Saving Fairway's Spirit: What New Owners Need To Know About Icon

NEW YORK CITY — The future remains uncertain for more than a dozen of New York City's most iconic grocery stores as the owner of Fairway declares bankruptcy and begins selling off local markets.

Shoprite's owners Village Super Market has promised to buy Fairway's Upper West Side flagship and four other Manhattan locations. What remains unclear is what those stores will look like.

To assist in this endeavor, Patch is collecting advice from the people who know the stores best: New Yorkers

We stopped by the Upper West Side Fairway last week to ask shoppers what they felt made Fairway special. Noriko Haa and Ed Haas both said they came to Fairway for the wide selection at the deli department.

"If they go it’ll be a loss for the community because we don’t have a lot of supermarkets," said Haas. "I don’t know who will replace them”

"We need Fairway," Haa added.

Several New Yorkers told Patch they relied on Fairway for basic staples since high-end groceries abound in the city.

"I’d be happy to have a regular old-fashioned grocery store," Mary Crookstan said. "We have a lot of specialty stores around here."

"It’s the choices," added Alan Korenberg. "We’re down to two or three choices.”

For Miryam Wasserman, who has been shopping at Fairway for more than 20 years, Fairway has become an integral part of the Upper West Side identity.

She loves the cafe, the breads and bagels, fresh produce and fish, but also the grocery store's character.

"There’s something pretty special about Fairway," Wasserman said. "So I’m really sad."

Would you like to help Patch preserve this slice of New York City history? If so, tell us about what makes your Fairway iconic, what needs to be saved, and what needs to change:

Patch editor Anna Quinn contributed to this report.