Exclusive | NYCs Meadow Lane gourmet grocery…
“I’m so hungry and so cold,” a bundled-up younger lady told The Post through chattering enamel, as she waited for food in frigid temperatures early Friday morning.
The New Yorker was one of tons of who’d made the push hour trek to TriBeCa for sustenance — standing in a long line that stretched back an complete metropolis block.
The keen hordes have been awaiting the 11 a.m. opening of Meadow Lane, a hotly-anticipated gourmet grocer from TikTokker Sammy Nussdorf at 355 Greenwich St. — and their eyes have been on $15 orders of natural chicken nuggets, $16 helpings of bone broth, and fashionable matcha lattes.
Cold climate, scorching new store: Hundreds of New Yorkers braved chilly climate as they stood in line in TriBeCa forward of the grand opening of the gourmet grocery store Meadow Lane. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
Amid an affordability disaster that helped to propel Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani to Mayoral victory and latest anxiety over SNAP benefit cuts, Meadow Lane’s grand debut Friday morning may need appeared like unlucky timing.
But the thrill online, where many of the 28-year-old Nussdorf’s opening updates have gone viral, and exterior the swank new store proved the other — appetites for eye-wateringly costly meals in the Big Apple are larger than ever.
Shopping in fashion: The beautiful interiors really feel more just like the set of a Nancy Meyers film than an precise grocery store. Vases of recent flowers dot the space, and the food objects are so delicately displayed that they appear to be artwork items. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
Some followers began lining up as early as 5 a.m., after a yr spent following Meadow Lane’s creation and construction on TikTok. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
“I feel like we got a golden ticket!” one excited shopper who snagged a spot at the entrance of the road exclaimed, referencing Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”‘
Waiting for them inside weren’t Wonka Bars and Everlasting Gobstoppers, but other objects that have been just as fantastical — and fantastically priced, sometimes enough to make other upscale Uptown spots like Zabar’s or Agata & Valentina blush.
Among them: $14 tortilla chips, $12 bunches of grapes, $65 additional virgin olive oil “harvested from 150-year-old trees,” $74 containers of Montauk General matcha powder, and $625 Siberian caviar.
Meadow Lane’s CEO, Sammy Nussdorf, has change into a superstar on TikTok, taking followers through the creation and construction of his stylish gourmet grocery store. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
Many Meadow Lane merchandise will be purchased for decrease prices at less glamorous places.
The Maldon sea salt flakes that retail for $10 at Meadow Lane will be snapped up for $6 or $7 nearly anyplace else, while a $10, 6 oz. clamshell of Driscoll’s blackberries can often be picked up at a bodega on sale for about a quarter of the price.
But those in line exterior Meadow Lane weren’t trying for a discount, and got here prepared to blow tons of of {dollars} — more than many New Yorkers spend each month on groceries.
CEO Sammy Nussdorf told The Post the concept for Meadow Lane got here after the disappearance of the high-end Dean & DeLuca from the NYC retail panorama years in the past. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
Many Meadow Lane merchandise will be purchased for decrease prices at less glamorous places, but buyers appeared blissful to sacrifice price for the expertise of purchasing in a luxe environment. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
A buyer is seen snapping footage of the artfully displayed produce. For many, the expertise of purchasing in the high-end environment was nearly as thrilling as style testing the objects themselves. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
Call it a story of two cities.
“We love food, and we spend money on it,” shopper Isabella Newnam, 26, told The Post. “That’s New York for you. If you want to do something, you do it big.”
Others concurred, saying that with the skyrocketing price of even extraordinary groceries, which they derided as tasteless and loaded with chemical compounds, it was value spending more for the great things.
“In New York City, the price of regular things is crazy,” Joy Papazian, 22, said. “Even milk. The cost of everything has gone up.”
Meadow Lane’s recent juices have been a widespread buy on opening day, with many undeterred by the fee. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
“I’d rather get a little bit better quality and a better taste and healthier feel and spend a couple extra dollars,” Brittany Blum, 24, chimed in.
Other Gen Z clients told The Post that food was at the moment the one factor on which they have been keen to spare no expense.
“If you asked me to buy a sweater for $150, no — but if you asked me to spend $150 on snacks, absolutely,” Mary Laitan, 26, explained.
The store sells recent produce, as effectively as a vary of pre-packaged sandwiches, soups and salads. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
The caviar is the most costly merchandise in the store, retailing for up to $750. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
Customers who got here for the opening said they have been most excited for grab-and-go food objects, including a $21 Chinese chicken salad and the $24 miso salmon bowl.
Nussdorf, the Willy Wonka of Meadow Lane, has been meticulously documenting the creation and construction of his store on TikTok for more than a yr.
Many of his videos, in which he style checks objects for buy, have gone viral — remodeling him into a minor superstar and the store into a major vacation spot.
Stocking up: One early fowl was fortunate enough to get her arms on some coveted grab-and-go objects. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
The Manhattan native told The Post the concept for Meadow Lane got here after the disappearance of the high-end Dean & DeLuca from the NYC retail panorama years in the past.
His new store has already earned comparisons to uber-expensive Erewhon in Los Angeles, as effectively as the celeb-fave Round Swamp Farm in the Hamptons.
Excited clients started lining up at 5 a.m., and a pair of good-looking doormen handed out hats emblazoned with the Meadlow Lane brand to those who had shown up early.
People ready told The Post they’d seen Nussdorf’s content — and have been curious about how the food objects would style.
Pals Mary Laitin and Isabella Newnam described the opening day as their personal “Black Friday.” Stephen Yang for the NY Post
It felt less just like the opening of a store, and more like a road occasion. One called it “Christmas,” another described it as “Coronation Day.”
Once inside, the patrons weren’t disillusioned.
The beautiful interiors really feel more just like the set of a Nancy Meyers film than an precise grocery store. Vases of recent flowers dot the space, and the food objects are so delicately displayed that they appear to be artwork items.
The buyers perused the expensive produce and ready sandwich and soup choices with the class of somebody purchasing at Chanel or Cartier.
The $15 chicken nuggets had been touted by Nussdorf during one of his viral TikTok style checks. Customers couldn’t wait to get attempt the snack for themselves. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
Advertising account supervisor Sydney Savage, 22, dropped more than $260 on less than two dozen objects. She said she’d fortunately return.
“I’ve had the turkey chili ($10) and the blue Masa tortilla chips ($14),” she enthused. “Not exaggerating, it was amazing and a 10/10. So good and fresh.”
Meanwhile, The Post tried the hyped $15 chicken nuggets, which have been surprisingly crispy and scrumptious. A $14 salmon sandwich and a $15 watermelon juice have been less spectacular.
Joy Papazian, Sydney Savage and Brittney Blum pose with their purchases. Meadow Lane’s eye-catching blue and white test baggage are sure to change into a new standing image in downtown Manhattan. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
Despite the elevated interiors and the even more elevated price tags, Nussdorf insists Meadow Lane is for everybody.
He cites the low-priced espresso ($4) and pastries, hoping the store transforms from TikTok curiosity to neighborhood staple.
“It really is for everyone,” he declared.
Everyone with money to burn, anyway.
Stay in the loop with the latest trending topics! Visit our web site daily for the freshest lifestyle news and content, thoughtfully curated to inspire and inform you.
