The Independent Edition

Chef's Choice Cash & Carry Owner:  Pasquale Russo Opened:  1987 Cooperative:  none Location:  1051 Utica Ave, East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  May 2019 Today's snapshot is just up the street (two blocks) from yesterday's Green Acre Farms . It seems to be another warehouse style food store, but this one looks like it's specially designed as a restaurant supply store. There's a parking lot just north of the store, and the whole operation looks more like a wholesaler than a retail store to the public (although Chef's Choice is open to the public). You can also see here what I mean about Utica not being the most pleasant to walk on. As we get to the north, closer to Church Avenue (this time on the far east end of Flatbush), we'll see more walkable neighborhoods.

Green Acre Farms Owner:  Shri Persaud Opened:  1992 Cooperative:  Key Food and Retail Grocers Group Location:  1160 Utica Ave, East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  May 2019 Today we're taking a quick look inside this warehouse-style Caribbean supermarket on Utica Avenue, a major and (for what it's worth) very unpleasant to walk on thoroughfare through East Flatbush. Unlike Flatbush, Nostrand, or Church Avenues, Utica is primarily designed for drivers, while the others also have pedestrian-centered businesses lining both sides (and, therefore, few parking lots and so on). There are a few things that puzzle me about this approximately 8,000 square foot store. The first was taped to the front door -- a standard no photography sign which went on to elaborate that "all requests for photography must be made in writing to Key Food Stores Co-Operative, Inc., 1200 South Avenue, Staten Island, NY." Quite odd given that this store is not a Key ...

C&C Fruit & Vegetables Owner:  unknown Opened:  unknown Cooperative:  none Location:  4206 Ave D, East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  May 2019 This small greengrocer shop is located on Avenue D, which is a minor business strip through East Flatbush. This neighborhood is much more residential than the other parts of Flatbush we've seen, and much slower-paced. Avenue D is a pleasant two lane tree-lined street with mostly small businesses lining both sides, though there are some larger businesses such as the CTown directly across the street from C&C we're going to see tomorrow.

The Meat Place Owner:  Anthony Marchese Opened:  2000 Cooperative:  Krasdale Location:  1891 Nostrand Ave, Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  May 2019 This quirky 4,000 square foot store is serious about what they do: meat. This is one of two Meat Place locations, the other one being farther up Nostrand Ave (which we'll see later). It's between the KP Farm Market and a Key Food we'll see tomorrow. Much like Green Village , meats run along the left wall, with butcher and deli on the back wall (Green Village does not have a deli). Dairy/frozen runs along the right wall, with grocery aisles in the center. The store is definitely a spacious 4,000 square feet. Notice that the signs are exactly the same as the CTown we saw on Hillside Ave in Jamaica. Four registers, and as many grocery aisles. Tomorrow, head over to The Market Report to see the Key Food immediately next door!

KP Farm Market Owner:  Jin Sung Cho Opened:  2005, moved to current location in 2016 Cooperative:  none Location:  1887 Nostrand Ave, Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  May 2019 When KP Farm Market moved out of 1881 Nostrand Ave  in 2016, they moved to 1887 Nostrand. This puts only a dry cleaner between KP Farm Market and Isaac Natural Foods. The next storefront to the right (south) on Nostrand Avenue is also a grocery store, The Meat Place, which we'll see tomorrow. And the next storefront to the right of that is a Key Food. Show me another place in the US where there are three grocery stores immediately next door to each other -- to the point that they literally share a wall!

Isaac Natural Foods Owner:  Chee H. Cho Opened:  2016 Cooperative:  none Location:  1881 Nostrand Ave, Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  May 2019 Okay, hold on to your hats. This block of Nostrand Avenue between Newkirk and Foster Avenues has four, count 'em, four  grocery stores. We're starting with Isaac Natural Foods, an interesting place with a deli, basic and natural groceries, prepared foods, dairy, and seafood. This spot used to be the KP Farm Market, but when they moved next door to a larger location, Isaac came in. Tomorrow we'll see KP Farm Market two doors down.

Green Village Meat Market Owner:  Nostrand Finest Meats, Inc. Opened:  2017 Cooperative:  Retail Grocers Group Location: 1861 Nostrand Ave, Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  May 2019 To give you an idea of the density of stores in this neighborhood, this location's front door is only 300 yards from CTown 's front door, or one block if you prefer. And it's next door to what used to be a supermarket as well, though I didn't know that at the time of my visit. "99 Cents Avenue D" was the Gem Meats Fine Food Supermarket , a bad knockoff of Fine Fare, before Green Village opened. Fine Foods closed by 2017, which is when Green Village opened. To my knowledge, this isn't affiliated with the Green Village Meat Market chain with locations in the Bronx; Brownsville, Brooklyn; and Far Rockaway, Queens. This cramped, 2300 square foot store is slightly smaller than the 2400 square foot former Fine Food store next door, and it specializes ...

Plum Tree Owner:  JL Plum Tree, LLC Opened:  2015 Cooperative:  none Location:  1156 Flatbush Ave, Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  May 2019 A whopping 400 feet south of JK Flatbush Farm is this store, called simply Plum Tree. Like the other greengrocers we've been seeing, it's a couple of hundred square feet, selling produce and some basic grocery items. While the current incarnation of the store was incorporated in 2015, this store had been in business for at least about five years before that. Head over to The Market Report tomorrow to see the Food Universe that's on the same block as this store!

JK Flatbush Farm Owner:  JK Flatbush Farm Corp. Opened:  2017 Cooperative:  none Location:  1126 Flatbush Ave, Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  May 2019 Formerly Mango King Fruits & Vegetables and then JS Flatbush Farm, this store is another small greengrocer shop along Flatbush Avenue as we head back into Flatbush. Not only is there another greengrocer in the next block south, there's also a Food Universe Marketplace in that block. Don't worry, we'll see them both after a slight sidetrack onto Clarendon Road tomorrow!

Flatbush Food Coop Owner:  cooperatively owned Opened:  1976, 2007 in current location Cooperative:  affiliated with Coop Food Stores Location:  1415 Cortelyou Rd, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  May 2019 I made a reference to the Flatbush Food Coop in yesterday's Natural Frontier post, so here's a look at the store. In business since 1976, this community-owned natural food coop moved to their present location, a former Associated supermarket, in 2007. This store is, as the storefront advertises, open to the public and not just owners as some are, such as the Park Slope Food Coop in western Brooklyn (which has had more than its share of controversy over its life). The Flatbush Food Coop is fundamentally more welcoming, but the store also makes an effort to be incorporated into the community. It competes with Natural Frontier about four blocks west and a Key Food a block and a half east, so it has to balance the specialty positioning with...