TOUR: Key Food Supermarkets - Whitestone, NY

One of North Shore Farms' competitors is this longtime Key Food, and although I don't know how long it has been in business exactly, it's been many decades. The store is located in a large mall, and although the storefront is rather outdated, the interior is quite modern.

Meanwhile, the property owner is soon to undertake a major renovation project. The store is laid out so that there is an entrance and exit in the front and the back, meaning that checkouts line the left wall of the store. Produce, deli, and bakery are located in an expansion in the far back of the store, with meat and seafood in the first aisle, and dairy in the last (the front wall). We're going to tour the store from back to front, starting with the expansion.

Now it's certainly no North Shore Farms (and neither is it trying to be), but this store is really beautiful. The decor really jumps off the walls but not in a distracting way. I had to work to get the exact right angle for the above shot, and just as I took it, an employee said to me, "Excuse me," which of course I thought was going to lead into the usual "please don't take pictures, etc." But he just wanted to get to the display I was standing in front of. Seemed like a nice guy.

The decor is great but made better by the lighting. It's all designed by Off the Wall.

And while we don't see the incredible bakery displays North Shore Farms had, the bakery is certainly well above average here. Very nice for a pretty straightforward supermarket.

I'd never seen the tags tied to the bread like this! I guess it's a good idea if it's a self-service case.

By the way, this store is owned by Dan's Supreme Supermarkets. See their Staten Island store here and their Riverdale store here. I have a couple more Dan's Supreme coming up if I remember correctly.

Deli is the last department in the expansion area. I missed the money shot, which is the seafood department sign (but I will have a ShopRite with the same decor package coming soon, so don't worry). Seafood and meat run along the first aisle, which extends farther back from the expansion.

The olive bar is opposite in the first aisle.

And even with the expansion (probably around 2011-ish), the store is still only 27,000 square feet, although it feels much larger.

Meat department is along the back wall (which is really the right-side wall of the store if you're looking at it from the front parking lot). Frozen is in I believe the second aisle.

I love the frozen signage! So frequently it gets left out because it's not on a perimeter wall.

Dairy in the last aisle.

And now for a quick look at the front end before we head out!

Key Food Supermarkets

153-55 Cross Island Pkwy, Whitestone, Queens, NY
Photographed July 2018