New Rockville Centre supermarket to hold grand opening this Saturday

Area residents looking for well-priced meat, dairy, fresh produce and prepared foods, as well as standard supermarket items and natural and organic products, will soon have a brand new place to shop.

Key Food, the supermarket that is replacing Waldbaum’s on Sunrise Highway and Ocean Avenue in Rockville Centre, is set to open this Saturday — and owner Benjamin J. Levine said that the totally refurbished 32,000-square foot store will feature fresh, quality products at prices that are lower than those of nearby competitors, and customized, personal service. The grand opening, with a ribbon cutting ceremony, is scheduled for Aug. 25 at 9 a.m. It will be followed that day by a party from noon to 4 p.m, featuring fun, food and beverages.

Levine, 34, was born, raised and still lives in Long Beach. He is the third generation of his family to run Pick Quick Foods, Inc., which was started in 1936 by his grandfather, Morris, who was one of the founders of the Key Food coop and served as chairman of its board for more than 35 years. Benjamin became president of Pick Quick when his father, Jules B. Levine, who had been at the helm since the 1980s, died in 2010 on Christmas day.

The Ozone Park, Queens-based Pick Quick family business now owns seven Key Foods — the new Rockville Centre store and a sister store in Floral Park that has been serving its community since 1979, as well as four in Brooklyn and one in the Bronx. It employs more than 600 workers, many of whom have been with the company for decades. Levine was proud to add that Pick Quick has hired 120 employees for its new Rockville Centre location.

“I’m a South Shore boy and there’s no other store like this in the area,” said Levine, about why he chose to open in Rockville Centre. “The neighborhood is not being properly served by any other store. We’re going to offer better quality, better variety, better pricing and old fashioned customer service,” said Levine, who added that Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray and his staff made it very easy to open a new business in the village.