TOUR: Ben's Market - Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx, NY

Ben's Market

Owner: James Napolitano

Opened: 1975

Cooperative: Krasdale

Location: 19 Knolls Crescent, Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx, NY

Photographed: March 2020

Immediately next door to yesterday's former supermarket is the only grocery store in Spuyten Duyvil (there is a CTown to the east in Marble Hill, though I'd imagine most residents of the affluent Spuyten Duyvil probably shop at Garden Gourmet or the upscale Key Food to the north in Riverdale).

This 2200-square-foot store is I believe the smallest we've ever toured. It's also the smallest store I've ever seen that I believe I can accurately classify as a supermarket. The first aisle is lined with produce on the right side and meat on the left side, with a service deli-butcher-bakery at the end of the first aisle. Frozen foods line the first aisle, with dairy in the last aisle. I believe there are three aisles and two registers. Ben's Market is not only an important resource for the neighborhood, but clearly well-loved by the area. It's known as a place to get quality meat and deli items.

Three service counters in one at the back of the first aisle.

The first grocery aisle, with frozen foods on the back of the meat cases. We're looking here towards the front of the store. The frozen department includes all the usual basics plus some more exciting items, such as locally made ravioli.

I don't recall whether there's one or two grocery aisles in the middle, but I think it's only one. And I don't typically take pictures with people in them, but (1) I didn't have much choice here and (2) I love this picture.

Dairy lines the outside wall in the last aisle.

Wrapping up with a look at the front-end, which has a Boar's Head deli case and ice cream, along with nonfoods above all that. What a place!