Greene Grape Opens Temporary Fulfillment Center in Fort Greene

A Fort Greene food mini-empire looks to be expanding — sort of.

Greene Grape has moved into a new space at 9 Greene Avenue, a block away from the two stores they currently operate, Greene Grape Provisions at 767 Fulton Street and Greene Grape Wine & Spirits next door at 765 Fulton Street.

But for the moment, you can’t actually enter the new space.

It’s currently being used as a temporary fulfillment center for Greene Grape’s grocery delivery, mail order, gift basket and corporate gift business, owner Amy Bennett told Brownstoner. In an attempt to bring more attention to local food businesses outside the shelves in the store, Bennett said her mission this year, even before the pandemic, was to expand their mail order operations.

The pandemic made the idea more urgent.

In addition to delivery and mail order, which they began in April, they have also added gift baskets. These can be compiled by maker preference — such as Brooklyn based, BIPOC and women owned — and a corporate gift program lets companies get food to employees in lieu of in-person holiday parties. An increase in orders created a need for the extra space.

“My hope is that this project can grow and replace the jobs lost due to the cafe closure and benefit the small brands we represent,” Bennett said.

After six years in business, Greene Grape Annex, the company’s coffee shop and cafe, closed its doors in April thanks to the coronavirus pause. The briefly lived Greene Grape Scoops & Sweets, formerly located at 680 Fulton Street, was open in 2016 and 2017.

Time Studio, a hair salon that closed in 2020, formerly occupied the storefront at 9 Greene Avenue. Bennett said that she has been thinking about future ideas for the space, including a possible cookware shop, but nothing has been decided on at the moment.

“Though it’s a weird time to do it, I feel like the timing is right in terms of trying to help our partner producers,” Bennett said of the expansion. “Worth a shot anyway.”

Related Stories

• Fort Greene Cafe Greene Grape Annex Closes for Good Due to Coronavirus
• A Look Inside Greene Grape Annex’s New Digs
• Greene Grape Annex Moving to Bigger Space

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