BY ROSE ADAMS
Time for seconds!
An iconic Brooklyn
Heights’ specialty foods store
known for its Mediterranean
deli and high-quality groceries
opened a sprawling new
location in Industry City,
where owners have given the
classic store a 21st-century
fl air.
“This one’s defi nitely
more modern than the Atlantic
Avenue store,” said
Mira Early, 25, who attended
the store’s grand opening on
Aug. 29. “I’m not sure they
have more stuff, but it’s possibly
better displayed, because
they have more space.”
Not only is the new 35th
Street location between Second
and Third avenues larger,
it also comes equipped with
an open kitchen, bar, cafe,
and an events space. According
to the store’s co-owner,
the most popular department
on opening day was the “saj
station,” where a baker made
traditional levantine bread in
COURIER L 4 IFE, SEPT. 6-12, 2019
front of salivating customers.
“It’s really cool to see old
technology in a modern environment,”
said Bay Ridgite
Christine Sahadi Whelan,
explaining that the expert
baker manipulates the dough
atop an old-school griddle,
stretching it into a tortillalike
shape.
The store also prepares
lesser-known gourmet dishes
— such as chicken merguez
with green tahini and couscous
timbale with duck confi
t — and serves weekend
brunch. Still, the upscale
grocery stays true to its
roots, selling dried fruits,
nuts, and chocolates out of
glass bins just like the Atlantic
Avenue location has since
its inception.
Whelan’s grandfather,
Wade Sahadi, founded the
Atlantic Avenue store in
1948, which he modeled after
the Manhattan market his
great uncle, a Lebanese immigrant,
launched in 1895.
Whelan’s father, Charlie, and
PROUD PARENTS: Retired, second-generation Sahadi’s owners Charlie and Audrey Sahadi show off some fresh
produce at the market’s new Industry City location. Photo by Colin Mixson
uncle, Bob, took the helm
after Wade, overseeing the
original shop’s expansion in
1985, and again in 2011.
Whelan and her brother,
Ron, took over in 2016, and immediately
set their sights on
opening a new location. The
Industry City space stood out
because of its close proximity
to a Sahadi’s supply warehouse
in Sunset Park, and
because the owners hoped to
break into a new market in
other parts of the borough.
“We were looking to reach
into a new neighborhood,”
Christine said. “It’s a terrifi c
community — really vibrant,
artistic, supportive,” Whelan
said about Sunset Park.
Sahadi’s opens
in Industry City
Initial visit with coupon only. Must mention at time of appointment. Excludes house calls. 4/30/19
Walk-Ins Welcome Brooklyn: Monday 10am- 2pm, Tuesday 9am-12pm & 4pm-7pm, Friday 12pm-6pm
Expires 9/30/19