Meadow Lane Brings Luxury Look to Food Retail in Tribeca

It’s rare that a store opens and creates a sensation, but that was the case for Meadow Lane, an upscale food store that debuted on November 19 in Tribeca.

Coverage appeared on CNN, and lines stretched around the block, further fueling the media machine. The reaction felt more like a nightclub than a gourmet food store opening its doors. Expectations were high at Meadow Lane, at 355 Greenwich Street, after TikTok stoked excitement for a space bringing a fashionable layout and display.

Named after Southampton’s Meadow Lane, even the high prices were a selling point and part of the package for a high-end shopping experience, with the store touting a carefully curated culinary experience.

“Shoppers are craving a calm, inviting alternative to the chaos of New York City,” said CEO and founder Sammy Nussdorf. “Every detail at Meadow Lane has been thoughtfully designed to create a modern-day sanctuary—one that fits seamlessly into daily life.”

Building high expectations isn’t easy; living up to them is even tougher. Reviews have been decidedly mixed. But in a world where entrepreneurs have a tough row to hoe, Meadow Lane created a buzz and attracted attention in a city where that itself is an art.

It also offers a selection of brands you often won’t find so easily.

“We’ve reimagined the grocery experience by aiming to offer just one best-in-class brand per packaged goods category, each meticulously chosen for taste and quality,” Nussdorf said at the opening.

Nussdorf sought to create his own high-end food retail store in New York City. He has described himself as a fan of Dean & DeLuca, but also as being inspired by stores such as Round Swamp and Erewhon. During a recent visit, he was welcoming shoppers and managing the sleek store, which looked more like an Apple store than one selling apples.

“It doesn’t look like a regular store,” said Lorraine Dsouza, shopping there for the first time. “Lots of wood. Really well done. It’s very warm.”

However, a small selection makes it more of a specialty store than a supermarket.

“Kind of pricey, but you’re in New York City,” another shopper said.

The selection of Tribeca as the location showed a sense of style as well, on a block that has come of age, blending history and hype, fashion and food.

With a background in venture capital and “a passion for design,” Nussdorf helped launch his family office, Spring St. Group, before launching Meadow Lane. Using the moniker @brokebackcontess, he assembled an army of 100,000 followers, claiming over six million likes, along with paid partnerships with Netflix, Uniqlo, DVF, and Reebok.

He sought to bring high-end design and style to food retail, where fashion meets food. Designer Sarah Carpenter, who has worked with TALEA Beer Co., Two Hands, and Van Leeuwen, took this on as her first gourmet grocery project. The store sports a sculptural light fixture from Apparatus Studio.

Custom sand oak cases by Ciam US hold produce and prepared offerings, with other items on shelves beneath linen-draped windows. The artwork was curated by Sophia Cohen of Siren Projects and Creative Art Partners.

“This may be the first-ever curated art program for a luxury grocer,” said Creative Art Partners Co-founder and CEO Brian Ludlow. “We were instantly inspired to help provide an art program that will be part of defining a new consumer experience.”

The idea of art in the store is admirable, but a visit hardly gives the feel of a gallery or space placing art at the forefront. Meadow Lane also touts a 2,000-square-foot kitchen and floral studio, designing arrangements for custom orders and events.

Some online reviews that referred to the look often gave raves.

“The store itself is gorgeous,” one post on Yelp indicated. “The aesthetics are on point, and you can definitely tell they’ve invested heavily in making it a beautiful shopping experience.”

They sell Cacio e Pepe mac & cheese for $23 and a salad for $27, along with snacks and stop-and-go selections that are not particularly low nor especially high in price. Protein bars sell for $5; organic oats, potato chips, and toddler snacks go for $6; chocolate cherry granola retails for $15; while Tate’s Bake Shop cookies go for $8.

Reviews online also refer to stores such as Erewhon, Happier Grocery, Butterfield, Bi-Rite, and the Epicurean Trader, although Meadow Lane is much smaller than any standard supermarket.

“These are luxury-level numbers attached to items that don’t carry the weight of that price,” one poster said on Yelp. “Nothing about the experience justified the markup, and the store seems strangely confident no one will question it.”

Another reviewer wrote that the food was “too expensive for the portion size… Just go to Fairway or Wegmans, which are both excellent quality and reasonably priced with fantastic pre-prepared foods,” on Yelp.

Still, many specific foods may keep shoppers coming. The caramelized onion dip ($14 before tax) was dubbed “amazing” by one Yelper, who also liked the pumpkin cheesecake pie. Others noted, “there weren’t many options” and recommended “expanding the inventory,” while noting high demand and sometimes depleted offerings.

The store has won fans, as well as others who believe the buzz was masterful, but it’s always difficult for actual results to meet anticipation. Many posters on Yelp praise the store for using TikTok well in their retail rollout.

Meadow Lane (its branded sweatshirts go for $85) has made its mark with a big opening, while time will tell whether that was its big moment or just the beginning of something more.