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Jenifer Rajkumar calls on Whole Foods to hire locally
She said the first priority should be hiring local residents, noting that Ridgewood is home to a diverse and skilled workforce.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 16, Dec 2025
- 14:13 EST
- 15
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Indian American Assembly woman Jenifer Rajkumar / X (@JeniferRajkumar)
New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar urged Whole Foods Market to commit to local hiring, food access and sustained community partnership as the grocery chain prepares to open a new store in her assembly district.
In a statement released ahead of the Ridgewood store’s opening, Rajkumar said the company must demonstrate that its presence will meaningfully benefit local residents and small businesses, stressing that growth should support — not displace — the existing community.
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“As Whole Foods prepares to open its doors in Ridgewood in my district, I call on the company to demonstrate its commitment to being a responsible and engaged neighbor by taking concrete steps to benefit our community,” Rajkumar said.
Growth should uplift our neighbors. I am calling on the new Whole Foods to commit to local hiring, food access, and real community partnership in Ridgewood. https://t.co/d73gXN2cMp pic.twitter.com/bnmb7BDe5m
— Jenifer Rajkumar (@JeniferRajkumar) December 15, 2025
She said the first priority should be hiring local residents, noting that Ridgewood is home to a diverse and skilled workforce. Rajkumar also urged the company to support neighborhood businesses by selling and featuring locally sourced products.
The assemblywoman further called on Whole Foods to accept benefit and assistance cards relied on by many New Yorkers, including SNAP/EBT, OTC cards and other health and nutrition benefit programs, to ensure access to affordable and healthy food for all residents.
“It is essential that the store serves the full spectrum of our community and ensures that healthy food options are available to as many people as possible,” she said.
Addressing food insecurity, Rajkumar urged the grocer to donate surplus food to local pantries and food drives and to partner with ongoing food distribution initiatives across the district, saying such efforts could make a tangible difference for families struggling to access nutritious food.
The planned store will be Whole Foods Market’s first full-sized location in Queens. The Amazon-owned grocery chain has signed a long-term lease for a roughly 28,000-square-foot space on Myrtle Avenue in Ridgewood, converting a former Rite Aid pharmacy into a supermarket.
The move marks an expansion of the retailer’s footprint beyond Manhattan and Brooklyn, where it already operates multiple locations.
The announcement comes amid broader conversations in Ridgewood about development and neighborhood change. Some residents and local advocates have raised concerns that the arrival of a high-end grocery chain could accelerate gentrification and place pressure on long-standing small businesses, while others have welcomed the prospect of increased food options and new investment in the area.
Ridgewood, a diverse neighborhood bordering Brooklyn, is known for its mix of historic districts, immigrant communities and locally owned shops.
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