New Woodmere Stop & Shop opens with expansive kosher section

By Jeffrey Bessen, Nassau Herald

The aisles are wide, the lighting is bright and freshness abounds at the new 67,000-square-foot Stop & Shop supermarket that opened on Friday in the Five Towns Shopping Center.

A produce area leads into an expansive kosher food aisle that includes dairy, frozen, grocery and meat items. Among the 2,000 kosher items, half are new, according to Stop & Shop spokeswoman Stefanie Shuman, including the Sprinkles line of frozen treats.

The store’s address is listed as 253-01 Rockaway Blvd. in Woodmere, although there was a good deal of online chatter as to the location’s actual town link (arguments ranged from Lawrence to Rosedale in New York City). The store, the first of what Stop & Shop officials called “remodels” of several Nassau County stores, replaces the Stop & Shop at the Burnside Commons in Inwood that closed on Oct. 29.

Beer aficionados will find an area full of their favorite beverage including local brews such as Greenport Harbor, Montauk and offerings from the Port Jeff Brewing Company. Store manager Artur Alchasov noted that there are mix and match selections to create an individual six pack.

“It’s very exciting and it’s all about teamwork,” Alchasov said about opening. “I was looking forward to this as all the hard work came to fruition.”

As part of the grand opening, Stop & Shop donated $1,000 and $500 of Nature’s Promise natural organic products to the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC, which runs a kosher food pantry in Cedarhurst.

“Stop & Shop is providing an amazing selection of kosher products, that will be so important to Jewish consumers throughout the greater Five Towns,” said Stacey Feldman, associate executive director of the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC in Cedarhurst.

“Stop & Shop has been a longtime supporter of the Rina Shkolnik Kosher Food Pantry. Their ongoing support for the work we do underscores their commitment to the Five Towns. They truly understand the role that a corporate citizen can play in improving and enhancing the lives of its neighbors.”