The Great Neck peninsula has been left without a supermarket for three years, but that soon may change as an Aldi has been proposed in Great Neck Plaza’s The Garden shopping center.
Aldi, a German-based international chain known for its diversity of affordable, high-quality foods, has filed for a conditional-use permit with the Village of Great Neck Plaza. Village businesses must have a conditional-use permit.
Aldi operates 135 supermarkets in New York State, including Carle Place, Hempstead, Valley Stream, and Rego Park.
The supermarket is slated to be located at 38 Great Neck Road in The Gardens shopping center, which is on the corner of Great Neck Road and Middle Neck Road. The center also houses Planet Fitness, Starbucks, Chipotle, and multiple other businesses.
The Gardens shopping center is operated by Kimco Realty, whose website shows Aldi as the tenant of the 20,939 square feet store location.
Efforts to solicit comment from Aldi were unavailing.
Great Neck has been without a large retail grocery store since Best Market, which previously occupied the shopping center space, closed in 2021. Rumors circulated in late 2022 that a grocery store was potentially coming in to take over in Best Market’s absence, but nothing resulted.
Great Neck Chamber of Commerce President Patricia Schneider said the absence of a grocery store has been a hindrance for many residents. She said the chamber gets many complaints from residents about the lack of a local grocery store and having to travel further to go to one.
“A community the size of Great Neck, even with the diversity, needs a supermarket to get more than just milk and eggs,” Schneider said.
Schneider says there is definitely a local interest in a grocery store to come to the peninsula.
“To have a new one coming in will be appreciated,” Schneider said.
The Great Neck peninsula is home to two Kosher grocery stores and an H Mart, an Asian grocery chain, but it does not have a grocery supermarket.
The closest supermarkets are North Shore Farms on Horace Harding Boulevard, King Kullen and Whole Foods in Manhasset, and ShopRite in New Hyde Park.
The Village of Great Neck Plaza, where the Aldi is being proposed, will hold a public hearing on the business’ conditional-use permit at 7 p.m. on March 19.
