Queens, New York native Katrina Schultz Richter opened Good Neighbor Queens—a grab-and-go food and sundries shop located inside the Falchi Building in the borough’s Long Island City neighborhood—in 2015. A hospitality veteran, Schultz Richter drew on years of industry experience in the city, including at Thomas Keller’s Per Se and as the founder of Queens County Market.
Committed to elevating local makers—from food purveyors to artists and designers, she and her husband, Alexander Richter (who is also a professional photographer) operate as an “all-hands-on-deck” team, she says, partnering on the daily operation of the market and its ever-increasing online presence.
How did your background influence your decision to start Good Neighbor Queens?
Katrina Schultz Richter: I’ve worked in a lot of places—from your corner mom-and-pop shop to the farmer’s market in Union Square and at three-Michelin-starred restaurants. I truly believe in paying your dues and learning from the best before venturing on your own.
What were you hoping to create for Long Island City?
KSR: When we opened in 2015, this area of Long Island City was a food desert, lacking healthy options for quality breakfast and lunch. We started small, with a curated menu selection of delicious food and great coffee and drinks and quickly became known as the neighborhood spot. Eight years later, we’ve added new items and expanded our menu but we’re still the place that knows your name and remembers your order.
Why is it important to you to operate in Queens and be a part of that community?
KSR: I grew up in Queens, and I still reside here. (In fact, our entire GNQ team currently does.) There is such a deeply rich and diverse food culture, which for many years was overshadowed by our Manhattan and Brooklyn neighbors. It was, and still is, important for me to champion our borough’s own producers and makers. Naturally, I founded Good Neighbor Queens in my hometown.
How do you decide on and source the items you offer?
KSR: We take pride in the purveyors and producers we work with, and our goal is to find that balance of sourcing quality products and ingredients, local whenever possible, and offering them at price points that our customers find value in. We also add weekly sandwich and beverage specials to the menu to keep things spicy.
You have also collaborated with several local artists and designers on GNQ merch. How do you find those creators?
Alexander Richter: We reach out to people we are fans of and feel would be a good fit for the store. If they are interested, I shoot them a couple ideas to get them started and let them cook from there. We have been honored to work with world-famous artists like Greg Lamarche (SP.ONE), DCEVE, Queen Andrea, Curve, and Cleofus on a variety of hard and soft goods.
This is part of an ongoing interview series curated by the Hospitality Diversity Action Council (HDAC).