The Fresh Grocer
Owner: David Maniaci / Nicholas Markets
Opened: 2020 as The Fresh Grocer
Previous Tenants: A&P > Nicholas Foodtown
Cooperative: Wakefern Food Corp.
Location: 1068 High Mountain Rd, North Haledon, NJ
Photographed: July 2020
Can you believe that behind that facade is a Centennial A&P? Though I can't find the picture right now, it still looked like that when Nicholas Markets took over the store in the 1980s. It was a Foodtown from then until 2020, when it was officially converted from Foodtown to The Fresh Grocer. And if the store looks familiar, that's because we saw it back when it was a Foodtown in 2017.
Because we've already had an extensive tour and the store doesn't look all that different on the inside, we're keeping this Look Inside fairly short.
The store remains absolutely gorgeous on the inside and the outside.
Notice the ShopRite-style seafood price signage and decals on the case which have been newly installed.
Meats (with a punny sign continuing in the Wakefern tradition of "The Meating Place") along the back wall, with deli-bakery in the last aisle.
Mozzarella-making room in the back of the store! And wrapping up with a quick look at the deli-prepared foods selection in the last aisle...
For more interior pictures, make sure to check out the Foodtown tour linked above. As we continue through New Jersey, we'll be seeing Nicholas Markets' other three stores with more extensive tours, so stay tuned for a look at these excellent stores. But for now, we're going to circle northwest out to Franklin Lakes for an independent store tomorrow on The Independent Edition!
Not sure if you noted any difference in pricing (hard to tell as there aren't that many signs in the pictures), but that may have been the reason for changing to Wakefern (as they own the Fresh Grocer name, due to an earlier change of stores under that name to become a member of the co-op) from the former Foodtown branding.
ReplyDeleteWould also explain the ShopRite style signs :)
Yep, I'd assume the pricing was one of the changes. I'm a little surprised about the switch, especially given that David Maniaci was the president of Allegiance Retail. I'm now wondering if Wakefern has their eye on any other Allegiance members (I'm thinking PSK...?).
DeleteThis store was always my favorite store from a very young age, but I've liked it a little less ever since they switched to the Fresh Grocer. I know it's all the same people running it, but I've always had a bit more trust for the Foodtown brand and the chain as a whole. I don't think this is their slogan anymore, but they always stuck to the "Fresh and Friendly" thing.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Yeah, I think Foodtown has phased out the Fresh & Friendly campaign in favor of "Shop Foodtown. That's smart!" I don't know if this was for all Foodtowns, but I've gotten these awesome retro-looking paper bags with the Fresh & Friendly Marketplace logo on them and all the departments in italic behind that at the Foodtowns in Caldwell and Lake Hiawatha. Haven't seen them recently, though.
Delete