LONG ISLAND CITY — A new hardware and home goods store opened in Hunters Point, something locals said was much-needed in the neighborhood.
Kitchen Plus More, which opened Christmas Eve at 47-17 5th St., sells "carefully selected goods for the home," according to owner Ovidio Teja, a former manager at nearby Food Cellar grocery store. Teja decided to open the shop after hearing customers at Food Cellar say they needed something like it in the area.
"I was working at Food Cellar, we had a small section of home goods there, like small stuff just for the kitchen," he said. "People always asked, ‘Oh, do you know a hardware store? Do you know a housewares store? Do you know where I can find this, do you know where I can find that?'"
The store is located in a former woodworking shop and sells a variety of items, from tools to toasters to towels. The front of the space is home to colorful dishes, glassware and other kitchen supplies like spatulas, garlic presses and loose-leaf tea infusers.
Other home goods include soaps, sheets and down pillows made in Brooklyn. The back of the store is dedicated to more traditional hardware items, like screws, nails, light bulbs and wrenches. Teja said they expect to start selling Valspar paint in the next few weeks.
"It's about time someone opened a hardware store in the neighborhood," said Tali Vaknin, a resident who stopped in at the store recently.
Teja said they try to stock a few kinds of each item, with brands he considers "good, better or best," to give customers options to choose from.
"We're not a Bed Bath and Beyond," Teja said. "We don't have hundreds and thousands of things, we just try to use whatever we use in our houses. Which is, I won't sell it if it's something very cheap and would break.
"I want to give customers value for their money. That's my goal," Teja said. "Good service and good quality and, of course, a very good price. that's the most important thing."
Kitchen Plus More is located at 4717 5th St. in Long Island City. It is currently open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
