Lidl might be committing itself to a difficult location. Over the past 25 years, this retail site has seen constant turnover with a series of marginally successful large restaurants such as a catering facility, Duke’s Ocean Grill, a sushi mart with floating boats and Bon Fayre Buffet.

The Zacharakis family is no longer involved with Tappan Plaza; in 2019, Benbrooke Realty Investment Company, in White Plains, purchased the entire property for $7.2 million. Lidl later bought 2.5 acres of the property from Benbrooke for $4.5 million to construct the free– standing store. REIT investors like to see grocery stores attached to strip malls, and the hope is that other tenants of Tappan Plaza will get more foot traffic from an additional $3 million being invested in upgrades tied to Lidl’s involvement in the project.

After two years of negotiation, the Orangetown Planning Board approved Lidl’s site plans in 2022. Then the waiting began. The site has been cleared, all building permits have been issued, and according to the town building department, everyone expects construction to begin this fall. Last year, supervisor Teresa Kenny assured WRCR– AM listeners that financing is not the problem; “they’re maybe a little delayed but they’re still committed to the project.”

Lidl advertises its products as “gourmet” and “healthy and fresh,” and keeps prices low by using centralized suppliers. Items are displayed in their own shipping boxes, which are stacked on racks. Like Trader Joe’s, about 80% of Lidl’s items are store–branded. A typical grocer such as Shoprite might stock as many as 36,000 different items; a typical Lidl might stock about 4,000 items.

The chain operates 12,350 stores and 225 distribution centers in 31 countries; in the U.S., they have stores up and down the eastern seaboard. Lidl arrived in the U.S. with a splash in 2017 with ambitious plans to steamroller local grocery chains, although their impact has not been nearly as disruptive as predicted.

If this store ever opens, local shoppers might enjoy strolling around the stripped–down Euro–style shopping environment. The website thekitchn.com toured a recently opened American Lidl. The aromatic bakery, which sells killer croissants and donuts, is strategically located by the entry doors; there were six aisles for dairy, flowers, fruit and vegetables, fresh fish and meat. Lidl stocks organic, vegan and GF options. Lidl’s website boasts of no–frills shopping for high quality food at the lowest price, and makes clear their company’s commitment to sustainability, fair trade and social responsibility. Reddit gossip from the UK includes too many ultra–processed products and one devotee who thinks Lidl “is too good and I fear for its future.”