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This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sammy Nussdorf, the 28-year-old founder of gourmet grocery store Meadow Lane. The company is working to open its first location in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
I never planned on being on TikTok. I’m a pretty private person.
But when I started launching this business two years ago, I realized something: people want to see how things are made. They crave authenticity, vulnerability, and humor. They want to see things from start to finish. And, the reality is, a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to build something like this. I’m in a fortunate position.
So, I thought, why not show people what goes into it, and let them help curate what kind of food they want? I especially wanted their input on what they wanted to see on the menu.
My background is in sociology, economics, and psychology, which I studied at New York University. My first real work experience was in my family office, where I invested venture capital and met with entrepreneurs who were starting businesses. In retrospect, these experiences gave me a good understanding of how people spend money and how trends come to life.
I thought New York could use more prepared food options. So I’m building this for the city.
I use TikTok for marketing and to test ideas
I’m very hands-on, so I decided to do the marketing for Meadow Lane myself. No one has touched marketing except me, and it’s been great. TikTok is my main marketing channel.
I have to carve out time in the day for TikTok, but I also go with the flow. Sometimes, I get super inspired, and I’ll make a crazy, unhinged video in the produce section.
I’ve gotten great feedback. I definitely listen to the comments.
Take our collard green tuna wrap. We made it about 100 times to try to fix an issue: it was holding too much moisture. I asked for help on TikTok. Comments suggested using absorption pads like the ones that come underneath berries when you buy them from the store. Someone else said to wrap the tuna in rice paper to absorb the excess moisture, then wrap the collard greens over it.
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It’s such a good menu item now. People are going to love it.
We get so many ideas like those. If I’m taste-testing and someone tells me a salad needs more beans, we add more. I’m always listening.
Opening a gourmet grocer in New York City isn’t easy
We’ve built a following online, but opening a physical store in Tribeca has not been easy.
It involves a lot of bureaucracy. The space is 2,300 square feet, with a 2,100-square-foot kitchen downstairs. The permitting process has been incredibly slow. As the tenant, you’re at the mercy of whatever city agencies you’re waiting on. I knew it would be chaos, but I was not prepared for it to be this complex.
People keep saying it’s going to be the Erewhon of New York. I don’t mind the comparison, but I think they’re so different.
We don’t have one type of customer in mind. Sure, Tribeca is an affluent neighborhood, so we’re expecting plenty of high-income shoppers, including families and investment bankers. (Citi’s headquarters are down the street, and Goldman Sachs and American Express are nearby.) But, I’ve also gotten comments from nurses and doctors who can’t wait to come here on their lunch break or after their shift. I really do think it’s diversified.
We’re making some items on the menu more affordable to keep it inclusive. The hearts of palm noodles are coming from Hawaii, and they’re super expensive to source, so the menu items with those will cost more. The breakfast burritos, though, are easier to source, and we won’t have to charge as much. I don’t want the store to have an elitist energy.
I don’t want people to think they can’t come in here because it’s too expensive. I want it to be a diverse community.
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