Update: Owners Of Sunset Park’s Fei Long Market Claim They DID NOT Bid On Waldbaums
Update [January 21, 1:33pm]: We’ve obtained court documents from Bill Wunner of Coupons in the News indicating that a bid indeed has been made by Fei Long Market. The contact person and email listed on the paperwork matches the person who emailed us last night. The reason for this discrepancy is unclear, but we will keep digging and keep y’all posted.
Update [8:19pm]: We received an email from someone claiming to represent Fei Long Market who told us that the company, in fact, did NOT put a bid on the New Utrecht Avenue Waldbaums. We obtained this information from a report in Coupons in the News. We will follow up with A&P to find out whether or not there was a bid placed on the store.
The building that once housed Bensonhurst’s beloved Waldbaums supermarket may have a buyer.
The operators of Sunset Park’s Fei Long Market have put a $10 million bid on the shuttered New Utrecht Avenue location, reports Coupons in the News.
As a result of its parent company A&P’s recent bankruptcy filing, Waldbaums closed for good in November, leaving the store’s 70 employees without jobs.
Many protested Waldbaums’ closure, including former employees who claimed they were “kept in the dark” about the bidding process, and politicians who called the food store a “critical anchor in Bensonhurst.”
Rumors initially swirled that that the 37-year-old Bensonhurst supermarket would be sold to Key Food but the dealings fell through, and that a second investor had expressed interest in the property. Then Sam Obeid, owner of Key Food on Bath Avenue, has also expressed interest in the location, but currently the Sunset Park supermarket is the only party in the running.
If another investor makes an offer on the property, the building will go to auction on January 26. Otherwise, the store will be sold to the folks at Fei Long.
Fei Long is a massive Asian market located at 6301 8th Avenue in Brooklyn’s Chinatown, which looks a bit like a shopping mall. On weekends, it is particularly packed, as people flock to the food court for traditional Chinese staples like hand pulled noodles, spit-roasted meats, clay pot rice dishes, and dumplings.
Considering the language and culture gap, it seems unlikely that Fei Long will be able to rehire all of Waldbaums’ former employees, but at least the somewhat underdeveloped corner of Bensonhurst won’t be left without a full-service supermarket. As demographics in Bensonhurst continue to shift, and the local Chinese community continues to flourish, so will the demand for regional Asian dishes and ingredients.
We will keep you posted on further developments!