Fairway Market Preps For Opening

With less than 24 hours to go before its grand opening, preparation went on nonstop at the new Fairway Market at the Shops At Nanuet. Trucks pulled up outside the 65,000-square-foot store, cashiers placed bags at checkout counters, employees stocked fresh produce and filled displays, butchers sliced meat, bakers prepared baked goods to test out oven temperatures and electricians installed light bulbs. 

Fairway Market Vice Chairman and Founder Howie Glickberg and Senior Vice President of Real Estate and Development Aaron Fleishaker gave Patch an exclusive pre-opening tour on Wednesday.

Fleishaker described the last minute preparations as “organized chaos.” 

Fleishaker and Glickberg said a visit to Fairway begins in its large produce department because that is how Glickberg’s grandfather started the business. The produce selection includes exotic, organic and more popular items with an emphasis on quality and variety. Fleishaker gave the example of 11 varieties of apples and six types of pears.

“Fairway’s heritage is in produce,” said Fleishaker. “Our company started over 80 years ago as a produce stand in Manhattan. And we take great pride in the fact that our heritage is in produce and we feel that we have the best produce of any store in the country.” 

Glickberg said Fairway meets all supermarket prices but offers more.

“It’s sort of a food oasis,” he said. “There’s no store like ours. We’re the only store that does it all.” 

Fresh items are located around the perimeter of the store with groceries shelved in the middle.  There is a butcher department, fresh fish shop, bakery, organic section, in house preparation of kosher foods and a cafe

“We’re all the old fashioned stores under one roof,” said Glickberg. 

Adam Miller, vice president of food services, said the dough for the bagels and baguettes will be made on site and all cakes will be decorated on site. 

A restaurant kitchen prepares the roast beef and turkey and steak and chicken sold in its deli.  Fleishaker said they hire chefs for the kitchen. The store employs 400 people, all union members.

The olive bar offers 50 choices and the cheese shop has 600 varieties and will make fresh mozzarella daily. Shoppers can choose from freshly made sausage, handmade sushi and fresh fish filleted to order. Items such as dried French Strawberries and 150 varieties of coffee are in stock and coffee beans are roasted in the store throughout the day.

Numerous products bear the Fairway label including olive oil.

“We take unbelievable pride in our olive oil business,” said Fleishaker. 

More than 20 olive oils have the Fairway label and about 500 square feet is dedicated to the store’s olive oil selection in cabinetry built by employees.

In addition to organic items, Glickberg said there is a large choice of gluten free products. He described Fairway as a hybrid store that is giving customers what they want.

“People are more conscious of health,” he said. “They’re more educated. They understand what’s good for you, what’s bad for you.”