I walk by A-1 deli everyday but have never gone in and am so relieved that I've never spent a single dime at that place. I feel bad for the Lee's, they're in a difficult position.

I hope that the customers come to her defense next time. Also, remind the Lees that they have video cameras, and that they should call the police, and they should tell that bully to never come back to their store.

Wasn't there a post about how dirty the A-1 Deli is?

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She did try at first to say no, but this guy was a big guy and he looked rather bellilgerent. My view was obscured by some of the shelving in the middle of the store, but at one point, I saw a bread roll and some other stuff hit the ground. I couldn't tell if things were knocked over or if they were thrown. In any case, there was definitely an element of intimidation in all of this and it was clear he wasn't gonna leave until he got his money back. I do wonder if he would've tried this if it had been Mr. Lee behind the counter instead. Mrs. Lee was very flustered and she probably figured the best thing to do was get the jerk out of her store before the situation escalated into something really ugly in front of all the other customers.

J. David Hasselhoff....that's NOT his real name, is it?

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I think a former poster on this site had recommended one J. David Hasselhoff, Esq. (of Grove Street).
He might be the man for the job, and I think that he may read these posts from time to time.

I know the green grocer you are talking about. I don't go in often but I have never had a problem. The store keepers, are, indeed very gracious.

I know it doesn't sound like their style, but they are within their right to refuse service to anyone. I do understand that this will lead to more abuse, but they DO have that right!

We need some big, tall, official looking guy to go over there and use some legal language to warn them not to do it again.

That is the most pathetic thing I have heard in a long time. How do people even have the time to come up with these schemes to save $2.50. You won't see me in that deli ever again.

Maybe someone should tip the boys at A-1 off to this thread - perhaps if they see their dishonest ways in print, they'll know their ripoff scheme has been discovered.

It's a shame that they behave this way.

that's sad. the late night guys at A-1 were always super nice to me and knew me by name... but i'd rather not give money to a dishonest business.

Wow. Amazing story.
I agree with you completely about the Lees; that's where I do most of my daily sort of shopping.
I'm sorry to hear that about the guys at A-1, though. I always thought they were OK, and I've gotten to really like one of the guys at their spin-off, Morrow.
You'd think the Lees would just refuse returns from them after awhile.
Makes me sad, sort of. I'd like to think differently of people.

I normally don't actively call for a boycott of any local business. If I have a bad experience someplace, I'll say so, but I don't go the next step and tell people not to frequent a business. I figure people can judge from their own experiences. However, what I saw happen today made my blood boil.

The incident actually occurred at Lee's Grocery, across Grove Street from A-1. I was in there buying some groceries, and while I was there, a heavy-set Middle Eastern man started making a scene and throwing stuff. He exchanged angry words with the guy who normally works there stocking the shelves. Mrs. Lee, who was at the cash register said something about this being the second time he was back making a return today. She reluctantly refunded him $2.50 for some tomatoes - just to get rid of him - and the guy went stomping back across the street to A-1. This was unusual as the Lees are always very nice when customers want to return or exchange something. When one of the customers in the store asked what was going on, she said the guys at A-1 Deli regularly pull this stunt on her. They'll go to Lee's early in the day to buy stuff like tomatoes (I guess they need them for the sandwiches they make). Later in the day, they'll find cheaper tomatoes somewhere else - usually of much poorer quality - switch them with the ones they bought at Lee's and then go back for a refund. She said she knows she didn't sell him the tomatoes he just returned because they were in such poor shape she wouldn't put them on her shelf.

I know every story has two sides, but I believe Mrs. Lee on this one. I've been shopping there for years. Not only are their hours and location convenient, but their produce is cheaper and fresher than the stuff you'll find at Shop Rite. The Lees are the nicest people you could want running a small neighborhood business. Mr. Lee once stopped me from buying some alfalfa sprouts because they were no longer fresh and they hadn't yet gotten around to clearing them off the shelf. I also once stood in line behind a woman who had bought $15 worth of groceries and claimed she had forgotten her wallet and asked if she could come back later in the day with the money. Mrs. Lee let her take the groceries even though she had never seen the woman in the shop before and knew she would never see her again.

I find it totally appalling that one small business owner would regularly take advantage of another small business owner like that. What's even sadder is that A-1 does it just to save a couple of bucks on tomatoes. I haven't been to A-1 in over a year (the place just never seems clean and they never ever turn on the AC, not even on 100-degree days in summer, yet they have perishable food sitting out all day). They just guaranteed I will never set food in their establishment again.