Sahadi’s to finally open its doors in Sunset Park

SUNSET PARK — Foodies, rejoice! After a long wait, Sahadi’s is finally opening its doors in Sunset Park. 

The family specialty grocery store that’s been a Brooklyn fixture since 1948 announced in early 2018 that it would open its second location in Industry City. On Thursday, Aug. 29, it will officially make its grand opening.

The new space is 7,500 square feet with approximately 80 seats and a bar. It will offer the traditional ancient grains and spices, bins of freshly roasted nuts, dried fruits, imported olives and old-fashioned barrels of coffee beans that customers look for at its first location on Atlantic Avenue, along with new additions.

Co-owner Christine Sahadi Whelan is pleased to have the second location finally open.  

“Our family and our business have deep roots in Brooklyn. We live here, we work here,” she said. “Brooklyn is a dynamic place. We’re constantly looking for ways to innovate while preserving what our longtime customers know and love. The Industry City store will allow us to share the beloved Sahadi food and hospitality culture in a new, modern setting.”

“Supporting the growth of Brooklyn-born business is an important part of what we do at Industry City,” added Industry City CEO Andrew Kimball. “Sahadi’s is a legendary Brooklyn outpost that we will be proud to see grow within our campus.”

Last year, Whelan told this paper the importance of Sahadi’s opening up in Industry City. 

“We have been discussing joining them in their campus for quite a number of years,” she said. “It’s a beautiful campus. They’re great partners. My husband Pat is a longtime part of the Sunset Park Waterfront Task Force and our warehouse is in that area so we are part of that community already.”

She also discussed what makes Sahadi’s and Sunset Park a good match.

“This is a neighborhood we are intimately devoted to already,” she added. “We love being a part of it on the manufacturing level. The space is totally renovated and wide open and will give us opportunities that we don’t have on Atlantic. While other neighborhoods were extremely appealing for the new customer base, we felt that being close to our existing store, it makes it easier for us to be transporting goods, doing deliveries, things like that.”

The Industry City location will offer light breakfast and full coffee service, lunch, bakery items, and grab-and-go dinner options. 

According to Sahadi’s, “Daily meze — featuring dishes like mini kibbeh, couscous timbale and hummus — will be paired with Lebanese and Mediterranean wines and select spirits. Lunch and grab & go options will range between $9-14.”

The new eatery will also offer an open kitchen that allows customers to order their food and watch staff prepare made-to-order saj and pita breads. 

The new store has been designed to create, “a warm and relaxed community vibe — a departure from the ticketed, bazaar-like atmosphere at the original location,” Sahadi’s said in a release. “The Industry City store is just a few blocks from Sahadi’s longtime production facility in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The Sunset Park warehouse houses an 18-foot-tall roaster which freshly roasts top quality nuts and seeds, stores thousands of pallets of imported delicacies, and supplies accounts across the country.” 

Co-owner Ron Sahadi explained what has given the business staying power.

“We were artisanal before it was cool,” he said. “We’ve always been very particular when sourcing foods from all over the world to put on our shelves. We’re looking forward to sharing our carefully vetted product mix, which include local and imported offerings, with the Industry City community.”

“We’re excited to expand our footprint in Brooklyn,” co-owner Pat Whelan said, adding that bringing jobs to the area is also important, “and keep[ing] good, solid manufacturing and hospitality jobs in our community. We’ve always been committed to diversity in hiring practices and are looking forward to working with Industry City’s Innovation Lab in the months to come.”

Sahadi’s will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/sahadis.