7 Harlem 'Dark Stores' Are Up And Running, New Map Shows

HARLEM, NY — Rapid grocery delivery warehouses have continued their march into Harlem, according to a new map by a local lawmaker who is leading a crusade against the so-called "dark stores."

The map, released this week by City Councilmember Gale Brewer, shows 115 fulfillment centers that have opened in New York City storefronts in recent months as the app-based companies aggressively expand across the city.

Some, including Brewer, are alarmed by that trend, saying the delivery centers darken the streetscape by discouraging public access and risk putting traditional bodegas and food markets out of business. What's more, opponents point out that most "dark stores" seem to violate zoning laws by operating warehouselike businesses in areas meant for typical local retail.

In Harlem, seven "micro-fulfillment centers" appear on the new map, which was created in partnership with the technology organization BetaNYC.

They include three delivery centers on Frederick Douglass Boulevard, three on 125th Street and another on First Avenue, divided among the companies Fridge No More, Buyk and Gorillas.

None of those seven stores is operating in an area that falls under the city's zoning category for warehouses, the map shows.

Here are the locations of the seven Harlem fulfillment centers:

• Fridge No More: 2101 Frederick Douglass Blvd. (near West 113th Street)
• Gorillas: 2280 Frederick Douglass Blvd. (near West 122nd Street)
• Buyk: 2611 Frederick Douglass Blvd. (near West 139th Street)
• Buyk: 5 West 125th St. (near Fifth Avenue)
• Fridge No More: 69 East 125th St. (near Park Avenue)
• Gorillas: 149 East 125th St. (near Third Avenue)
• Buyk: 2269 First Ave. (near East 117th Street)

"These unsustainable quick-service fulfillment centers are gobbling up real estate on commercial corridors throughout the city, and threaten to displace our local mom-and-pop groceries and convenience stores," said Brewer, an Upper West Side Councilmember who first took aim at the businesses while serving as Manhattan Borough President.

Brewer suggested that the city use the map as a tool to crack down on the fulfillment centers operating outside the zoning code.

Amid increasing scrutiny, some of the companies have been racing to alter their storefronts to add small areas open to the public, helping to skirt the zoning restrictions, according to the New York Post. Meanwhile, some of the companies, such as Gorillas, have dropped their promises of deliveries within 10 or 15 minutes.

The proliferation of delivery companies was fueled in large part by millions of dollars in venture capital funding. As that money has dried up, however, some of the businesses have reportedly begun to falter — in fact, none of the New York-based apps are currently profitable, according to the Post.

The 48 Manhattan "dark stores" listed in Brewer's map is an increase from December, when a separate survey by Brewer's office found just 25. The latest survey also found 42 in Brooklyn, 17 in Queens, seven in the Bronx, and one on Staten Island.

Bodega Online, a tech company that works with local delis, said the rapid-delivery apps should partner with existing businesses to create a more sustainable model.

"If new rapid-delivery grocery apps want to improve life in our city, they must partner with bodegas to create a sustainable business model, one that is beneficial to all involved parties," the company said in a news release.

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