ShopRite operator Village Supermarkets has opened a new store in Old Bridge, N.J., that features several departments borrowed from the company’s Fairway Market and Gourmet Garage banners in New York City.
Village, which acquired the Gourmet Garage banner in 2019 and the Fairway Market chain in 2020, is showcasing both in the new 80,000-square-foot store, which also features a host of other unique amenities.
The Fairway borrowings include:
- A Fairway Market Coffee Bar featuring bulk coffee blends of whole beans displayed in barrels, along with seven different grinders; self-serve specialty beverages such as Americanos, lattes, cappuccinos, macchiato, cold brew, iced coffee, and hot chocolate are also available
- A Fairway Artisanal Cheese department, with an in-house master cheese monger who sources specialty cheeses from around the world
- Fairway’s signature self-serve olive bar.
From Gourmet Garage, which is known for its grab-and-go prepared foods, the new ShopRite offers chef prepared meals, sides, and soups.
Other features include:
- Ruby Foo’s Asian Fusion meals and sushi, which the company said is reminiscent of the former New York restaurant of the same name
- Shuk Kosher Kitchen, with certified kosher grab-and-go meals and a Kosher for Passover section
- Knight’s Loft Café, with in-store seating, named after Old Bridge High School’s mascot, Sir Obie The Knight.
The store, which replaces an older ShopRite in the town, also includes traditional ShopRite offerings such as a full-service meat department, a scratch bakery, a seafood department with daily deliveries, a deli featuring Boar’s Head products, and a floral department.
The new ShopRite also includes a refrigeration system that reduces its carbon footprint by half, the company said, and it also incorporates EcoVision glass doors and EcoShine LED lighting throughout to reduce energy consumption by more than 80%. High-efficiency heating and air conditioning and water reclamation systems further reduce energy consumption, according to the company.
The store had its grand opening on Sunday, and is planning a series of promotional events, including a Midnight Madness sale on Sunday, March 24, with special deals from midnight to 6 a.m., and other events such as oyster tastings and tuna, monkfish, and cod cuttings.
Village Supermarkets, a member of the Wakefern Food Corp. cooperative, operates 30 ShopRite supermarkets in New Jersey, New York, and eastern Pennsylvania, as well as the four specialty markets under the Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market brands in Manhattan.
