The Food Emporium

This is a large generic market with out of control prices, bad produce and the most unhelpful staff in the city. Since this market was taken over the selection of goods has been reduced. Prices have gone up and staff is rude. Week after week items scan higher prices then what is marked on the shelf. When you point it out. The only response you get is «So you don’t want it» The cashiers seem more interested in talking among themselves then dealing with customers. If you try asking anyone who works in that place where to find a item it’s like you are bothering them. Considering the Food Emporium went out of business as they had no customers you think this place would try to improve it. It’s a shame that this really large market is so bad. It could be a really great place to shop if anyone cared. With so many other places in the area to go including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, West Side Market, Garden Of Eden and Associated there is no reason to shop here. I don’t think they will last. This place is always empty no matter what time you go there. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are packed.

This is a hard one, it being my NYC neighborhood grocery store. But it’s always understated and I have heard the employees being very rude to customers, in their defense I have also seen customers be very rude to the cashiers. Incredible location

I do not get the grocery stores in NY. I miss my Safeways and Wegmans back home… the only good thing about this place is that they have wide aisles (obvi unheard of in Manhattan) and they have some good sale stuff.
However, the last 3 times I have come here. the entrance is blocked once you walk in (at 9:00pm on a Sunday) and you THINK they are closed… but really they are not. Two people in front of me left and walked the other way prob to go to Trader Joe’s simply because they thought they were closed. Nope, they just shut their doors when they’re open so they don’t make any money… MAKES SENSE TO ME. NOT.
You have to walk through the «exit» area to enter the store because they decide to shut down their doors. Looks hella ghetto.

DONT GO!
False advertising and bait and switch tactics. Apparently new management does not understand the law at all. I already have reported them, and an investigation is under way. I suggested until such time as they are straightened out appropriately people go to the various other grocery store in the area.

I’m not really a huge fan of Food Emporium on 14^th Street, but have visited this location many times nonetheless. The store is clean, stays open relatively late, has a eating area, sushi bar, hot bar, and an eating area in the front of the store. In comparison to the Trader Joe’s down the street, their prices are high for no good reason though, and that’s with value taken into account.
They do however shine in one spot. This one item is a homerun hit, a gift and a curse, and a mighty will power stunner. The item I’m referring to is located in the very back of the store near the bakery, and sitting on a shelf of an opened refrigerated cooler.
Unlike the other things in the store, this item is of great value. Heck, it comes in a four pack for only $ 3.99. I would value a single hit of this item easily at $ 5, $ 6, perhaps even $ 7. So yeah, I’m getting at least $ 28 of value for $ 4.
Did you hear something? …yes, you heard «Winning!»
Next to Molly’s, yes that famous cupcake place on Bleecker, these Vanilla Bean Cupcakes I’m referring to are the best cupcakes in NYC. They pair perfectly with a nice cold glass of almond milk. Of course said almond milk is always from somewhere else. Like I said, Food Emporium is expensive for no good reason. Alright, back to the cupcakes.
Did you hear that again? …yes, it was «Winning!»
Well it would seem that way at first. That is until you consider I have to take four of these home and put three in the refrigerator, …if I even make it to eating just one when I first arrive home. Then, on top of that, even if I manage to eat one I have three delicious cupcakes terrorizing craving appetite until they are no longer there. It would really be great if the Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with their cool sweet filling came singular or in doubles. But no! SMH This is my beautiful plight. (sigh)
3 stars because I like Food Emporium’s 5 star (cup)cakes.

Sad, outdated, and overpriced; somehow they can keep the lights on but never seem to have enough registers open. It seems as though this grocery store has resigned itself to being a catch-​all for people who are either NYU/​New School students, immobile, pressed for time, or ignorant of other and better options. I have bought quite a few things from here over the years due to the convenience.
Now that I’ve said some bad things, I should say some nice things: I can usually find what I’m looking for here, and they have never run out of anything that I know of. The woman who makes the coffee in the morning is great, as is the foreman who makes sure the self-​checkout stations are running smoothly. The sushi dudes near the entrance know their stuff. The cashiers I’ve dealt with have always been very nice and professional.

I agree with the others — a bit on the expensive side, and the cashiers are nasty and slow. Produce was okay, but I wasn’t bowled over by how fresh it was. I give it more than one star because there is plenty of selection, and it’s near the apartment, and to be fair I only interacted with 1 checkout person, perhaps the others are better. One can but hope, since the lines at TJ’s and Whole Foods would be quite unpleasant.

If I could give zero stars I would. Produce is constantly spoiled in ways you can’t tell until you get home. Eggs are cracked on the bottom so you’d have to remove each individual egg in the store to find out. Disgusting and frustrating experience.

This is not my usual grocery store, but I stopped in here to get some groceries for my apartment since it was closer to where I was having lunch with a friend. It was not at all what I believed it to be.
There was a large and seemingly well stocked hot food section with deli meets and cheese and even buffet. However, many of the isles were partially empty and extremely overpriced. I used to believe that the food emporium was a cheaper grocery store because of its appearance, but I was wrong. Which is ironic considering the self checkout machines were dated and completely malfunctioning. The attendant ended up checking at me out at a closed lane because the kiosk stopped working after scanning a few items.
One positive thing is that this location has a coinstar. However, I’m so disappointed with the lack of food options and the high prices. I will be going straight to my neighborhood key food next time!

Although this Food Emporium is conveniently located by the Union Square station, this franchise is not conducive to a good shopping experience.
I just moved near Union Square for the summer and needed to pick up some essentials for my apartment. The selection here wasn’t bad– a lot of fresh produce and basic groceries, even organic– but the true problem lies in the customer service and checkout. I had a question about where a product was located and couldn’t find anyone helpful enough to assist me. When I got to the self checkout, one of the four kiosks was already out of order, and another began to malfunction as my friend was in the middle of checking out. We went to check out the employee-​manned lines, but they were going slowly so we waited to use the two remaining self checkout kiosks.
I used to associate ‘cheap’ with Food Emporium, but this place was surprisingly overpriced. For two small bags of groceries– no fresh produce– I paid $ 110. I’d rather spend that money at a better store.

As others have mentioned, this is a mediocre and expensive option for the area, considering alternatives. Still, it remains a dependable choice for many, and has been for me for some time. When you need something quickly, for an impending meal perhaps, you cannot get in and out of any nearby market as quickly as you can Food Emporium.
The produce is on-​par with Trader Joe’s or Safeway, adequate but expensive and of average quality. For most market items, the offerings are comparable with that of Safeway/​Vons/​Albertsons but the prices are more on par with a premium market. For the premium experience, however, consider Whole Foods or Fairway here in the city. The staff aren’t intolerable but often make mistakes or simply come off as uncaring. The bakery is lackluster and the meat aisle is over-​priced. Sales are few and far-​between. On the plus side, the location is convenient, and one can easily incorporate the market into a trip also including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and/​or the Union Square Greenmarket.

Years later I am STILL coming here :-(I managed to tolerate this store because i usually avoid every single person who works here and just use self check out with minimal food emporium staff interaction.
Today the self checkout was closed. Oh No! I buckled down and prepared myself for an unpleasant experience, and waited in line with my one item and my coupon.
I wish i could have bet money on the experience I was about to have, because truly unpleasant yes it was…
Before it’s even my turn the nasty cashier feels set on picking on me. I am holding my item, she snarks you can put it down, «I don’t want to» I say.
Then she butts into the conversation i’m having with the man next to me, in a know it all fashion, telling me i’m wrong.
Then I hand her my item when it is my turn, with my coupon. The coupon was for $ 0.25. i got it with a sample of the soap, had it, thought why not since i’m going to buy it. She looks at it with disgust barley scans it and tells me it’s no good. Then she leaves the line and takes it to the customer serve.
I felt embarrassed, I became one of those people holding up the line for a quarter.
I thought I would just go in and out and get soap (which would have happened at self check out), but no she continues to belittle and embarrass me. Tells me I photo copied it.
1. who has time to photo copy coupons for a quarter? In color nonetheless, It would cost more to print the damn thing.
2. If I was that desperate why would i be buying the most expensive soap you have, when I could save $ 3 buying a different one.
Cashier picked on me, put me down, yelled at me, and accused me of a bunch of stupid stuff, and then talked about me after I left.
All I wanted was a bottle of soap, and yes to save a quarter.
Now I didn’t fight back, and that probably upset her even more, but really it wasn’t worth my energy.
Nonetheless, I still hate this place.
Zero stars if I could.

Huge ripoff in every way except for sale items. For the prices you pay, you might as well walk to TJ or WF. The only reason why I ever come here is because the lines are short and quick if I’m in a rush. Other than that, if try to avoid this place and just cross 14^th street for better options.

Unpleasant experience. Cashier was extremely rude and snide. Scolded me saying that he was in the 15 items or less line and that I had 18, after I’d put everything on the belt. OK… SORRY, DAD! BUT READ ON…
What came after was worse. Turns out he was so busy scolding me that he did not charge the customers ahead of me for any of their purchase (after swiping their card and everything) and continued to add their purchase onto my bill… meaning I paid for a strangers $ 66 groceries! I was floored that a minor grocery shopping experience came out to $ 138.00! I only had two bags full of items! Sure enough, I checked the receipt and he double charged me. He wasn’t apologetic about it whatsoever either. Management supposedly reimbursed my $ 66 which has not come through on my statement yet. Won’t go back here.

Expensive. Weird. Small. Dull lights, weird exit. Outside the establishment are a bunch of homeless people and the vicinity near the entrance smells like urine. Yuck

Complete and total overpriced shit hole. Mean staff, filthy and gross.

Seems to be a place with a classic New York problem: Owners who are much better at acquiring real estate than at store design, staffing, and management.
But they have stuff I like at pretty-​high-​but-​still-​less-​than-​bodega prices, and are open until midnight. I heart NY?

My experience at the grocery store was not the most pleasant. But after reading the reviews, I must agree, the customer service or moral needs a boost — especially at the register–
For the record, the produces looks fresh and they appear to have alot of options for shopping. I was shopping at 11:30 during lunchtime and was able to get in and out no problems. I purchased 2 boxes of arugula, a bottle of olive oil and 4 granny apples.
I proceeded to check out and as they rung up my apples, i gasp and stated under my breathe, 7 dollars for 4 med apples. Unbenounced to me, the associate at the register heard me and all i remember is her going off on me and started demanding if i was going to buy it or not. I had to pause, take a breath, and kindly ask her to lose the attitude and please bag my grocery’s so i that i can return home to eat.
Listen we all have bad days, some people hate their jobs but having a piss poor attitude in the mist of these possible situations only exasperates the issue.
UGH. I won’t be back again… who needs this energy

Food always fresh — but shopped in store today and had a home delivery. We were heading out for the afternoon so noted in the receipt to leave with doorman.
Got a call from delivery guy when he arrived who was extremely rude and tried to explain that we had noted on the receipt to leave with doorman. Hardly got through my sentence when he hung up on me.
RUDE. UNPROFESSIONAL.

This is where I go when I just want to pick up a few things on my way home. It’s a hop on, hop off the subway.
Yes, I know there is Whole Foods across the street, but have you ever actually GONE there after work? It’s like they dumped the entire population of Grand Central Terminal in there. It gives me a headache just to look at the checkout line.
This place, at least, is never busy or crowded. The selection is decent, if not inexpensive. But I’m mostly looking for a few items from recipes, so I’ve never bought more than 6 items at a time. I always use the self checkout, so I have never encountered any staff. I wouldn’t make this my regular grocery store, but it’s good for what I need.