I don't understand how people can still be complaining about the supposed lack of good grocery stores in the 80s. We have amazing green grocers, great butchers like Boina Roja, a bodega on every other corner for basics, the natural market on 84, and Mi Tierra.
People like to complain. They don't realize there's fresh food galore in JH, and they lament that frozen meal purveyor Trader Joe's won't return their calls.
I know, but I always love to poke the "why won't X upscale chain open in Jackson Heights" (for any value of X) folks. The answer is usually "for the same reason normal people can actually afford rent here."
I imagine rents in Rego Park are not that different than rents in Jackson Heights, yet Trader Joe's built a store there.
Also, I assume you're referring to Trader Joe's as being 'upscale' but not sure what you mean by that. If you mean that their products are reliable, fresh, innovative and the stores are clean and have excellent customer service, then I would agree. However, if you are equating upscale with expensive, then I don't agree at all. Trader Joe's prices are more reasonable
for quality goods than anywhere else I could think of shopping -- including the stores here in JH (with the exception of the produce markets).
And since this thread is about the new grocery store and not Trader Joe's, I should mention I took a swing through and took at look at the one product that I know how to do price comparisons for, the large Quaker Oats canister. At this new store it costs $6.99. At C-Town it's $6.49. At the market that used to be called Fruta Dona on 37th and 83rd, I recently bought it for $3.99. At Target it's $3.49. So that leads me to the conclusion that the prices are not much of a bargain here. I'm sure they have some loss leaders and sales, so if you're shopping for something else, perhaps you'll find a decent price.