been difficult for many, and I’m proud to see both Instacart and Three Guys From Brooklyn step up and embrace a unique opportunity — and responsibility — to help increase access to affordable, nutritious food for more New Yorkers,” said State Sen. Diane Savino (D-Northern Staten Island-Southern Brooklyn).

“I am excited that Three Guys has partnered with Instacart to allow SNAP/EBT beneficiaries the convenience of receiving indispensably fresh, healthy produce delivered right to their homes from this reliable local market,” said Assemblymember Peter Abbate (D-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst-Sunset Park-Borough Park). “This is certainly a wonderful and welcome expansion for our community.”

The store opened in 1975, then reopened in 1998 with three new “guys.” At one time, its awning had the slogan “The Original Poor People’s Friend.” The Eagle’s Lore Croghan, who visited it in 2015, described it as “a foodies’ fantasy stocked with 100-plus varieties of nicely-priced fruits and vegetables.”