Fairway Committed to Rebuilding Damaged Brooklyn Site

Fairway Market is committed to rebuilding the iconic grocery chain’s store in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Sandy, after having worked to reopen its other 10 stores.

Herb Ruetsch, chief executive officer of Fairway Market, said, “Hurricane Sandy has profoundly impacted each and every one of us. Most notably, our Red Hook store sustained a significant amount of damage that necessitated a temporary closure of the location.” He said the company was “100 percent committed to reopening the store.”

Within days after Sandy struck, Fairway Market began donating truckloads of food, water and other staples to local food banks, emergency relief shelters, soup kitchens and homeless shelters in Brooklyn, Staten Island and the areas in and around New York. 

Fairway Market also worked to get its other 10 stores open and operational, and is receiving deliveries of food and merchandise on an ongoing basis to ensure that “our shelves are fully stocked,” Ruetsch said.

As for the Red Hook store, it will remain closed until a total cleanup and renovation are complete. Already in the planning stages is a full-scale restaurant on the second floor of the historic building overlooking the Statue of Liberty, with a menu created by Chef Mitchell London. 

Ruetsch said Fairway was “working diligently to place those employees who are able to work in other Fairway Market locations. We are focused on retaining all of our highly trained employees so that we can reopen smoothly and provide the level of service for which we have become famous. And like all New Yorkers, we are resilient and we will be back hopefully within three months.”

Fairway Market is keeping customers up-to-date on the progress through its website, www.fairwaymarket.com. Directions to its other locations are also on the website.