New supermarket offers broad range of exotic foods
BY KYLE VUILLE
South Bronxites now have
a new place to buy groceries
with an international selection
at the largest grocery
store in the entire borough.
Bronx Terminal Market
located at 610 Exterior Street
welcomed the grocery store giant,
Food Bazaar on the fourth
level of the shopping complex
last Thursday, February 6.
Food Bazaar celebrated its
fi fth location in the Bronx and
is now has the largest supermarket
in the borough sitting
at a massive 83,000 square feet.
The store currently employs
around 200 people, according
to Food Bazaar
director of Marketing and Development
of Bogopa Service
Corp. Suzanne Kuczun.
According to a Food Bazaar
representative, the store
offers over 100,000 different
items including international
foods, exotic and organic fruits
and vegetables, a large assortment
of vegetarian/vegan options
and also hosts a gigantic
seafood counter, meat/deli department,
frozen food section
and dairy department.
For true meat connois-
Councilman Andy King cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of Food Bazaar at Bronx Terminal Market.
Photo by Jewel Webber
seurs, the store also is home to
the fi rst aged beef case in the
Bronx.
Another feature is its daily
baked bread.
The store is occuping the
space Toys ‘R Us vacated.
According to the same
Food Bazaar representative,
the store will soon be opening
a nearby 15,000 square foot
food hall called the ‘Boogie
Down Food Hall.’
This market will feature
more than a dozen vendors
from the Bronx and outer boroughs.
Kuczun said the food
hall is expected to open between
April and May.
“The food hall will serve
as a venue for people to gather
and enjoy great food in a dynamic
atmosphere.
“We are really excited to
provide the community with
this beautiful store and look
forward to serving the surrounding
neighborhoods for
many more years to come,”
said Spencer An, president of
Bogopa Service Corp./Food
Bazaar Supermarket.
Food Bazaar’s success is
a true tale of pursuing the
‘American Dream.’ Francis
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,26 FEBRUARY 14-20, 2020 BTR
An, founding president,
originally from Korea, spent
several years of his early life
living in Argentina before migrating
to New York City.
Upon his arrival, he realized
most grocery stores did
not cater to the needs of minorities
or immigrants. He
vividly remembered the diffi -
culty he encountered trying to
fi nd the ingredients he needed
to make his beloved Argentinian
dishes.
As a result, he opened ‘Bogopa’,
in Queens in 1988. Bogopa,
meaning ‘Yearning for
You.’ He chose the name to pay
homage to the immigrants
and their very unique needs
who wanted to preserve their
cultural identity.
Community Board 4 district
manager Paul Philips
said the supermarket is a
great addition to the neighborhood
and he was happy to
see the empty storefront fi lled
with a business the community
would actually see an asset.
He emphasized the importance
of the store’s large selection
of produce because that’s
a true commodity otherwise
overlooked in the neighborhood.
“I attended the grand opening,
which was busy,” Philips
said. “I came back Saturday
and it was still busy, so I’ll
take that as a good sign.”