Costco Comes to Rego Park

By Tamara Best

Residents in Central Queens looking to buy groceries in bulk now have a new option with the recent opening in Rego Park Mall, located on Junction Boulevard.

And local residents at the store Monday said they are happy to welcome the big box retailer to the neighborhood.
“It’s very good, organized and the prices were good,” said Joe Polanco. “And the location is fantastic because I live around the corner.”

Raymond Tom said he is glad he no longer has to travel to other Costco locations to shop.

“It’s convenient, I used to go to the one in Long Island City. I tried out a new smoothie at the store. It’s good— and cheap too,” he said with a smile.

Though similar to other area locations the 136,000 square foot store will have slightly different merchandise and a larger selection of non-food items such as furniture.

“Rego Park is an absolute melting pot,” said Yoram Rubanenko, Costco’s VP of Operations for the Northeast. In an effort to serve its diverse population, the store is tailoring its food options.

The store features a larger kosher selection and bakery. Rubanenko added that the store will also feature foods popular in Asian, Indian and Hispanic communities. The store also features a one-hour photo center and fresh deli.

Rubanenko added that Rego Park was the perfect selection for a new Costco location.

“There are a lot of people in the area, the average income is good which supports our model and we’re drawing a lot of people out of that market that are traveling to Long Island City or Westbury,” he said. “The access to the area is amazing. And there are so many people who live there.”

As a part of the grand opening the store is selling high-end jewelry from Cartier. The store is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.