EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN—WELCOME BACK JEFFERSON MARKET!
By the beginning of last summer, the economic slump the rest of the country had been feeling for a while finally hit the west village. The most notable casualty was the legendary Jefferson Market on 6th Ave between 10th and 11th streets. It started with the decline of stock on the shelves, then the cheese counters were bare, and the rest of the stock dwindled to nothing until the shelves were practically empty.
The loyal neighborhood patrons (myself included) could be seen wandering the aisles looking for something to buy, hoping their purchases might delay the inevitable a little longer. It was a sad situation and standing on line to check out had the same feeling one would get at a wake, waiting to pay your last respects to the deceased—and then one day it was gone. The doors were closed with a note from the owner with the promise that they’d be back, a promise few believed. As the news of the recession got worse, the bleaker the chances of the Jefferson returning became.
What was it about this store that garnered such loyalty from a neighborhood? It wasn’t cheap, and they certainly had a limited selection of standard grocery items, so why did we lament the loss? It was the staff. The Jefferson Market had a crew so friendly and so helpful that you felt like you were visiting with friends and family as you waited your turn at the always busy, high quality butcher counter. Traditions of friendliness and helpfulness had been handed down since the store's inception in 1929. The loss of the store was like losing a dear friend.
But then a month or so ago signs of life began to spring up around the Jefferson. “Coming soon the new Jefferson Market” signs were in the windows; could it be, had someone swept in to save the landmark store? Yes someone had and last night, Thursday February 12, John Catsimatidis, owner of Manhattan’s iconic Gristedes supermarkets, debuted his version of the Jefferson Market, and it is spectacular! A bold new floor plan uses every inch of space perfectly. Expanded fruit and veggie sections spill over with beautiful, colorful fresh produce reminiscent of the quality we all enjoyed from the original Balducci’s. The cheese section is massive, there is a huge variety of beautiful breads and desserts and the prepared food section will make your mouth water. The butcher counter is smaller, but the quality remains the same and I was thrilled to see a few of the butchers we all know and love have been brought back. What I most appreciate is that the store is chock full of well known brands, and unlike other stores close by, you’re not forced to over-pay for a lesser product with the store's own label.
This store is a joy and we all owe Mr. Catsimatidis a debt of thanks for not only saving a landmark and giving back something so wonderful to a neighborhood, but for expanding his business in an economy that so many fear. To make this kind of investment in times like these show why this man is the success he is. We should all applaud his bold efforts to save a storeas well as a neighborhood and set an example others in his position should follow. Please visit the Jefferson Market, their new hours are Monday-Sunday 7am to 11pm.
