BELLEVILLE –
There’s a new supermarket in town and it’s got the badge of approval from shoppers.
Super Fresh, an offshoot of Key Food, has taken over the former Pathmark, which occupies a 9.63-acre at 81-179 Belmont Ave. in the Silver Lake section of Belleville.
It is the same outfit that opened Bloomfield Crossing, the old A&P, on Belleville Ave. in neighboring Bloomfield in early May.
Key Food Stores Cooperative Inc., founded in Brooklyn in 1937, has a strong New York presence and includes more than 235 primarily member-owned and corporate grocery stores with $2.3 billion in annual sales.
These stores operate under various banners including Food Universe, The Food Emporium, Key Food Marketplace, Food Dynasty, Urban Market, Gala Fresh and Super Fresh in all five boroughs of New York, Long Island, upstate New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
The Belleville Super Fresh opened its doors in June after completing thousands of dollars in interior renovations, including some drywall demolition, installation of new lighting and partitioning and replacement of a walk-in refrigerator during the prior months.
It’s one of 27 such supermarkets scattered around New Jersey.
Pathmark’s closing in November 2015 was a byproduct of parent A&P’s bankruptcy and left 70 employees jobless. But, at the time, township officials were optimistic that another retailer would step in to fill the void.
And they were right.
Ji Moon, a resident of Queens, N.Y., was named general manager of the new store after having worked for the chain for the past years in Jamaica and Long Island, N.Y.
He said the alterations inside the store facilitated the outfitting of space for a bank and pharmacy, along with making plenty of aisle and counter space available for “all kinds of fresh produce, meat and fish.”
“We focused on ethnic foods,” said Moon.
That means a variety of native foods from Central and South America and Asia, among others, “so we cover the international market,” he said.
The store also features a selection of hot foods and sandwiches and soups on certain days for takeout.
“We also offer free delivery to all of our customers,” Moon said. Patrons need not call in advance to request this service.
Super Fresh in Belleville currently has a total of 120 employees who fill a combination of full- and part-time positions, according to Moon.
“And we are still hiring,” he said.
Workers are drawn primarily from Newark and Belleville, he said.
There are plans in place for the Super Fresh store to have a “union shop,” he said.
