TOUR: The Fresh Grocer - Washington, NJ

The Fresh Grocer of Pascack Rd

Owner: David Maniaci / Nicholas Markets

Opened: 2020

Previous Tenants: ACME Markets > ShopRite > Vitale Foodtown > A&P

Cooperative: Wakefern Food Corp.

Location: 315 Pascack Rd, Washington, NJ

Photographed: December 2020

Let's review some history. Nicholas Markets owns this store, which was switched to Wakefern's The Fresh Grocer banner in early 2020. Previously, it had been a Nicholas Foodtown, which was remodeled extensively in 2017-18. We saw the store in 2016 here. Before that, it was an A&P from 1998 to 2015, which replaced a Vitale Foodtown which in turn replaced a ShopRite which in turn replaced a 1950s-era ACME. There was previously another A&P at the other end of this mall, which coexisted with the ACME in this location. That A&P was open from around 1960 to 1980. This store was expanded over time from an original 19,000 square foot ACME to a now 45,000 square foot Fresh Grocer, although A&P did the last expansion the building had.

As we'll see, the interior approach is far different from Nicholas' original approach, going for a very high-end experience throughout. You enter to a produce aisle, but at the back is seafood and butcher instead of seafood and deli. Meats line the back wall, with frozen foods in the A&P location of right down the middle of the store; dairy is in the second-to-last aisle. Deli now lines the entire left-side wall with a giant cheese department facing. The bakery remains in the same place as where A&P had it.

The produce aisle is now beautiful. Instead of being weird and empty, it's now vibrant and filled with merchandise. Although the store wasn't crowded at the time of my visit, it's clear it is now a high-volume store.

The front corner of the produce aisle is a "produce butcher," where the cut produce is prepared.

As we can see, basically nothing is left over from A&P anymore.

The seafood department is way larger than it used to be, and even has a special case (to the right) to display shellfish that circulates cold water through the display trays. Very cool!

Huge service butcher is next along the back wall. We'll see some parts of the store are very light on stock but that's definitely just sales volume, since there was a lot of stock out ready to be shelved like we see here. Packaged meats line the rest of the back wall...

We find that the grocery aisles are pleasantly wide, unlike North Haledon for instance, where they're quite narrow.

Nice selection of health and beauty. None of the supermarkets here have ever had pharmacy departments, likely due to the Rite Aid in part of the former A&P at the other end of the strip.

Back over to the meat department on the back wall. Notice that even the aisle markers, which Nicholas had just installed back in 2016, were replaced once again just two years later. And while the drop ceiling remains after the produce aisle, it's been painted a nice dark brown.

Frozen foods in the middle of the store.

There's a small section of dairy on the back wall, with the rest lining both sides of the second-to-last aisle of the store. Notice the light stock in orange juice and eggs, which was in the process of being replenished.

This store has a layout more commonly seen on the west coast, with deli and bakery in the last aisle. That store format was pioneered by Safeway while A&P pioneered the grand aisle concept, with all the perishables departments on one side of the store.

The deli has been expanded to probably four times its previous size, lining the entire side wall of the store with more selections on the opposite aisle and in islands in the middle. A&P didn't have any more than a few cases of cheese next to the deli, but Nicholas has taken the selection to the next level...

The mozzarella-making room is visible to the left above. This store is similar to Uncle Giuseppe's, but more tasteful and less like a grocery theme park.

Deli, sandwich bar, cold prepared foods, hot food bar, and sushi line this wall of the store. Clearly, this last aisle is where Nicholas Markets stores are the most special.

Due to the coronavirus, the salad bar had been converted to yet another cheese display. We can see that here as well as an overview of the front of the deli-bakery aisle.

The bakery is in the same location as the A&P days, but it's been seriously upgraded.

And a look across the front end before we head out! Our next stop will be in Hillsdale just to the northeast of here tomorrow on The Market Report. Come back to check it out!