Fairway Market In Red Hook To Re-Open March 1, Four Months After Hurricane Sandy's Devastation

NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Four months after Fairway Market, a beloved destination and a critical anchor for the entire Red Hook neighborhood, was devastated by Hurricane Sandy and forced to close, it will reopen on Friday, March 1 with a ceremony  celebrating the rebirth and return to life of the entire community.

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will keynote the program, which begins at 9:30 a.m. at the store, which is located at 480-500 Van Brunt St. Also joining in the ceremony will be Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and other elected officials and local dignitaries, as well as Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan, Fairway Market executives, dozens of local business owners (many offering demonstrations), and hundreds of residents.

"Fairway Market is more than just a store; it is the quintessential grocery experience with something for everyone—from our foodies and artisan advocates to even Brooklyn's own Miss America, Mallory Hagan," said Markowitz.  "Since Hurricane Sandy, Fairway's absence in Red Hook left Brooklynites with an emptiness in their daily routines—and their refrigerators. I can personally attest that no week was quite the same without my wife and I taking our ritual trip to Fairway; of course Jamie would head straight to the fruit and vegetables aisle and I dash straight for the prepared foods counter and the great variety of smoked salmon a.k.a. lox."

Markowitz also expressed gratitude to the entire Red Hook community for its fortitude, declaring,  "Bravo to Fairway's first family, the Glickbergs, and to Tom Hoover—a man who I proudly 'look up' to—as well as Mayor Bloomberg, the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation and Executive Director David Meade, and to the entire Red Hook community for their amazing strength in the aftermath of Sandy's devastation. This reopening trumpets that like Brooklyn itself, Red Hook and Fairway are resilient, putting the 'super' in supermarket and leading the way as we rebuild, rebound and recover. The only thing that we still need from Fairway, now that they've reopened in Red Hook, is to stock our shelves with even more stores in Brooklyn USA."

Fairway Market's Red Hook store first opened in 2006 in a sprawling brick and wrought iron Civil War-era building on the Brooklyn waterfront and quickly became the lifeblood of the neighborhood, drawing tens of thousands of shoppers a week down Van Brunt Street, the neighborhood's main commercial thoroughfare.  Its closing meant the loss of a big part of the customer base for many businesses including restaurants, bars, vintage shops and bodegas that serve the Red Hook neighborhood.

The opening marks the completion of the renovation of the 39,000-sq.-ft. store, which was completely gutted in the aftermath of the super storm.

"We're still 'like no other market' only even better," said Howie Glickberg, Vice Chairman of Development and grandson of the founder of Fairway Market.

David Meade, Executive Director at Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBIDC), said the March event is about "more than the reopening of Fairway; it symbolizes the rebuilding of Red Hook.

"The dedication and spirit of the local business community as they continue to rebuild their businesses is an inspiration," said Meade.  "Fairway and Red Hook businesses collaborate in many ways: the local restaurants cook with the store's ingredients; the local food producers stock the store's shelves."

As part of a continuing effort to help the community Fairway Market is teaming with ReStore Red Hook. Customers are being asked to donate to www.restoreredhook.org, which goes straight to small businesses damaged by Sandy, and then Fairway Market will match all contributions up to $20,000.

"Fairway has been sorely missed in every possible sense, from the ability to purchase a gallon of milk, to the thousands of people who visit Red Hook every week en route to Fairway," said Monica Byrne, Co-founder and Advisory Board member of ReStore Red Hook and chef of Home/Made Wine Bar.  "Fairway's impact on the community cannot be overstated; as we have learned in the past few months, it is profound. As a chef, I am personally delighted, and cannot wait to start shopping again, As a business owner and community organizer, I am thrilled for the customers Fairway will bring to us all, supporting the entire local economy."  

Fairway Market President Bill Sanford said that the company is not only eager to again serving its tremendous customer base, but honored to be considered a foundation for the entire community.  Even in Sandy's aftermath, Fairway Market continued to serve residents; it donated tons of food, water and other essentials to the neediest families, and also donated thousands of Thanksgiving and holiday meals to those who continued to be displaced in the weeks that followed.

"We are proud to be a part of New York's very fabric for some 80 years now," Sanford said. "So, we did not want to forsake our employees or our city during these hard times. These are our neighbors, our friends, our colleagues, and our families."

Charles Santoro, Fairway Market Chairman and co-founder and Managing Partner of Sterling Investment Partners, majority owner of the company,  said that hundreds of Red Hook employees, the majority of whom live in the neighborhood, have been kept on staff, some working on the store's clean-up while many others were placed temporarily in other Fairway Market locations. And with transportation still an issue, the company has been providing free shuttle service to and from Red Hook for these employees.

"They are what help make Fairway Market 'like no other market'," Santoro said.

Fairway Market
Fairway Market is a high-growth food retailer offering customers a differentiated one-stop shopping experience "Like No Other Market".  Fairway has established itself as a leading food retailing destination in the Greater New York City metropolitan area, with stores that emphasize an extensive selection of fresh, natural and organic products, prepared foods and hard-to-find specialty and gourmet offerings, along with a full assortment of conventional groceries.  Fairway is headquartered in New York, New York.  Visit us at www.fairwaymarket.com. 

Sterling Investment Partners
Sterling Investment Partners is a leading middle-market private equity fund that invests in companies with significant competitive strengths and growth potential. Founded in 1991, Sterling has completed investments, strategic or add-on acquisitions, and liquidity events with an aggregate transaction value of approximately $9 billion, representing more than 100 transactions. Sterling maintains a broad industry focus, including professional and business services, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, retail and technology-related businesses.  www.sterlinglp.com

SOURCE Fairway Market