Wegmans Food Markets is getting ready to cut the ribbon on its much-anticipated Manhattan store, located in New York City’s historic Astor Place district. The grocer has officially announced that it will open the 87,500-square-foot location at 770 Broadway on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 9 a.m.
Wegmans has hired 600 new employees to staff the store, which the retailer says offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere that reflects the original architecture of the historic Wannamaker building. It marks the second New York City location for Wegmans, following the opening of Wegmans Brooklyn in 2019.
“We know our customers can’t wait to come see what we have in store and our employees have been training, in some cases, for over a year to get ready for this day,” said Matt Dailor, store manager. “Wegmans is a celebration of food and people, and we can’t wait to open the doors on October 18 to our community here in the east village.”
Restaurant foods selections include fresh sushi, fresh-made salads, sandwiches, hot sandwiches, soups, pizza and wings, as well as hot Asian cuisine options. Ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat options are available for both individuals and families, as well as made-to-order and packaged Mezze options.
An onsite dining room, which will feature a sushi bar and Champagne-oyster bar, is set to open in the first half of next year.
Meanwhile, in June, Wegmans announced the closure of its unique store in Natick, Mass., due to lower-than-anticipated performance. The Natick store opened to much fanfare in 2018, due to its 146,000-square-foot size, multi-level format and location inside a major mall.
Family-owned Wegmans operates more than 100 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland and Massachusetts. The Rochester-based company is No. 37 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Wegmans a Top Regional to watch in 2023 and one of this year's 10 Most Sustainable Grocers.