Lidl Opens In Park Slope After Years Of Waiting: Dates, Deals, And What To Know

PARK SLOPE, NY — After years of anticipation, Lidl has finally opened its doors in Park Slope, bringing a new grocery option to the neighborhood.

Lidl, the European grocery giant that has been expanding across the U.S., has opened its newest Park Slope location at 120 Fifth Avenue. The store, formerly a Key Foods near Baltic Street and Sterling Place, had been closed since 2021, leaving many residents frustrated by the lack of a convenient grocery store within walking distance.

The store officially opened early Wednesday morning and will now welcome shoppers daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., officials said.

To celebrate the grand opening, Lidl is offering a range of giveaways and treats for customers: the first 100 shoppers in line will receive gift cards valued between $5 and $100, and there will be free samples, exclusive Lidl merchandise and other surprises throughout the day.

The timeline for Lidl’s Park Slope location stretches back nearly a decade. Plans to revitalize the former Key Foods site began in 2015, when neighbors and developers discussed the neighborhood’s need for affordable housing and accessible grocery options.

After lengthy negotiations, a coalition of local organizations known as the Community Stakeholder Group reached an agreement with the property’s owners to include a low-cost supermarket and roughly 45 income-restricted housing units in the project.

In the years that followed, it was also announced that a Wells Fargo branch and a CVS pharmacy would join Lidl in the planned development.

Jay Marcus, a nonprofit director who serves as the stakeholder group’s spokesperson, called bringing Lidl to Park Slope a “win-win-win” for developers, the grocer, and the community.

Lidl is a global discount supermarket chain founded in 1973, now operating over 11,000 stores across Europe and the United States. The retailer is known for its streamlined, no-frills approach, focusing on a curated selection of primarily private-label products sold at competitive prices. By emphasizing efficiency and cost-cutting, Lidl delivers high-quality goods without the premium price tag.

The chain has been expanding rapidly in recent years, including in the United States, where it opened its first locations in 2017.