 Things continued to improve for the grocers, but new chains began to invade the NYC area, and such competition was all at once threatening the gains the grocers had made.In the 1940s, with World War II raging, and both Sol Chalek's sons, Al and Morton, off fighting in the skies over Europe and North Africa in the Army Air Corps, the proprietors approached Mr. Chalek and decided that they would sell his store to someone who agreed to be a member, and Sol Chalek would no longer have a store, but function solely as the head of this new company, Queens Food Dealers.In time, warehouse space was insufficient as more retailers joined the group.