Wonder, a “fast-fine” virtual food hall aiming to connect New Yorkers with high-quality restaurants from around the country, is set to open its doors in Ridgewood later this month, provoking a flurry of criticism from local residents who contend that the location will impact independent businesses in the neighborhood.
The rapidly-expanding virtual dining hall, which offers access to more than 20 restaurants from the same kitchen, is set to celebrate its grand opening at 56-16 Myrtle Ave. on Thursday, Sept. 18, replacing a Rainbow discount store that shuttered at the location.
The Ridgewood location will mark Wonder’s third Queens venture after the company previously opened locations in Astoria and Jackson Heights last year.
Wonder provides access to dozens of menus crafted by some of the country’s most recognizable chefs and restaurants, including Bobby Flay, Michael Symon, and Marc Murphy.
The platform offers New Yorkers an opportunity to order from a broad selection of popular restaurants located outside the city, including Texas staple Tejas Barbecue, Atlanta’s popular Fred’s Meat & Bread and Detroit Brick Pizza Co.
Wonder markets itself as a virtual food hall, allowing customers to order from a variety of restaurants operating from the same location without incurring multiple service charges or delivery fees, while it promises to deliver orders within 30 minutes.
Community concerns
However, a number of Ridgewood residents raised concerns about the new location, voicing concerns about the potential impact that Wonder would have on local businesses.
Dozens of residents criticized the new location in a post on the Ridgewood Reddit thread, arguing that Wonder would help accelerate the “gentrification” of Ridgewood.
Irina, one such resident who did not want to disclose their second name, described Wonder as a “gentrified ghost kitchen” and expressed concerns that the location would “take people away” from ordering at local restaurants.
“Food in a neighborhood is a reflection of its culture, is a reflection of its communities, is a reflection
how we spend time in our neighborhood,” Irina said. “And when these soulless concepts come into a neighborhood with a really vibrant culture, it takes away from that.”
Irina, along with other Ridgewood residents responding to the Reddit post, said they had felt “tricked” by Wonder in the past because some of the restaurant concepts appear in Google searches without stating that they are tied to the virtual food hall. Irina said this has led several people to order from the app without meaning to.
“It looks like these are diverse places that you can order from in the neighborhood, but they don’t exist,” Irina said.
A Wonder spokesperson said the company is excited to introduce a new way to enjoy food to another New York City community. The spokesperson also said Wonder is excited to become part of Ridgewood’s dynamic culinary community.
“Wonder’s mission is to make great food more accessible, and we’re committed to being an authentic partner to the residents, organizations, and neighboring businesses that form the foundation of every community we join,” a Wonder spokesperson said.
Wonder officials also said the company is committed to investing in each community that it operates in, adding that it has committed to Ridgewood by hiring a locally-hired construction team and hiring more than 40 local staff workers at the new location.
They further stated that Wonder is a longtime supporter of local restaurant industries and culinary communities.
A spokesperson for Council Member Robert Holden, who represents the section of Myrtle Avenue where Wonder will open later in the month, commented that the neighborhood is getting “more and more gentrified.”
Jackson Heights residents expressed mixed reactions when Wonder opened in the neighborhood last year, with some residents welcoming the business because it brought more variety and ease to ordering take out.
Jackson Heights resident Maria Faraldo said at last year’s grand opening that Wonder represented a positive addition to the neighborhood’s culinary scene.
“I like it because they have Mediterranean, and it’s something we don’t have in the neighborhood,” Faraldo said last November.
However, Javier Arau, a Jackson Heights resident who also attended last November’s grand opening, was less encouraged by Wonder’s presence in the neighborhood and said he was concerned by the impact it would have on small businesses in the area.
“I think ghost kitchens are bad for neighborhoods in general, especially Jackson Heights because there are so many great local restaurants,” Arau said.
Meanwhile, Ridgewood residents also expressed concerns about speculation that Amazon Fresh – a grocery delivery service attached to Jeff Bezos’ delivery behemoth – is set to open nearby at the site of a former Rite Aid at 55-60 Myrtle Ave.
Amazon representatives, however, did not share any information about whether Amazon Fresh had plans to take over the location. Irina stated that the speculation appears to stem from a conversation between local residents and construction workers at the site.
Several residents outlined plans to protest or boycott Amazon Fresh if a store does open in the neighborhood, but others welcomed the rumors, stating that the location would offer cheaper prices than existing grocery stores in Ridgewood.
