South Slope Welcomes A New Grocery

Nasri Mujalli (center left) and Danny Hamdan (center right) cut the ribbon on their new South Slope grocery. Ellie Plass/ Bklyner.

Park Slope’s 5th Avenue welcomed a brand-new grocery store this morning.

By the time the ribbon at Key Food Urban Market (509 5th Avenue between 12th and 13th streets) was officially cut around 10:45 am, the store was already filling with shoppers browsing the freshly-stocked aisles and helping themselves to samples.

“Isn’t everything so beautiful?” one customer, who said she was just window-shopping, said.

Fresh veggies line the walls. Ellie Plass, Bklyner.

The store is owned by veterans of the grocery industry, brothers Nasri, Mike, and Moe Mujalli and their cousin Danny Hamdan. The Mujallis operate DUMBO Market, on Front Street, as well as stores in Queens and Manhattan. Hamdan also has several grocery stores under his ownership.

The space, previously Mandee’s, underwent a full gut renovation, and is down the street from the recently opened Foodtown of Park Slope, and several delis.

“[We] feel like this neighborhood is one of the greatest neighborhoods in Brooklyn because of the size,” Hamdan said, adding that the space allowed to provide full, wide aisles inside instead of the smaller ones more typically found in the city’s groceries.

In addition to the wide aisles, the store boasts a deli counter, prepared fruit section, full wall of milk alternatives, and soon, a beer cave cooler at the front, currently filled with sodas and juices.

A full wall of milk alternatives. Ellie Plass, Bklyner.

“We know liquor licenses take long, but we’re actually opening without a beer license. [The liquor authority is] using COVID as an excuse, saying they’re so backed up that they can’t even give us a time frame of when we’re going to get it. We hope to get it before the summer’s over, but we’ll see,” Hamdan said.

The store has been in the process of opening for the last year and has been met with excitement from neighbors.

“A lot of people walk by and they are very excited. They’re so glad that we’re here. We’re very big on customer service and making sure everybody’s happy,” Hamdan said.

There’s plenty of room for carts. Ellie Plass, Bklyner.

The new Urban Market, under the purview of city grocery giant, Key Food, will also offer free home delivery, as well as free online and phone ordering, in order to serve the neighborhood’s older customers. Hamdan says they had several people call already to ask about the service, as many still don’t feel comfortable leaving their homes.

Opening festivities included free COVID-19 tests from the Department of Health, free shopping bags and hand sanitizer, and samples of Premio sausages from their truck outside.

“All weekend we’re going to just be focused on the neighborhood and getting started up. We want to give a warm welcome to all of our new customers potentially in the neighborhood,” Hamdan said.

Flags and signs announce the grand opening. Ellie Plass, Bklyner.

Urban Market is located at 509 5th Avenue, between 12th and 13th streets. The store is open from 7:00 am-10:00 pm daily. Call (929) 250-2699 for more information or to place phone orders.