Compare Fresh
Opened: October 30, 2026
Welcome to this weekend's only post that isn't about Western Beef! I figured that we can temporarily interrupt that ongoing story to check out a brand-new Compare Fresh supermarket that opened yesterday in downtown Hempstead on Long Island. This is a new-build store and spans 17,000 square feet, but as we'll see, punches well above its weight with a lot to offer in a space that feels very complete. The same folks who own this one have a second location out in Brentwood, farther east on Long Island, but this one is larger and more full-service. It joins a newly-renovated Food Bazaar, a brand-new Shop Fair, and a brand-new ALDI in downtown Hempstead. (Golden Farms also recently opened outside of the main downtown area.) As we'll see, this store actually has some notable similarities to the Shop Fair.
We enter in the front-right corner with an impressive grand aisle greeting us to the store. Produce is on the left side with bakery, deli/prepared foods, and sushi on the right side. A juice and salad bar is in the middle of the grand aisle, with service meat and seafood counters at the back. Packaged meats line the rest of the back wall, with dairy and frozen on the left side.
The fact that this store appears to have a full in-store bakery and a robust service bakery counter is impressive, and a bit of a rarity in these smaller urban supermarkets. However, this is another new store from the Associated Supermarket Group, and I've been finding their new stores really top-notch lately.
The high ceilings mean that the decor and department signage is up pretty high here, which makes it a little difficult to get it all in the picture! The juice and salad bar is in the middle of the produce department...
This feels like a higher-end store despite being pretty much a straighforward supermarket. It's a beautiful facility and is extremely complete for its relatively small size.
You can see the general similarities in the decor between this store and the Shop Fair, though.
I've also noticed ASG stores lately carrying a wider variety of Cadia natural products (from KeHE) alongside their own Avenue A and Best Yet storebrand items. Not too many supermarkets sell the Cadia natural foods, and they seem to be good quality, so it's a smart move to distinguish their stores.
Frozen and dairy on the left side of the store, then winding around to the front wall...
...and here's something I haven't seen before, an entire section of Avenue A brand merchandise. It's a good way to promote the storebrand, and in these smaller urban stores like Compare Foods or CTown or Key Food, the storebrands sometimes feel like an afterthought.
Owner: Jose & Lisset Urena
Previous Tenants: none
Cooperative: Associated Supermarket Group
Location: 159 Main St, Hempstead, NY
Photographed: October 30, 2025
That's all for this new Compare Foods, but it's nice to see another beautiful, brand-new supermarket coming to this area. You can see all the Western Beef/Food Bazaar coverage here, and see you in Vermont again on Monday!
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