New business opens in place of padlocked shop in Canarsie

It comes just months after the city announced the next phase of the Operation Padlock initiative, which is to work with landlords to put legal storefronts in the places that were padlocked.

Julia Burns

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Jul 7, 2025, 3:06 AM

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Updated 8 min ago

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Habibi Deli and Grill recently opened in Canarsie - replacing a smoke shop that was accused of illegally selling cannabis.

News 12 previously reported back in August that the old shop on Rockaway Parkway was padlocked after the New York City Sheriff's Office said it was selling illegal cannabis.

It comes just months after the city announced the next phase of the Operation Padlock initiative, which is to work with landlords to put legal storefronts in the places that were padlocked.

News 12 spoke with the owner of the new place Habibi Deli and Grill Abdalla Mohmed, who said he's excited to bring something new to the community.

“I hope Habibi’s business is good and I hope the people enjoy it," Mohmed said.

Customers like Debra on Sunday seemed to be doing just that.

“I think it’s lovely, they have good manners, they’re courteous, and they have good sandwiches - the best," she said.

News 12 also spoke with surrounding business owners in the area, likeNaser Farag of 49th Street Electronics and Appliances. He said the new business has been better for the area.

“As a community, as an area, as a customer – it’s better now because the smoke shop customers were young kids," Farag said.

News 12 previously reported Operation Padlock received pushback months ago after a Queens judge ruled that a law behind the initiative was unconstitutional.

As of May, the city says it's padlocked nearly 1,400 shops across the city, claiming to seize more than $95 million in illegal products from illicit stores.