Wegmans, the chain of spacious supermarkets with a cult following, is set to open its first store in New York City.
The Rochester-based grocer said it’s bringing the store to the long-neglected Admiral’s Row at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The new store will initially open up 450 jobs, but that number is expected to eventually grow to 600, with 25 percent of new employees being hired from the surrounding neighborhoods, specifically from the nearby Farragut, Whitman and Ingersoll housing projects.
At least 150 of the open jobs will be full-time positions, but as many as 250 full-time positions are expected to open up, the company said.
Wegmans, which is known for its affordable and fresh food options, is also lauded as one of the nation’s best employers. The supermarket has consistently appeared in Fortune Magazine’s Best Companies list every year since 1998.
The chain offers health care benefits for all full-time and part-time employees who work more than 30 hours a week. It also provides employees with various benefits including employee scholarships, a company-funded retirement plan, a 401k plan with company match and paid vacation.
Wegmans has also been named Consumer Reports’ top grocery store in the nation for the last two years.
The New York Times reports the new Brooklyn location is set to open by 2017.
