As an NYU student, Sammy Nussdorf studied to work in venture capital. Now, behind the guise of his TikTok username @brokebackcontessa, the NYU alum has become the visionary behind one of the most anticipated new eats in the city since graduating from the College of Arts and Science in 2019.
His new store, Meadow Lane, is a gourmet grocer opening in Tribeca which will offer consumers prepackaged food and beverages, homemade grab-and-go meals, craft coffees and teas and floral arrangements.
Last year, Nussdorf, 28, the store’s founder and CEO, began documenting his journey to creating the grocer on TikTok. After nearly 16 months of detailing every step and setback in the process and amassing over 126,000 followers, Meadow Lane is finally set to open in the coming weeks.
Nussdorf studied sociology, psychology and economics during his time at NYU and told WSN that he felt directionless in terms of his career path after graduating. However, growing up in the Upper East Side surrounded by delicious bites, family dinners and an abundance of mouthwatering restaurants cultivated his love for food.
“I was always passionate about food, restaurants and my own cooking,” Nussdorf said in an interview with WSN. “I grew up in the kitchen — that was the center of the home.”
This passion for food led to Nussdorf attending culinary school in Italy prior to his time at NYU, but the idea of Meadow Lane did not appear until one of his favorite places near campus shut its doors. Nussdorf told WSN that he knew he wanted to open a grocery store after his favorite upscale grocer in SoHo, Dean & DeLuca, closed.
It wasn’t until after a few years and a brief stint in Los Angeles that the actualization of Meadow Lane began. Though the idea started as a concept for a flower cafe, Nussdorf observed a jarring, Erewhon-sized hole in the New York City grocery market. There is an Erewhon drink bar coming to New York City later this fall, but it will be inside of a Kith Ivy member-only club — which requires a $36,000 initiation fee and $7,000 annual membership charge — and will not be a grocery store.
“I noticed that there aren’t a lot of prepared foods in New York,” he said. “LA had a lot of good grab-and-go options, and a lot of good produce that I thought New York was missing.”
This realization mixed with his fervor for food allowed the concept of Meadow Lane to be fully realized.
“I’ve always loved cooking for people,” Nussdorf said. “It’s fun bringing people together, plating things nicely and delivering an experience. Through good food, amazing aesthetic and florals, bringing all of that under one roof is like all of my biggest passions in one room.”
And so, Meadow Lane’s production commenced. As Nussdorf documented the steps to opening this grocery store, he also detailed every hurdle and misstep. While the process has been, at times, painstaking, he understands that it has been a substantial undertaking and learning experience.
“I learned so much about construction, bureaucracy, gas authorization, permitting, city agencies, staffing, leadership, time management, patience, how to transition from being a private person to a public-facing person,” Nussdorf said. “Learning every aspect that goes into building a commercial space in New York City is tremendous.”
Nussdorf also hopes to expand Meadow Lane to more locations.
“Now I know for next time the mistakes, the things that worked, the things that didn’t, it’ll make next time easier,” Nussdorf said.
Though the official opening date has yet to be announced, the grocer will be opening to the public in the coming weeks. With thousands of fans and a whole community of New Yorkers waiting with anticipation, Nussdorf looks forward to the big day.
“I’m excited for everyone to finally experience the store and try the food,” he said. “I didn’t anticipate such a cult following with so much attention. It’s truly humbling. I’m honored, and I can’t wait to meet them.”
Contact Dylan Henschen at [email protected].