Instant Grocer Opens In Astoria Amid Fight About Manhattan Sites

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Another rapid grocery-delivery business launched in Astoria this week, as a feud brews across the East River over the controversial sites.

Getir, a Turkish start-up promising grocery delivery in a matter of minutes, expanded stateside on Dec. 8th to New York City — including a location at 4011 34th Avenue in Astoria, which was formerly the Entenmanns Outlet.

The company is part of a well-funded, grocery delivery app market that's expanded aggressively into New York, including Queens, in recent months.

In order to fulfill their pledge of delivering groceries in a matter of minutes, the companies have converted dozens of citywide storefronts into mini-warehouses known as "dark stores," where workers stock up on groceries before venturing out into the neighborhood on e-bikes.

The trend has prompted concern that the dark stores could lead to "dark cities," threatening to eliminate street commerce and put traditional corner shops out of business. What's more, according to Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, they may be illegal.

In a survey of 22 Manhattan dark store, Brewer's office found that all but four are operating out of storefronts that weren't zoned for warehouse or distribution centers.

Similarly, in Astoria, the new Getir location and a nearby Buyk dark store are located in buildings that are zoned for more typical commercial and residential use. (While referred to as a warehouse, the old Entenmanns Outlet operated like a typical commercial business; customers came inside and shopped.)

"Zoning protections exist so that we have well-balanced streets, neighborhoods, and communities," Brewer said in a statement. "We don't want warehouses and distribution centers next to coffee shops, daycare centers, and bookstores where these dead storefronts attract vandalism, stymie an active street life, and raise quality of life concerns."

Neither Getir nor Buyk immediately responded to requests for comment.

Related Article: Another Instant Grocery Delivery Center Is Opening In Astoria

Patch editor Nick Garber contributed to this report.