Brothers Open New Grocery In Prospect Heights

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — It's taken them nearly two years, but finally the Said brothers have opened their store.

A new grocery store called Food Universe opened last week in Prospect Heights at Flatbush Avenue and Sterling Place to an already steady stream of hungry shoppers.

"We initially wanted to open much earlier, but the rent was too high," Rowh Said, 25, told Patch, "finally the landlord just called us out of nowhere and told us the rent had been lowered."

"So we jumped on it," Said told Patch.

Said operates the store with his younger brother, Ennis, 23. And if you think their young age hints at this being their first operation, think again.

The two grew up in a large family, with many relatives running Key Foods all over the city. Both brothers have spent much of their lives deeply enmeshed in the grocery business.

In January 2020, they opened their first store in South Brooklyn, but Said noted he's always had his eyes on opening a shop in this part of the borough.

"Working in my uncle's store in Windsor Terrace, we fell in love with the neighborhood because the people are so kind," he said, "you can really converse with a lot of people freely."

Initially, the Staten Island-based brothers were looking over there for a location, but decided they didn't want to operate too close to his uncle's place.

"That's like, cutthroat," Said noted.

The grocery replaces Jo, Brian And Joseph's Key Food Market, which suffered a debilitating blaze in 2019.

And while the new store is still technically a Key Foods operation, it is much more modern than what was there previously.

The prices should be a welcome sight to residents used to shopping at the upscale boutique grocer Union Market just across Flatbush Avenue, in a part of Brooklyn with not many large grocery stores.

So far, according to Said, the store has been a hit.

"The people — they honestly love it," he said, "we've gotten nothing but compliments so far."

Said adds that one thing people are telling him they love are their hours.

Food Universe is open until 11pm.

"Nobody in the neighborhood is open past 9 p.m.," Said added, "you know, there's nothing else to do. Might as well just stay open and work."