Big changes are underway at Village Barn, the former Silver Barn Farms supermarket in Middle Village, as the new owner prepares to bring customers a brand-new experience with a bevy of new products and services in just a few months.
Bill Fani — who also owns the Met Food supermarket on Eliot Avenue — purchased Silver Barn Farms in August 2016. Since that time, Fani has been working tirelessly to bring a whole new style, along with the new name of Village Barn, to the former Silver Barn.
As part of the $2 million renovation investment, Fani is in the process of changing the layout of the store to create several new sections, including a bakery, a new produce section, and a kitchen with an on-site butcher.
“We’re going to try to be very innovative to make it very convenient,” Fani said. “We want to introduce it as something where they can get another flavor in their everyday lives.”
The produce section will be moved to a new temperature-controlled location to keep the food fresher. There will also be an open area with two doors granting access into the where other types of produce will be.
The bakery will provide customers with a variety of freshly baked goods.
“The Italian bread is going to be baked right here. It’s not going to be the bread coming from the factory baker,” Fani said. “So the cookies are going to be baked here. Cakes are going to be baked here. Specialty breads, we’re going to be doing all that.”
Village Barn’s new kitchen will have a section of individually prepared meals, a large selection of cheeses, and different types of individual beers to allow customers to pick and choose what kind of beverage they would like to pair their meal with.
Fani is also focused on making Village Barn more energy efficient, with a new compressor system to control the store’s refrigeration using much less energy, and all LED lights.
“We are doing things that also saves energy,” Fani said. “We’re trying to be earth-friendly and customer-friendly where ever we can. If you don’t think about the planet, then my grandkids’ grandkids won’t have a planet.”
One thing that will be staying the same is the store’s façade. Fani is dedicated to keeping the barn-style exterior so that “the outside of the store reflects what is on the inside,” he said.
According to Fani, Village Farms—located at 80-05 Caldwell Ave. — is expected to reopen to the public at some point in April, barring any setbacks in construction.
