A new supermarket is coming to Hempstead — and some customers will need only to come downstairs to shop.

Compare Fresh, a smaller-format supermarket, will open in March on the ground floor of the new five-story apartment development, 159 Main, said the store's owner Jose Urena, who also operates Compare Foods in Brentwood.

The 16,000-square-foot store will carry groceries and include a deli, butcher and grab-and-go section with prepared food, Urena said. But unlike many Long Island supermarkets, Urena expects the store to have a greater share of walk-in customers as opposed to shoppers driving to the store and filling their trunks.

The store will benefit from close proximity to potential customers. The new 159 Main development has 228 apartments, which will be awarded through a housi

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