Update: Extra Supermarket!

Extra, a small Newark-area chain, has been rather active lately. Let's take a look at all of their stores to see what's going on! Click on any picture to expand it.

Before we begin, though... why are there two Extra Supermarket chains in the Newark area? If you read my previous posts, I usually attempt to explain the split, but rarely come up with a good explanation not having all the inside information. Here's the best I can do with what's publicly available. Extra started in the 80s in East Orange, adding a few locations across the greater Newark area over time. Apparently, it was a family business, with two relatives basically running the whole thing. And it seems they split in 2018. So Mitchel Lopez, who seems to be one of those relatives, kept stores in Newark's Central Ward and Jersey City (adding one in Elizabeth later). Lopez also owns City Supermarkets. while Maplewood, East Orange, and the store in Newark's Weequahic neighborhood were taken over by another owner whose name appears to be Alberto Mendez. In 2021 or so, the Mendez side seems to have merged with Food Depot. That combined business also had a stake in a CTown in Newark, which they sold around that time, and a Bravo in Dover which became an Extra.

Tl;dr: Extra was a family business, and it split in 2018. One side is now connected to City Supermarkets, and the other is now connected to Food Depot. Here, we're looking at the Food Depot side.

Newark (Lyons Ave)

Opened: 2018 under current ownership; 1990s previously

Owner: unknown

Previous Tenants: ShopRite (1960s) > Pathmark (1968-1986) > Key Food (1986-1990) > IGA (open by late 1990) > Fine Fare (opened 1995)

Cooperative: none; supplied by Krasdale and C&S

Location: 327 Lyons Ave, Newark, NJ

Photographed: June 24, 2026

Let's begin in the Weequahic section of Newark, where the Extra has been undergoing a major project to significantly expand the store and renovate the whole thing. You can see my previous post here. It's coming close to being done, but there's still some ongoing work throughout the store.

The pharmacy hasn't opened yet, and neither has the new deli-bakery island that's being installed. Otherwise, the grand aisle is looking fresh and very nice...

I suspect the deli-bakery island is probably close to being ready to open. When I visited, there were several employees moving around the displays that had been covering it up, possibly in advance of taking down the tarps.

New bread shelving in the back, and it looks like this'll be right across from the bakery counter. Speaking of employees working on the remodel, this guy was pushing a shelf from in front of the new deli-bakery island to elsewhere in the store...

It doesn't look like this refrigeration is new, just repainted. It's looking good, as are the grocery aisles.

And on the right side of the store, the new service meat and seafood counters are fully up and running.

Some storebrand troubles on the burgers, though, as I spotted both Rancher's Legend (Allegiance/Foodtown) and Urban Meadow (Key Food) items. They probably just share a supplier or manufacturer.

The new seafood counter is looking great! It takes up part of the former produce department, which used to be in this front corner. It looks like frozen meat and seafood will continue on the front wall, which has been pushed into the store. I wasn't sure exactly why, but now signage indicates most of the former produce department will be used as a liquor store.

The remodeled front-end and new customer service desk...

Looking really good! And speaking of remodels...

Maplewood

Opened: 2018 under current ownership; by 1998 previously

Owner: unknown

Previous Tenants: Good Deal (1958-1973) > ShopRite (opened 1973)

Cooperative: none; supplied by Krasdale and C&S

Location: 719 Irvington Ave, Maplewood, NJ

Photographed: October 27, 2024 and June 24, 2026

The Maplewood Extra was the first location I covered on the blog, I believe, about a year after I started writing (in 2017). Over the years, it hasn't completely fallen apart but it's definitely become more noticeably dated than it was back then. Heck, that was a decade ago! This store is around 23,000 square feet, plus a large basement -- which you can see if you ever have to use the bathroom in this store -- and dates back to the 1950s when it was a Good Deal supermarket. In 1973, it became a ShopRite, and while I believe it subsequently became a ShopRite liquor store, I wasn't able to confirm that while preparing this post. Extra was open no later than 1998. Above are two pictures of the outside from October 2024, and below from this past week. I wanted to revisit this store and update my pictures, and given the extensive remodel at the Lyons Ave store, I figured I better do it soon. Sure enough...

...it looks like they're preparing to remodel the exterior here too. No sign of a remodel inside yet, though as I said it's definitely about time. It's not in terrible shape, but noticeably dated when you walk in.

This little corner used to be home to kitchenwares and a small seating area, but now it's bulk rice.

So the grand aisle is on the right side, with deli and hot food up at the front, meats lining the right-side wall with a service butcher counter, produce opposite, and seafood at the back. Dairy lines the back wall and frozen is in the last aisle on the left side.

As I mentioned above, these Extra stores are related to Food Depot, and combined, the chain has eight stores. This is the only one that hasn't gotten at least some remodeling in the last five years, so I have to assume that's what's coming.

The seafood department has been cut back in size here slightly since my original pictures. If I'm not mistaken, that's to accommodate slightly more grocery shelving between here and the dairy department. Previously, the left side of the grand aisle was a grocery aisle, but now it's refrigerated produce.

The store remains extremely clean but noticeably old.

New freezer cases here since my original visit, and we can see this sign for "rices" (which are now over by the deli). Again, it looks like this space might've been used to add grocery shelving when the produce department was expanded.

I'd love to see a major remodel here like the Lyons Avenue store, but I don't know whether that'll happen. I think it's maybe more likely it'll get smaller updates, much like...

East Orange (563 Central)

Opened: 2018 under current ownership; 1980s previously

Owner: unknown

Previous Tenants: Safeway (1940s-1950s) > ShopRite (opened 1959, closed ca. 1980s)

Cooperative: none; supplied by Krasdale and C&S

Location: 563 Central Ave, East Orange, NJ

Photographed: N/A

...this location in East Orange! You can see my blog post on the remodel here, and the exterior continues to be under construction. I don't have a more recent picture of the outside, so repeating an old one, but stay tuned.

East Orange (80 Central)

Opened: 2025

Owner: unknown

Previous Tenants: Rite Aid

Cooperative: none; supplied by Krasdale and C&S

Location: 80 Central Ave, East Orange, NJ

Photographed: N/A

While we're in East Orange, here's a look at the newest Extra in a former Rite Aid.

Dover

Opened: 2021

Owner: unknown

Previous Tenants: Bravo (closed 2021)

Cooperative: none; supplied by Krasdale and C&S

Location: 36-42 W Blackwell St, Dover, NJ

Photographed: June 3, 2026

Now out to Dover, to return to the Extra (previously Bravo). This store is just under 20,000 square feet, making it not that large but the largest in the city. This is the only Extra/Food Depot not in the immedate Newark area, but around 25 miles northwest.

Not a whole lot has changed since the Bravo days, but the store is in good shape. After the switch to Extra, it got some freshening up, including moving the seafood department to the front corner next to deli instead of where it previously was next to meat.

To give you an idea of the layout here, this store is on a city street with a parking lot in the back. There's an entrance/exit each and a set of registers in the front and in the back. In these pictures, we're touring from the back entrance, with produce on the left side of the store. Deli, seafood, and hot food are up at the front of the store, with meat in the back-right corner. Dairy and frozen are also on the right side of the store if you enter through the back; the left side if you enter through the front.

The decor remains from Bravo, but it's generally in good shape.

Many of the fixtures here have been updated, too. There are a few places where a little decor refresh could help...

...such as here, at t e butcher. The seafood counter used to be here, too.

Dairy and meats in the last aisle.

It's good to see these stores getting some serious updates. I'm looking forward to seeing how Lyons Avenue turns out, and also how extensive the remodel in Maplewood ends up being. Over and out for now, but see you in New Hampshire on Monday!