The local pioneering health food market and grocery store, The Garden (921 Manhattan Ave.) closed on Friday after 25 years on the corner of Kent Street and Manhattan Avenue citing the rise of online shopping and corporate chains.

A note taped to the front of The Garden on Friday morning stated:

“Dear customers. After 25 years of serving our friends in Greenpoint and Williamsburg, yesterday was our last day of business-aptly Thanksgiving Day. We are thankful for all of our loyal friends and customers, but as many small businesses today, online competition and corporate supermarket chains moving into our area, has forced us to make the tough decision to close our door. Thank you to our neighbors, friends and customers who have supported us over our many years in business.”

The news of The Garden’s closure took customers by surprise as they flooded a Greenpointers Instagram post announcing the news with nearly 700 comments in four hours, with the vast majority of people lamenting how much they will miss having the market as a local access point for fresh food and groceries.

A similarly named Manhattan Avenue independent grocery store, Natural Garden (750 Manhattan Ave.), closed at the beginning of October after approximately 17 years in the neighborhood. A former employee of Natural Garden also cited online shopping as a contributing factor for the business’s decline in sales.

On Friday afternoon, The Garden posted a note on Facebook further explaining the closure:

“It’s time to say goodbye and thank you. After 25 years in the neighborhood, we were losing business to both online shopping and big grocers who buy in huge quantities and can pass those savings on to their customers. While we always fought to keep prices as reasonable as we could, we just couldn’t compete; especially when dealing with local and organic produce. We appreciate all of our friends and neighbors that supported us-both old and new. We will miss seeing you”



Whole Foods, which offers free delivery to Amazon Prime members, opened in North Williamsburg on Bedford Avenue in 2016. Delivery from the new Brooklyn Yard Wegmans, which opened last month, is also available via Instacart for an additional cost.

“Whole Foods isn’t even that close for many of us Greenpointers,” one woman responded to the Greenpointers announcement on Instagram. “I hate this. I will miss their soups, grilled chicken, dried mangos, and vegan pb bomb cake.”