By Tom Momberg
Quick, tasty and healthy food alternatives are coming to Bayside’s Bell Boulevard, at all hours of the day.
Owner Frank Wu and store manager Harry Celik are opening the Big Green Apple Market in the space that previously housed Rani, 41-17 Bell Blvd., by the third or fourth week of August.
Celik, of Kew Gardens, said he teamed up with Wu to meet some of the demand for high-quality all-natural foods and late night eats in Bayside. The market will be open 24 hours a day.
“We have been eyeing Bell Boulevard for a while,” Celik said. “For a couple of years now, we have just been looking for the right spot.”
After being turned down for a lease at the same location over a year ago, Celik said the long-vacant space finally came up for grabs earlier this summer after the previous lessee backed out of a contract.
Located right next to the Port Washington-bound entrance to the Bayside Long Island Rail Road station, the Big Green Apple Market is near the city Department of Transportation parking lot on 41st Avenue and is a convenient stop for train commuters.
In addition to offering deli selections, the market will have hot lunch selections, bubble tea, fresh-squeezed juice, sushi, organic products, fresh produce and dairy products. Celik said he would offer a selection of fruits and vegetables from organic farms, which have stricter controls on pesticide use than does USDA-certified organic produce.
“We are going to sell light, organic and natural stuff, but we’ll keep it reasonably priced. A lot of the specialty products we are going to sell you can find in health-food stores, but at a lower price. Because we are a smaller place with fewer employees, we will be able to cut some of the overhead.”
Celik said his selection and prices would easily allow people to grab lunch for less than $10. The market’s phone number is 718-281-2028.
Big Green Apple joins other produce markets on Bell Boulevard, like Won Well Being Food, 42-21 Bell Blvd., and the Bayside Milk Farm, 35-15 Bell Blvd., and will be the only 24-hour establishment on Bayside’s commercial strip besides the 7/11 convenience store.
Reach reporter Tom Momberg by e-mail at tmomb
