New Bushwick Foodtown supermarket fulfills dream for longtime Brooklyn owners

Another location coming to Brooklyn Heights

January 26, 2024 Mary Frost

Members of the Widdi family and elected officials cut the ribbon for the grand opening of a long-awaited new Foodtown supermarket in Bushwick.

Members of the Widdi family and elected officials including City Councilmember Crystal Hudson (left), Brooklyn D.A. Eric Gonzalez (center) and NY A.G. Letitia James (right) cut the ribbon for the grand opening of a long-awaited new Foodtown supermarket in Bushwick. Photo: Foodtown/ARS

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BUSHWICK — Beaming store owners and elected officials recently cut the ribbon for the grand opening of a long-awaited new Foodtown grocery store at 54 Noll St. in Bushwick, in a ceremony attended by neighbors who eagerly poured into the attractive new retail space.

Owned and operated by Shady Widdi, the 15,000-sq-ft state-of-the-art supermarket is positioned as a “key player” in the neighborhood’s ongoing renaissance, according to Allegiance Retail Services (ARS), a fast-growing grocery co-op of which Foodtown is a member. All Foodtown stores are locally owned and family operated.

The Widdi family have been Brooklyn grocery stalwarts for decades, also owning Foodtown of Park Slope on 5th Avenue and Foodtown of Prospect Heights on Vanderbilt. Frank Widdi said the family signed a 50-year lease for the Bushwick location.

The new Foodtown brings an “immersive” shopping experience to Bushwich, owner Shady Widdi said. Photo: Foodtown/ARS

Officials — including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Assemblymember Maritza Davila and City Councilmember Crystal Hudson — spoke of the Widdi’s support for the community over the years.

James said she has known the family for more than two decades, and shopped at their grocery store on Vanderbilt Avenue before she was an elected official. “When tragedies in Central Brooklyn happened, they were there to help … When people needed jobs, they were there to help,” James said.

Gonzalez commended the family for investing in Brooklyn when other business owners would not. “They were here before the renaissance,” he said.

The produce display at the new Bushwick Foodtown is mouthwatering. Photo: Foodtown/ARS

Joseph Fantozzi, COO and president of ARS and Foodtown, said in a statement that developers approached ARS to contribute to the area’s revitalization, and Fantozzi enlisted Widdi to build, own and operate the new store.

Shady Widdi said that the supermarket represents the realization of his dream to build an “immersive” shopping experience. “In all the stores I have built, I have always wanted to go beyond what everyone else does,” he said in a statement. “Foodtown of Noll Street is the actualization of a dream for me.”

The Widdi’s Foodtown boasts an extensive selection of high-quality fresh produce, premium meats featuring Rancher’s Legend Beef, natural and organic product lines, daily fresh seafood and baked goods. Fresh produce is attractively displayed, and there is a fresh juice bar, sushi station, and deli and cheese counter. A barista mans the coffee counter.

Prepared fresh vegetables on display at the recently-opened Bushwick Foodtown. Photo: Foodtown/ARS

Foodtown has growing Brooklyn presence

There are now 14 Foodtown supermarkets across Brooklyn. The snug 4,500-sq-ft Foodtown of Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill, owned and operated by the Elayyan family, opened on December 9. The family owns nine supermarkets, seven of which are in Brooklyn.

The Boerum Hill store filled a much-needed niche, officials said.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, left, with a member of the Widdi family at the new Bushwick supermarket. Photo: Foodtown/ARS

“I’ve lived in Boerum Hill for over 40 years, and Atlantic Avenue used to be very different,” Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon told the Brooklyn Eagle at the opening. “This market has been something that people have advocated for, for a long time.”

“If you can’t find an affordable place to get groceries in your neighborhood, how do you live there? Here in Boerum Hill, we have been lacking a high-quality, affordable grocery store,” Councilmember Lincoln Restler added.

Another Foodtown will be opening at a former Rite Aid site at 101 Clinton St. in Brooklyn Heights. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

Coming up: Brooklyn Heights

Brooklyn Heights neighbors are speculating about the “Foodtown Coming Soon” signs posted at a former Rite Aid site at 101 Clinton St., at the intersection of Joralemon and Clinton streets.

The 10,100-sq-ft retail space (including roughly 3,000-sq.-ft on the lower level) is on the ground floor of a 6-story residential building, less than a block from a specialty food market on Montague Street, and blocks from a Key Food on Montague and another Key Food on Atlantic Avenue. According to Loopnet, the owner was asking $45,000 a month rent.

The Brooklyn Heights store is expected to open around Memorial Day Weekend.