Key Food Supermarkets
Open: 2015-2025
Owner: unknown
Previous Tenants: Shopwell > The Food Emporium > A&P (2011-2015)
Cooperative: Key Food Stores
Location: 5661 Riverdale Ave, Bronx, NY
Photographed: July 12, 2024
Before we begin, just a heads up: this was originally posted in September 2020, but was rewritten with new photos in July 2026. Now for the post! In the 2015 A&P bankruptcy, there was only one grocery store in New York City operating under the A&P banner. "The last A&P left in New York City," as some publications reported it. In reality, this store was a
Shopwell and later converted to Shopwell's
The Food Emporium banner. When A&P purchased The Food Emporium in 1986, this store remained a Food Emporium.
As part of the 2011 bankruptcy reorganization of A&P, this store was converted to an
A&P Fresh. Unfortunately, other than a new exterior sign, no work inside or out was done to the severely outdated 14,000 square foot store. In the 2015 final bankruptcy, the store was sold to owner Kevin Luna, who developed plans to complete a total renovation of the supermarket while keeping it open. That never happened, and Luna sold the store again in 2020 to another Key Food owner whose name hasn't been made public. In 2025, the Key Food closed, with plans for a new Fine Fare being announced shortly thereafter.
The store was oriented with produce in the first aisle running along the front wall. Beer and meat were on the left-side wall, with frozen and dairy in the grocery aisles and deli-bakery in the last aisle on the back wall of the store. (Aisles run side to side here, with the registers along the right side wall.) As you can see from these 2024 pictures, this store was in very bad condition for most of its life as Key Food. It had declined under A&P, and neither Key Food owner really fixed it up. Above, you can see what was probably once a seafood counter filled with root vegetables and the former butcher shop now covered with beer.
All of the decor you see here was original to The Food Emporium, which A&P never changed, and neither did Key Food. Key Food didn't replace any fixtures, either. It was widely rumored during the Key Food's 10-year lifespan that the landlord wouldn't give the operators a long-term lease, so they were reluctant to make any investments. Still, the store was in terrible shape by the time of its closure. The Fine Fare owners have begun a major renovation, and it's set to open later in 2026.
This is one of two Key Foods in Riverdale.
The other is to the south on 235th Street, and under different ownership.
Deli-bakery in the last aisle along with mostly empty freezers. It was very clear when I visited that this Key Food's days were numbered.
I'm glad that I got to photograph this store before it's transformed, but I'm also glad that this dilapidated supermarket has become history. I'm looking forward to seeing what Fine Fare will bring!
This post was rewritten on July 7, 2026 with new photos.
It's a shame the first post-A&P owner here wasn't able to renovate, but I can't blame him in the least if he was told that the property owners don't intend to renew his lease. Why bother? I wonder if the property owners' stance has changed, or else I fear the new owner will be wasting money, too. That said, the store certainly deserves an upgrade... but as a retail fan, it's nice to see the old Food Emporium décor still hanging on, too. (Surely not to any regular shoppers of this store, though, as you said.)
ReplyDeleteExactly. The Lunas' other stores are really, really nice so it's obvious the landlord was holding them back. I'm almost wondering whether the landlord was hesitant to extend the Lunas' lease because the new owner approached them directly about taking over the store and worked out the details with the Lunas later. It seems like right now the new owners are going for a store reset especially in the perishables departments, so we'll see what additional changes they make if any. But hey... this is the best of both worlds, right? I captured the store's classic decor in my pictures so now they can remodel and make it a state-of-the-art supermarket for northern Riverdale! Very considerate of them to wait for me to post it :)
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