The following are excerpts from an article written by Joyce Hanson and appearing on CrainsNewYork.com:
A new independent kosher supermarket is opening in Midwood, Brooklyn on August 19, and its owners are hoping to attract Whole Foods shoppers.
At 20,000 square feet, Pomegranate occupies an entire block on Coney Island Avenue at Avenue L and has been under construction, along with a 50-car parking lot, for the past two years.
The upscale market will cater to the growing population of Syrian and other Middle Eastern Sefardics to Israelis, Hasids and European Jews. It also expects to draw kosher consumers from Boro Park, Williamsburg and Five Towns, Long Island.
“Whole Foods is definitely the inspiration for Pomegranate,” says Sam Ash, Pomegranate’s marketing director. “There is opportunity in any industry when you go up market instead of mass market, and the kosher market is no exception.”
With full-time rabbinical supervision, Pomegranate will sell fresh fish, aged meat, imported cheeses, gourmet packaged goods and a wide range of vegetables and exotic fruits—including pomegranates, of course.
The store is the brainchild of Abraham Banda, a Williamsburg resident and grocery store owner on Long Island. Mr. Ash declined to identify Pomegranate’s financial backers.
At a time in the city when more supermarkets are closing than opening—Whole Foods just announced that it will scale back its expansion plans—Pomegranate may likely spark a supermarket war.
Skeptics say that the superstore has spent two years and millions of dollars on a business that will face tough competition from entrenched kosher groceries in Midwood such as Moisha’s Discount Supermarket and Glatt Mart, both on Avenue M.
Others say it’s the Avenue M stores that should be worried.
“The rumor is that Moisha’s Supermarket and Glatt Mart are quaking in their boots anticipating the opening of this behemoth,” says one Jewish.
Mr. Ash says Moisha’s and Glatt Mart are traditional grocery stores and therefore not Pomegranate’s competition.
Managers at both Moisha’s and Glatt Mart declined to comment.
Kosher consumers spend more money at the cash register than the average shopper because they eat expensive food like fish and a lot of meat, says Rabbi Chaim Fogelman, a spokesman for OK Kosher Certification, a nonprofit that certifies thousands of products nationwide.
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28 Responses
If his prices aren’t low, he’ll go to the same place the “discount” supermarket that was there before him went.
Fancy and plenty won’t make it especially in today’s economic climate.
Time to go on a diet.
i realy dont think it was a smart idea 2 open a store like this in a time that the economy is so … a specialy a type store like that that a bottle of milk will cost 3.99
Nochamol is absolutely right. This was just a slick way for him to market himself. Incidentally, there is a new kosher supermarket opening on E. 15th St. between Ave. P and Kings Highway. Why does he think he will do better either?
answer to 1. how is it even possible they should have low prices
fancy shamcy the bottom line is the price.because an apple is an apple were ever you go. but price changes.
I like the Following comment:
“Mr. Ash says Moisha’s and Glatt Mart are traditional grocery stores and therefore not Pomegranate’s competition.”…
And they are not competition why?
They are trying to target the upper class – not people who are complaining about the price of a bottle of milk – I for one think its a good idea
Guys, give him a break. If it is dirty and has rude (or indifferent service) it will be a huge success>
The prices will be the same if not cheaper than other large grocery/supermarkets! (I have a relative working there who told me so.)
I definitely will do my shopping there!
shmaser – I don’t think it’s a good idea, but remember they started 2 years ago when the ecconomy was much better. The Yiddin who appreciate aged meat and cheese are few in Brooklyn. At least we will now have a place to shop if we crave gourmet high end products.
I wonder if they will have venison and elk steaks,
i havent been inside yet (but i dealt with the previous owners of this store — do they still own a %age?).
all you commenters are thinking small!
go into a wegmans (in jersey or upstate ny).
when you walk out, you’ll say even shoprite is dirty! (ALL our supermarkets are definitely dirty and without class compared to wegman’s; many shop rites are trying to copy wegman’s.)
by the way — two more points — parking and pricing. overpricing (or traditional kosher pricing) wont help them (even wegmans isnt that expensive. as for parking — it has to be convenient!
kosher aged mneat is really not aged — ionce you soak and salt it — its no longer aged (and rabbonim will NOT give a hechsher to unsalted meat — they dont trust us to barbeque it!
as for venison, its only available frozen, and elk only has an ou — no one else wants to pass on it!
I think that it will bring different products, products u cant find in the reg. supermarket. and it will be the type of place that u can get e/t and not have to go somewhere else. one stop shop. good luck to him!!
I wonder what they were thinking…
Spending two years on a project like this.
There are plenty of stores like this in Brooklyn & they will probably not be so cheap because they just spent years & Millions of Dollars on this.
Most people will go where the price is best.
I SINCERELY WISH THEM THE BEST OF LUCK IN THIS ENDEAVOR
I would like to first start off by wishing him the best of luck. I have just one question. You see when a person wants to go to a regular supermarket, they might go to shoprite or pathmark etc. However when they want to go to a gourmet upscale store, then they would go to Fairway, or Dagastino etc, which are markets that sell every type of cheese, or every type of olive oil, and many products from all over the world that you wouldnt otherwise see in another store. Kosher food i think is a little different. all of the products that are kosher are already available to us, usually in the stores we already shop in. Maybe not in the corner grocery store, but in glattmart or moishes or shoprite etc. so what is pomegranate going to sell already…mishpacha bread crumbs and haolam cheese arent going to be any more gourmet on Pomegranates shelves than on the Kollel food stores. so maybe it will be a place where we can get everything under one roof as apposed to running to the syrian grocery store and the bakery and the heimishe butcher etc. If it all ends up under one roof you will have people being exposed to many things they might not have already in their store…a syrian might buy some chulent, and ashkenazim might buy some Kibbeh…therefore you will have people being exposed to other foods and maybe get hooked…..If thats the idea….I hear…but if not….I dont know…I wish him Hatzlocho.
This unfortunately a trend of those that have lots of money (black?) and invest in an enterprise that promises high return (or launder ) in the name of kosher competition, even with a mashgiach.Always out to kill the competition in a most kosher iwhile giving the goiyim something to pop their eyes out.No tznius the way of life.
I love the idea and I can’t wait for it to open!
It’s about time someone had the guts to open a nice new place. Hopefully, they won’t look over the customers with loshon hora and richilus comments like one sometimes overhears when the staff even refers to some customers in Spanish guessing no one will know what they are saying. Let’s just get down to business.
If I pay a few cents more or less, I’m not going to cry and neither are most people. It’s like gasoline guys. Enough with the price of oil and gas already; it’s a reality, let’s face it and I want to enjoy some new types of food.
Also, i don’t care about this Whole Foods talk. I never even heard of them.
Ok is not for profit! tell that to the marines
I agree that there is no store like Wegmans which is quite an experience every time I go in. Additionally there are definitely people in Flatbush that don’t care about prices and only care about convenience and experience. Just look at certain stores that are much more expensive than Moishes for example that do plenty well because of convenience or product offerings. At the end though I believe that the enormous (almost astronomical)capital expense will be too great and will not be able to be recouped in a reasonable amount of time irregardless of prices or anything. I do wish them the best though.
prachrose – You lost me
what about mountain fruit?????????and yes price makes a difference in flatbush not everyone is rich.then there is paper rific .come on enough already. it might be a nice store but how many do we need on M and area.we have a great fish store on M.a great bagel place.3 bakaries.there is pick and pay that have wonderful prices on food. not having to use there meat. i do wish them well and will check it out . but price will count and there are those who are loyal to the stores they are at.
LOOKING FORWARD, variety is the spice of life!!!
A new store, clean and pretty, interesting products from here and abroad, can use a new flavor in town. Competition is part of life and capitalism & remember HASHEM runs the $$$$ line.
‘.. Pomegranate occupies an entire block on Coney Island Avenue at Avenue L..’
Did the reporter even go there before s/he wrote this? Maybe all those houses and stores on the rest of the block are a mirage.
“The rumor is that Moisha’s Supermarket and Glatt Mart are quaking in their boots anticipating the opening of this behemoth,” says one Jewish.’
This obviously was toungue in cheek and was not picked up. Believe me, they are not quaking in their boots.
I used to shop at Kosher Discount Supermarket which was in the location where Pomegranate will be. I miss their Korn’s Bakeries water challah which was $1.50 for a medium loaf once upon a time. Some people will shop in one store for convenience no matter what the price but others will shop around searching for bargains.
Paperific is across the street and will probably have trouble competing with a new rival being so close.
As for gourmet foods, Season no longer makes their Anchovy Paste or Capelin Caviar — will this store find new suppliers?
you know what i find about the huge supermarkets?
that it takes almost an hour longer then going to a grocery store..cuz if you miss a product, u gotta start going down the aisles again and again and again—-it makes me dizzy
As you can tell by my “name” here, I don’t live in the Brooklyn Holyland, B”H. But I’ve got to tell you, having shopped in Whole Foods a few times, their products are top notch in quality, and if Pomegrante is following the same business model, it may be quite interesting for occasional visits. If you’ve ever tasted the strawberries that Whole Foods carries, you know what I’m talking about!
Our local frum stores are chock full of junk food. I’d greatly prefer a store where the emphasis is on less processed food, more quality.
But not for my everyday grocery shopping.
Competition is good for businesses. If it means a store with poor customer service and a grungy environment spruces themselves up to be competitive, that’s a good thing!
If they sell good Cholov Yisroel Milk and Ice Cream (and I do not think that the stuff almost every single other store here in flatbush is selling is good) I will definetly buy there. The aged meat sounds really tempting, I hope they have someone who knows how to properly age meats. I always thought that if someone local would sell this stuff it would be a hit.
I think there is a tremendous untapped market for good kosher food (unfortunately the monopolies that make kosher food seem not to care too much about quality) and I think that if they are able to deliver there are enough people to make them successful. Also as so much of kosher food seems to be overpriced I do not see that it should be a necessity for prices to really be any higher to sell good quality stuff.