Community News

Food for Thought – Brooklyn Market – Dobbs Ferry’s Top-quality Grocery Store

Published 6 years ago6y ago • Bookmarks: 151

June 5, 2018

by Linda Viertel –

Where in our rivertowns can shoppers go to a sparkling new grocery store and also order a freshly baked stone-fire pizza or shimmering hand-crafted sushi? At Brooklyn Market, in the new Dobbs Ferry Rivertowns Square at the Lawrence Street exit just off the Saw Mill Parkway, extras don’t stop there: 400 different brands of ice cold beer are on display, along with abundant organic food choices, daily specials, and basic household items – all reasonably priced. The ease of free covered parking steps away from the store adds to an unusually satisfying shopping experience.

Brooklyn Market is family-owned, and a welcoming homey feeling pervades the store. The family’s first venture opened 7 years ago in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (where else?) and quickly expanded to 3 Brooklyn stores, then Manhattan, Bay Ridge and Queens (opening soon). District Manager, Danny Wodzenski and Store Manager, Benz Abouzeid, concur that the Market’s target customers are healthy lifestyle consumers. To that end, their store offers a plentiful and unique assortment of products: bountiful produce, meats, poultry, fresh fish, meat alternatives, and items catering to special diets.

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“Moms and dads are busy these days,” noted Wodzenski,” and we can offer better meal preparations for fast-paced families.” In-store chefs prepare dozens of fresh salads, hot entrees, wraps and sandwiches, a veritable feast for the eyes, in fact. And, starting in June, there will be an outdoor dining area for 40, so enjoying a meal before or after shopping will be an added option.

Since opening, both managers have urged customers to make suggestions or specific requests, and, because Brooklyn Markets are family-owned and operated, they have been able to respond nimbly to customers’ needs. The management team engages shoppers, seeks information, provides numerous samplings throughout the store, and creates a substantial list of daily/weekly promotions to enhance shoppers’ purchasing experience. Hundreds of unique and everyday items are regularly discounted.

Partnering with Rivertowns Square shops has become another singular aspect of Brooklyn Market’s engagement with the community. The New York Sports Club (NYSC) health advisor counsels the Market to make sure it provides the right variety and quality of healthy options to grow the entire shop’s offerings, coupled with Market-featured events held at NYSC.

Freshly baked breads – baguettes, croissants and muffins – are delivered daily from the Market’s Brooklyn bakeshop, and day-old baked goods are donated to a local church food pantry – another way in which Brooklyn Market participates in community life. Exquisite cakes and pies tempt shoppers and can also be ordered for special occasions. A full line of organic grass-fed beef cuts, plus D’Artagnan‘s charcuterie, game and smoked delicacies, Chairman Reserve premium meats, and organic poultry complement traditional meat department offerings.

French yogurt, kefirs, kombuchas, natural sodas and a huge assortment of Bob’s Red Mill grains and flours supplement standard grocery store brands. A dazzling international cheese selection accompanies standard domestic choices; organic baby food and children’s snacks supplement more traditional products. Fluffy Laffa Pita, Joseph’s Wraps (including gluten-free options), luscious artisanal ice creams, international foods, and specialty gourmet items such as a wide variety of Stonewall Kitchens offerings, combine to make Brooklyn Market a unique grocery shoppers paradise.

With a grand opening only two months ago, on April 7th, store owner Mahmoud Elayyan has quickly made his 18,000 square foot store into a mecca for discerning customers who not only care about healthy choices but also want to shop wisely and at a reasonable price-point. Plus, who knew grocery shopping could be so easy, delicious and fun?