Wegmans
Grocery store · Brooklyn Navy Yard ·
Prepared foods, sushi, burgers, pizza, coffee, and a bar
Prepared foods, sushi, burgers, pizza, coffee, and a bar
"At a Wegmans in Brooklyn I noticed a small sign announcing a pilot of facial recognition with a “small group of employees,” saying information for those not in the pilot would be deleted; a spokesperson told me the program began in early October, will run as a 60-day pilot, and is intended to “enhance the physical safety of our people and our customers,” while recognition will be tested only on employees who agree to participate. The company would not share which vendor they’re using, where cameras are placed, or how pilot data are being handled, and the sign set off a flurry of privacy concerns and social-media backlash questioning whether this could lead to dynamic, person-to-person pricing — a claim Wegmans denied, pointing to its pricing policy that it “match[es] within pennies against the competition on items families use every week so you can enjoy quality, healthy food on a budget.”" - Alexis Benveniste
"Opened in 2019, the Brooklyn Wegmans is just under 75,000 square feet and is housed on a single floor; many of the roughly 600 employees who will staff the Manhattan store have been working at the Wegmans in the Brooklyn Navy Yard for nearly a year." - Melissa McCart
"On its rainy day debut October 27, fans of Brooklyn’s new Wegmans — known as Wegmaniacs — trekked to the store by the tens of thousands. The new complex is the Rochester grocery chain’s 101st — and its first in NYC. Big even by Whole Food standards, the 74,000-square-foot store looked from the outside like a hulking black cube. Inside, it featured a food court with various stations offering sushi, burgers, wings, and more. While the sushi seemed like a comparative bargain, the Burger Bar was not. The flagship burger was good, but the fried chicken sandwich was disappointing and the pizza was worse. The bar upstairs serves strong mixed drinks, providing a lively atmosphere." - Robert Sietsema
"The first-ever New York City store for the cult-beloved grocer drew more than 3,000 people to the Brooklyn Navy Yard opening, with shoppers lining up in the rain starting at 4 a.m. before the store opened three hours later; one shopper called it “chaos,” though spirits sounded mainly high. Wegmans’ debut has made a major splash despite the proliferation of other well-loved grocery stores, and the much-anticipated location includes 74,000 square feet of shopping, counter-service restaurants, a coffee shop, and a full-service bar — reassuring many of the chain’s devoted “Wegmaniacs.”" - Stefanie Tuder
"I stopped by the new 74,000-square-foot, bi-level Wegmans at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and found it positioned as more than just a grocer: the produce section greets you up front, and the store includes multiple counter-service dining options, a Buzz coffee shop, and a full-service mezzanine bar and cafe with couches, lounge chairs, and red stools at a marbled bar top. The Buzz pours lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, and americanos (with vegan and oat milk available) and offers fruit smoothies. The gourmet burger bar features options like a maple onion burger with aged cheddar, bacon, maple onion jam, and chipotle aioli; a Santa Monica turkey burger with guacamole and herb dressing; a Mediterranean-inspired Impossible Burger with goat cheese and lemon caper dill aioli; and a six-ounce classic beef burger—burgers run $12 or under, while sandwiches go up to $16 for a lobster roll. Pizza is made in a rotating brick oven in about 90 seconds, with signature pies (cheese and pepperoni; pesto, tomato, and spinach; mushrooms with truffle parmesan), white pies, cauliflower crusts, and a build-your-own option; small pies are $7, medium $10, large $12. A sushi counter offers 28 roll selections plus custom rolls, poke bowls are sold at a separate counter, and made-to-order salads are available at the greens station. The store also boasts over 300 cheeses, a focus on local Brooklyn products (craft beers and meat) alongside popular Wegmans-branded items like their basting oil, entire gluten-free aisles, kombucha-filled refrigerated cases, and family-pack bulk items sold at significant savings. Wegmans opens Sunday at 7 a.m. and is located at 21 Flushing Avenue inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard, with a 700-car lot and nearby transit (F to York Street, Q to DeKalb Avenue, bus B57 and B69) for access." - Carla Vianna
