A new healthy supermarket will open early next year within the Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village complex, amNewYork Metro has learned.
The 10,000-square-foot market named Chef’s Local Harvest is set to open its doors early in 2022 on East 14th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A. This space was once home to an Associated Supermarket but has been vacant for much of the COVID-19 pandemic with the apartment complex once utilizing its open room as a food pantry for local residents in need.
With this new information, the space is confirmed to continue serving residents with quality food when it is hoped the worst of the pandemic is behind us.
Chef’s Local Harvest will be owned and managed by father and son team, Paul and Aaron Fernandez. The pair have an extensive history in the supermarket business in New York, aiding in the creation of the Union Market Chain and the Ideal Marketplace in the Chelsea area. Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village property managers say they are excited about the partnership.
“Paul, Aaron and their family have consistently worked to deliver a top-notch New York City product over the years, and we’re thrilled to welcome them to the neighborhood,” said Paul Burke, general manager at StuyTown. “Chef’s Local Harvest will provide a vital community resource and perfectly complement the hardware store, vet, dry cleaners, bike store and coffee shop along our emerging retail corridor, which has become a one-stop-shop for our residents’ everyday needs right at their doorstep.”
The new store will feature an entrance that will link to the apartment complex’s neighborhood, allowing residents direct access to what is promised to be an extensive array of food from fish and meat to fresh produce. The location will also boast a deli and a café for fast service.
While those at Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village are excited about the addition to the local community, both Paul and Aaron Fernandez are just as elated.
“I started in this business forty years ago with the purchase of a corner deli in Little Italy where I grew up,” said Paul Fernandez. “That store was where everyone in my community came for a cup of coffee, groceries or just to chat. Today, when I pass by the neighborhood, those same shoppers from years ago stop me to say hello. It is important to me to be a contributing member of every community in which I open a business. I’m elated to have my son joining me to create those same connections that he will have for the next 40 years of his career.”
Paul’s son, Aaron echoes this sentiment, and believes that their neighborly philosophy is one that Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village both fosters themselves and supports through their volunteer effort, Good Neighbors.
Aaron, the co-owner of this endeavor, shared his excitement for project that is just over the horizon. “It is very exciting to be working with my father on this project that will be like my second home,” said Aaron Fernandez. “We have always prided ourselves on doing the right thing for our community and our staff, which is a core value we hope to bring to the Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village residents.
Although the exact opening date for this market is not yet known, the store has confirmed that it will provide 7-day-a-week operation when it does, with store hours running from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
