Union Market

What Union Market does

Union Market is a privately held, neighborhood specialty grocery chain operating six physical stores across Brooklyn (Crown Heights, Grand Army Plaza, Park Slope North and South, Cobble Hill) and the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The stores are organized into nine merchandise departments — Bakery, Charcuterie, Cheese & Dairy, Coffee & Tea, Grocery, Meat & Poultry, Prepared Food, Produce, and Seafood — sourcing from artisanal and local producers (Balthazar, Stumptown, Ronnybrook, D'Artagnan, and others) and stocking 250+ cheese varieties. The chain is co-owned by founders Marko Lalic and Martin Nunez, employs 101-250 people, and has no disclosed external funding or parent company.

The business generates revenue through four primary streams: in-store grocery retail (the core), a catering service (platters, hors d'oeuvres, breakfast/brunch) with a 50% deposit requirement, online ordering with home delivery (free within a 5-block radius, $25 minimum order, transacted via shop.unionmarket.com), and gift card sales ($25-$250 denominations). Ancillary revenue includes a Prepared Food counter operated from a Brooklyn kitchen staffed by in-house chefs. The technology stack is intentionally light — a standard e-commerce storefront and contact-driven ordering — with no proprietary software, AI/ML systems, or disclosed API.

Union Market's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer neighborhood retail, augmented by online ordering and a catering offer targeted at event hosts. Its customer base is overwhelmingly local residents of affluent Brooklyn and Lower East Side neighborhoods, with modest catering revenue from event organizers and corporate buyers. The company reinforces its positioning through community partnerships (City Harvest, local schools, little league, community gardens) and active social media and email marketing. Its growth posture is organic and incremental — most recently evidenced by a 10,000 sq ft lease signed in Gowanus, Brooklyn in November 2025.

Name

Union Market

Legal name

Union Market

Website

https://unionmarket.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Union Market is a privately held Brooklyn- and Manhattan-based specialty grocery chain operating six neighborhood stores and an online ordering platform, selling artisanal and locally sourced foods across nine departments to local residents and catering customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Grocery Retail

NAICS

Food and Beverage Retailers (445), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic Grocery + Butcher/Bakery/Hot Bar (Integrated Service Counters) (CRAHAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Farm-to-Consumer Cooperative Markets (Local Producer Co-ops) (CRAHALAG)

Keywords

• Neighborhood grocery retail
• Specialty food store
• Grocery home delivery
• Event catering service
• Artisanal food sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: In-store sales of groceries across six departments: Bakery, Charcuterie, Cheese & Dairy, Coffee & Tea, Grocery, Meat & Poultry, Prepared Food, Produce, and Seafood. Products range from everyday staples to specialty artisanal items.
2. Catering Services: Catering menu featuring platters (smoked salmon, cheese & fruit, charcuterie), hors d'oeuvres, and breakfast/brunch options for events. Orders require 50% deposit and 48 hours notice.
3. Home Delivery: Online ordering with home delivery. Free delivery within 5 blocks of any store; variable fee beyond that. Minimum order of $25.
4. Gift Card Sales: Gift cards sold in denominations from $25 to $250, available for purchase online or in-person. Non-refundable, no expiration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Union Market is a neighborhood specialty grocery chain that operates six physical stores across Brooklyn and Manhattan selling curated quality foods across nine departments (Bakery, Charcuterie, Cheese & Dairy, Coffee & Tea, Grocery, Meat & Poultry, Prepared Food, Produce, and Seafood). It supplements in-store retail with an online ordering platform, local home delivery (free within 5 blocks of any store), event catering services, and gift cards, emphasizing local, organic, humanely raised, and sustainably sourced products.

Product overview

Union Market is a neighborhood grocery store chain operating six physical locations across Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan, offering a unified retail experience centered on quality food products. The core offering comprises in-store grocery retail across specialized departments (Bakery, Charcuterie, Cheese & Dairy, Coffee & Tea, Grocery, Meat & Poultry, Produce, Seafood) plus a Prepared Food counter. Supporting services include Home Delivery, Catering Service, and Online Ordering through shop.unionmarket.com, along with Gift Cards. The business model combines physical retail with digital commerce, positioning itself as a premium neighborhood source for fine foods with an emphasis on local, organic, and sustainable sourcing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Union Market Neighborhood Grocery Store Specialty grocery retail chain operating six neighborhood stores in Brooklyn (Crown Heights, Prospect Heights/Grand Army Plaza, Park Slope North, Park Slope South, Cobble Hill) and Manhattan (Lower East Side), offering curated quality foods across Bakery, Charcuterie, Cheese & Dairy, Coffee & Tea, Grocery, Meat & Poultry, Prepared Food, Produce, and Seafood departments for local residents and shoppers.
• Catering Service Full-service event catering offering platters (smoked salmon, cheese and fruit, charcuterie, Mediterranean medley, crudités), hors d'oeuvres (per dozen, e.g., prosciutto-wrapped items and crostini), and breakfast/brunch options sized for groups ranging from 8 to 24+ people, with delivery between 8AM and 7PM.
• Home Delivery Local grocery home delivery service providing free delivery within 5 blocks of any Union Market store, with variable fees beyond that radius and a $25 minimum order, available to Brooklyn and Manhattan customers ordering online or by phone.
• Online Ordering Online shopping platform allowing customers to browse products and place delivery or curbside pickup orders through shop.unionmarket.com.
• Gift Cards Union Market gift cards available for purchase online or in-store in denominations from $25 to $250; non-refundable with no expiration.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• City HarvestminorOthersUnion Market donates food to City Harvest, a food rescue organization. This partnership supports the company's community engagement and sustainability values by helping reduce food waste while addressing community needs.
• Various Brooklyn and Manhattan Community OrganizationsminorOthersUnion Market sponsors little league teams and contributes to numerous local organizations including schools (PS 2, PS 10, PS 29, PS 321, Brooklyn Friends School, Brooklyn Montessori School, etc.), community gardens, children's museums, youth programs, and various nonprofits in their service areas.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Citarella: NYC specialty grocer operating multiple Manhattan/Brooklyn locations focused on premium seafood, cheese, prepared foods, and a full butcher counter. Closely mirrors Union Market's multi-department curated format and premium positioning across the same geography.
• Zabar's: Iconic Upper West Side specialty food market famous for smoked fish, cheese, and prepared foods. Comparable specialty grocery format targeting urban premium shoppers, though historically single-location.
• Bedford Cheese Shop: Brooklyn-based specialty cheese and fine foods retailer with multiple locations. Directly competes with Union Market's Cheese & Dairy department and shares similar premium positioning and Brooklyn catchment.
• Eataly: Italian marketplace concept with NYC locations featuring specialty cheese, charcuterie, fresh pasta, coffee, and grocery. Comparable multi-department premium food retail format combining retail and prepared foods.
• Park Slope Food Coop: Brooklyn-based community-owned grocery cooperative in Park Slope offering organic, local, and bulk foods to member-owners. Operates in Union Market's core geography with overlapping local/organic/specialty positioning, though via a cooperative ownership model.
• D'Agostino: Long-standing family-owned NYC grocery chain with multiple Manhattan locations. Overlaps with Union Market on neighborhood grocery positioning, multi-department assortment, and store-led customer experience.

Broad incumbents

• Whole Foods Market: National premium and organic grocery chain owned by Amazon. Overlaps with Union Market on quality standards and premium positioning but operates at vastly broader scale and with stronger technology infrastructure.
• Trader Joe's: National specialty grocer with a curated assortment and value-oriented positioning. Operates multiple NYC locations and competes for similar specialty-grocery customers, though at a different price point and scale.

Emerging players

• FreshDirect: NYC-based online grocery delivery service specializing in fresh and prepared foods. Comparable on delivery-led convenience and premium positioning, but with delivery-native infrastructure versus Union Market's store-led model.

Regional players

• Greene Hill Food Co-op: Brooklyn community-owned food cooperative focused on natural, organic, and local products. Operates in a similar neighborhood geography with comparable local/organic/specialty positioning, though structured as a cooperative.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Union-Market/153877749635
• Instagraminstagram.com/unionmarket

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Union Market