The Independent Edition

Farmbria Food Center Owner:  Yun Il An Opened:  1984 Cooperative:  Krasdale Location:  217-20 Linden Blvd, Cambria Heights, Queens, NY Photographed:  December 2018 This sprawling (for Queens), 27,000 square foot grocery store is the only major supermarket in Cambria Heights. Originally built in the late 1960s as a Supermarkets General-owned ShopRite, it was converted to Pathmark in 1968. By approximately 1980, Pathmark had closed and was replaced by a store called something like Busy Bee Supermarket (I don't believe that's actually its name, but it's similar). It was affiliated with CTown Supermarkets and was the only African American-owned supermarket in New York City when it opened. By 1984, the property was taken over by An & Brothers, Inc., which runs under the banner Farmbria Food Center. Though the store is owned by Yun Il An, I do not believe there is any relation to the Food Bazaar founder Hwee Il An. Today, the store is a bust...

Our next stop is here in southern Jamaica! Much of eastern Queens is referred to colloquially as Jamaica, so to be more clear, we'll be hitting stores in Cambria Heights, Saint Albans, South Jamaica, and South Ozone Park. These primarily residential neighborhoods tend to be lower-income and predominantly African American and Latino. We'll see six stores in this region before continuing west! Check back tomorrow right here for our first store!