Super Supermarket
Opened: 2003
We're back in Orange, NJ, right outside Newark for two of today's posts. Here at the Super Supermarket, just outside downtown, the interior has gotten some small updates and renovation since my last post, when it had gotten a new floor. Small, independent stores like this tend to get incremental updates rather than a floor-to-ceiling renovation all at once.
This store is on the smaller side, at around 22,000 square feet, but it's not that small (and is actually the largest supermarket in Orange, which is a small city of around 35,000 people). It's well-appointed for its size, though, with produce on the left side, packaged meats in the back-left corner, and service butcher, seafood, and deli counters on the back wall. Dairy and frozen are on the right side.
The new floor I mentioned has actually been removed, and the concrete under it has been polished. ACME built this store way back in 1957, so I was surprised to see that -- with some exceptions -- the concrete floor is in great condition. The grocery shelving you can see here was installed around 2020, but the lighting is new. The ceiling has also gotten a fresh coat of paint.
Looking at the setup below, my assumption is that some previous tenant here probably had a diagonal service counter aligned with the lower ceiling; that area is now packaged meat.
I'm not in love with this decor, but most of the department signage looks fine. I particularly dislike the blue and yellow poultry sign, though. The lighting in this section is new, similar to what we saw at Vucciria down in Old Bridge.
And this is definitely a busy store. Clearly it has staying power if it's been continuously operating as a supermarket for almost 70 years. After ACME closed around the 1980s, it became a Foodtown, then Super Supermarket in 2003. Super stores are independently owned but supplied by General Trading, and one up near Paterson recently got a nice renovation, too. I wish that decor would've made it into this store, but it still looks good.
Pictures of the service counters, which have gotten all new fixtures, were difficult because of the number of people actually at those service counters. But here's an idea...
The freezer cases are older, but in good shape.
And the dairy cases were replaced a few years ago, so no need to change that.
Even when the changes are small like this, I always like to see independents doing renovations. It's hard to run a small business of any kind, and even more so in an industry like grocery when the profit margins are so small.
A look across the front-end, with sale displays and baked goods in the front-right corner.
Again, I'm impressed with how the concrete floor came out in such an old building. There are a few rough patches, but generally it's in excellent shape.
Some new register lights on the front-end, but no other big changes.
Owner: Ida Lopez
Previous Tenants: ACME Markets > Foodtown
Cooperative: Retail Grocers Group/General Trading
Location: 53 Jefferson St, City of Orange, NJ
Photographed: October 26, 2025
This store is just over two miles from downtown South Orange, where another independent supermarket has recently opened up. That's all for now, but see the rest of this weekend's posts here!
Saturday
- An independent grocer prepares to switch from Foodtown to SuperFresh
- A New Jersey ShopRite expands its kosher department while doing some other updates (this post)
- Dumbo Market and ALDI celebrate openings in New York City
Super Supermarket opened in 2003? I’m surprised since Foodtown closed around 2000.
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