By Ayala Ben-Yehuda
The festive sounds of a brass band ushered in the opening of Stop & Shop's Little Neck store last week at a reception the night before its first day in business where the supermarket was welcomed into a neighborhood that had waited more than two years for its arrival.
Community members, politicians and Stop & Shop employees wandered through the gleaming aisles of the remodeled 19,000-square-foot store Jan. 29, munched on free appetizers and remarked on the supermarket's convenience and amenities.
“It's a beautiful presentation,” said Little Neck resident Helen Nachimson.
Stop & Shop's opening was eagerly awaited by residents of Little Neck and Douglaston who had been without a local supermarket since the Grand Union on Northern Boulevard and Marathon Parkway closed in October 2000 due to bankruptcy.
Little Neck resident Bob Dramer, 68, has since been traveling to New Hyde Park to shop for groceries.
“This is much more convenient,” said Dramer, one of about 200 people who came to the party.
After deliberation and community pressure, the Quincy, Mass.-based Stop & Shop agreed to take over the former Grand Union site last April. Construction delays pushed its anticipated fall opening to last week.
Mark Duma, chairman of the Little Neck Pines Association, called Stop & Shop a good organization.
“They have a good reputation,” said Duma, whose civic group campaigned to bring the store to the area.
Duma said there had been some concerns in the community about parking, but the lot in front of the store appeared sufficient.
After congratulatory speeches by Duma, Community Board 11 Chairman Jerry Iannece, state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose), City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and Stop & Shop management, the store held a raffle to benefit Northeast Queens Senior Services.
Little Neck resident Benjamin Klein, 11, sang “God Bless America” and a song he wrote for the store's opening, “A Whole New Store,” to the tune of “A Whole New World.”
The community's enthusiasm for the store's opening was matched by that of Stop & Shop employees.
One of about 150 people hired to work at the new store was Bayside resident Anita Barber, who walked in and got a cashiering job after she saw the “Now Hiring” sign outside the store's parking lot.
“I'm very, very excited,” said Barber, who brought her two children to the reception. “I think it's going to do well, and I hope to climb to the top and make it a lifetime career.”
Another local resident and Stop & Shop employee was store manager Jeff Greenberg.
“I am in this community, I live in this area,” said Greenberg, a Little Neck resident.
“I'm looking forward to doing the right thing … and selling a lot of groceries.”
Reach reporter Ayala Ben-Yehuda by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 1-718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
