From the Queens Courier:
A city investigation pinned a previously problematic deli grocery store in Briarwood with only one violation after multiple residents complained the store was selling “loosie” cigarettes and packs of smokes to minors.
Community Board 8 filed a complaint against the 84th Deli Grocery to the city’s Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) this April, according to District Manager Marie Adam-Ovide. The store, located at 84th Drive and Manton Street, was formerly Stop & Go before new owners took over in late 2008.
According to a spokesperson for the DCA, the city agency issued one violation for selling loosie cigarettes to an adult during inspections this May, but the store was not found to be selling tobacco to minors.
However, numerous violations for selling alcohol to minors — accumulated since 2006 under previous owners — did cause the New York State Liquor Authority to revoke the deli’s liquor license in November 2009, records showed.
The store — which no longer sells alcohol — has stayed out of trouble for the most part since then, said manager Mohammed Ahmed.
Ahmed, who worked for a couple of months under the former owners, said he makes sure his employees always ask for proper identification to avoid repeating problems of the past.
6 comments:
Bodegas are a bane to a minority community when they operate as drug and gun dealers and ripoff the neighborhood familes with high prices. Police Dept pay them no mind especially when these places sell cigarettes and beer to minors.
high prices? Most bodegas are cheaper than your typical deli in a white neighborhood or a 7-11. Sure some grocery items cost more than at the supermarket, because it's a bodega not a supermarket.
I have had business relationships with many bodegas, and never knew any to sell drugs or guns. Although the majority of them used to take numbers back in the day. Not so much anymore.
And this is an arab grocery store, not a bodega.
You should be more concerned with the trouble-makers that congregate outside this deli. I think the owners are afraid to shoo them away. You know what I mean?
It seems like there are a million stores like this in the NYC area and since as far as I can tell none of them seem to do a lot of business, I figure that 90% of them primarily exist to launder money for shadier types of people.
I wish someone would do a story about THAT.
Dont these new people know bodegas selling selling “loosie” cigarettes has been going on since the mid 1960s ?
These stores have been a part of NYC culture forever.
Where else can you buy a cold single can or bottle beverage, ice cream for $1.25 without buying a 12pack ?
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