Are you a local business?
Union Market Coming to Sette Space on Seventh
Monday, October 1, 2012 at 11:02AM 
UPDATE: The representative at Union Market I spoke with was apparently not to be trusted, and it looks like they are not coming into the space after all. Apologies for the confusion.
Big news this morning: Union Market's next location will be the space last occupied by Italian restaurant Sette, on the prime corner of Seventh Avenue and Third Street. A rep for the mini-chain of gourmet groceries has confirmed.
The original Union Market is on the corner of Sixth and Union; one on Seventh Avenue between 12th and 13th opened a couple years later, followed by another down on Court Street. Another is in the works on Houston Street. When this opens it'll be the fifth in the growing empire, and the neighborhood's third.
Sette, the once-popular Italian restaurant, closed for good about a year ago, and owner Giovanni Tafuri opened Giovanni's Brooklyn Eats on Eighth and Prospect shortly after.
Coming Soon in Food, Scoops, Storefronts
Reader Comments (33)
Living nearby, I am pleased by this news. Do you know what they will do with the outdoor space? Seems like a nice location for a few tables for sandwiches, salads, etc. Hope this doesn't impact negatively on Valley Shepherd Creamery, a store I really like. Union Market's cheese selection is much wider.
Stella, I agree with everything you said. I think Valley Shepperd Creamery has established itself enough to survive. The Sette location seems small for a grocery store, no?
dangerous over expansion...not the best business choice in my professional opinion, especially when next to valley shepherd
i think it may help valley shepherd. ever since it's opened, there's a big ugly vacant spot on this corner and people seem to avoid it. this part of 7th avenue has no life to it, very dead. this can only help as the increase in foot traffic will be significant. union market is a good store, but valley shepherd has an infinitely better cheese selection.
@pslope: I'm usually the first to question or criticize entrepreneurs who take expensive Seventh Ave. spaces for niche markets. But, there's a vast audience for Union Market that chooses not to walk to one of their other locations and might buy items they carry elsewhere (perhaps on weekends, at Fairway or Whole Foods, for example...think about how many Whole Foods shopping bags you see on the F train every day). Combine that with impulse shopping (I'm on my way back from work and need to think about dinner, I'm walking my kids in my triple-wide $6000 stroller on Seventh Ave. while I also block the rest of the sidewalk with my purebred Golden Retriever on his twelve-foot leash and want some upscale groceries) and you've got a steady flow. I wish them well. I will certainly be among their customers, but will retain my loyalty to Valley Shepherd.
agree with stella. there are blocks and blocks wealthy residents from 7th avenue to the prospect park west and from carroll to 9th street with little access to a quality grocery store.
Stella: 80% idiot, 20% on point here. The first thing I thought about was the outdoor space. Maybe there's something different from the other locations to be done there. To be honest, there's not much that looks like that in that immediate vicinity, and we live in NYC, where something being more than ten blocks away practically means another state.
As for 6K strollers and dogs, Stella's overgeneralizations knew what they signed up for she moved here. Move to Bushwick and grow a beard.
Thanks Brooklyn Brawler, I was wondering when a jerk would join the conversation.
I shope at Union Market regularly. I think much of it is expensive, but they have good stuff and I don't want to schlep more than 2 or 3 blocks for groceries personally, so I imagine people down by Sette will embrace it.
@brooklyn brawler: sign up for lessons in recognizing sarcasm at PS 321
Overly priced, you're better off saving your money and going to Whole Foods or even Steve's C Town.
With all the bakeries in the neighborhood, its shocking how few bake bread, its selection of breads alone is a reason to shop there. Much better produce then C town -cmon.
Whole Foods is in Manhattan and C Town is nearly 3./4 a mile away. It also smells like garbage and doesn't have even close to the selection of nicer gourmet foods that Union Market has. Some of us like to insert only good things in our body, not just cheap things. It's really only expensive if you're buying their $20 chocolates, many times things are priced pretty well for the quality they offer. It's not even comparable to C town, not to mention who wants to walk uphill 2 or more avenue blocks plus multiple blocks up if you live in center slope close to the park.
I would think this location is a bit on the small size for Union Mkt., but I guess it's better than an empty store-front. Be careful when buying their fresh produce....... it is substandard! Too many times we have purchsed items which we've found to be rotten when we have got it home. For instance, punets of fruits with one more two mouldy berries mixed in...... Advocados which are brown on the inside! Their prepared foods are pretty good though, although a little on the pricey side!
Excellent!
I hope they stay open till 10pm like the one on Court Street. The others in Park Slope close at 9pm which is too early for many of us who work late. Very nice to have them in this spot, it will be a breath of fresh air to a really awful corner.
I am hoping this will cut down on that fucked up all-the-way-back-to-the-back-of-the-store-and-snaked-around-to-the-front-and-then-over-to-the-bike-store-next-door-after-work-7pm-line at the South Slope location.
You know what I mean.
But fluffle, it's too expensive no one goes there!
;)
I remember buying their short ribs only to discover they were green when I unwrapped them. When I went back I was told the meat was oxidizing... For such high prices you would think their quality would be better.
Interesting choice of locations - it does seem a bit small when compared to the lower 7th Avenue and Union Street sites. I've had mixed experiences at the South Slope UM - moldy quiche, lots of beautiful but tasteless produce, some questionable food-handling practices at the prepared foods counter; on the positive side, good cheese and breads.
I look forward to having the space occupied again.
Who thinks CTown has good prices? give me a break! Anyway, while I don't do my weekly shopping at Union Market, there are certain things I like to get from them that other stores don't carry. Glad to see them opening there
CTown sells post-dated products at a discount. Save money while you get botulism.
I frequent the South Slope UM and was glad when it first opened. I have noticed the produce can be on par with Ctown. I often avoid refridge/frozen products there because it seems to me that it could be stored room temperature thawed and then frozen again. Just an observation. Glad it's there becuase it's on the way home but other than that it's probably a draw.
Sounds as if Valley Shepherd has nothing to fear.
I asked at Union Market about this last night and they said it's totally untrue that they are opening another store in Park Slope. My guess is either he didn't know or they know and are keeping it quiet??