John Nash has been running the 7th Avenue Gourmet deli, at the corner of Berkeley Place in Park Slope, for the past 10 years. But following the restrictions on public life that went into place last month because of the spread of COVID-19 in the city, Nash’s sale of sandwiches — usually one of the most popular and reliable items at the shop — has gone down by 80 percent, he tells Eater.
It’s a loss not made up by a rise in grocery sales as locals stock up on milk, eggs, bread, and cleaning supplies like bleach. Nash has had a sharp decrease in business, much like other bodegas in the city. It’s a reality that’s forced hundreds of bodegas across the city to close in recent weeks, representatives from the city’s two main bodega associations tell Eater.
But despite losses, many of the city’s more than 16,000 bodegas are staying open to provide access to people who can’t get to major grocery stores or to serve as an alternative to customers unwilling to brave long lines at places like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods or even longer waits for grocery deliveries.
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