Running a hometown supermarket

Ever since the grocery business was passed down to them by their fathers, cousins, Frank, Louis and Richard Almonte, have taken the industry to the next level since the family began operating stores in the 1970s.

On Oct. 5, a brand new, state-of-the-art Key Food is slated to open in North Woodmere and offers customers a full service deli and bakery, custom meat and fish department, frozen food and dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables and kosher and non-kosher products.

Louis said the store, located at 935 Rosedale Road, is 11,500-square-feet of exceptional architectural design. “Our family is anxious to open,” he said. “Our goal is to offer competitive pricing, exceptional service, an abundant variety and the highest quality of fresh products.”

The Almonte family operates nine stores between Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island and has lived in the Five Towns for over a decade. “We see that there is a diverse community with room for growth,” Louis said about the decision to open a Key Food in North Woodmere.

Three supermarkets near the North Woodmere Key Food location have closed down recently. “This store should fill a void in the area with a high-quality supermarket and be an added convenience to the local residents,” Richard said. “Each store is family owned and a managing partner is always in the store listening to the customer’s needs. We want to fulfill their needs by listening to their suggestions or complaints. If they are going somewhere else to buy certain products, we’ll try our best to bring that product to our stores.”

Frank said the store’s buying power sets them apart from a typical supermarket. “We’re able to provide the best prices in the market,” he said. “Even though we’re part of a bigger picture — a co-op — we run our stores like a hometown supermarket by catering to the needs of the community and that’s the key to our success.”

In addition to a wide selection of gluten-free, natural and organic products, Richard said the North Woodmere Key Food is the third store for the Almonte family that has a fresh fish department. “We realized based on our experiences with our other local supermarkets, that having a convenient location for residents to purchase specialty products and fresh meats, fish and produce is key to keeping our customers happy,” he said.

The North Woodmere community, according to Frank, has already begun buzzing about the new store. “We feel pretty confident about this location and feel that it will be a good fit for the community,” he said. “It’s also the first time that we’re opening a store where we live. It’s a luxury to provide that level of service where we live and we feel that this will be our largest success. We’re very happy with what we do.”