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Flushing Key Food may close its doors

As some doors stay open, others close.

The Key Food on Parsons and Willets Point boulevards may be closing, just weeks after another Key Food store was saved by its patrons’ protests.

According to employees, the supermarket, located at 25-03 Parsons Boulevard in Flushing (in the Lindenview Shopping Center) may be closing soon, and residents and employees alike are not happy.

“There have been a lot of rumors [about the closing]. We know the lease is up, that’s for sure,” said a Key Food employee who wished to remain anonymous.

Workers say they were notified by management, and were told that many would be transferred, while others would be laid off.

“They don’t care where they send us,” said the employee. “It doesn’t matter to them how long or how far we will have to travel.”

A spokesperson for Dan’s Supreme Supermarkets, Inc., which runs about a dozen supermarkets under the Key Food banner in New York City and on Long Island, would not confirm the closure and declined comment.

Jason Seltzer, a local resident and patron of the supermarket, was disappointed by the rumors.

“It’s a shame,” said Seltzer. “Seniors are going to have to travel farther for groceries.”

Debra Markell, a Whitestone resident and long- time patron of Key Food, was concerned that the community will become underserved as a result of the closure.

“I don’t understand; this community really needs a supermarket,” said Markell. She said the possible closure was kept very quiet. “No elected officials knew about it.”

Citing the trend of drug stores replacing supermarkets in Queens, Markell added, “This is detrimental to the community. We don’t need a CVS.”

It was just a few weeks ago that the Key Food on 164th Street and 69th Avenue was granted a new lease, after it had been set to be replaced by a CVS.

The deal was heavily influenced by local residents who protested the plan to close their local supermarket.