Stats
Quick Look
Founded: 2013 Stores: 2 Headquarters: Newark, NJ Trade Region: Essex County, NJ CEO: Storebrand(s): Parade Distributor: General Trading Inc. Website: www.citysupermarkets.com |
History
Super Fine Fare and Early City: 2010-2015
City Supermarket focuses on catering to the neighborhoods they are in. This store, in Newark, NJ, offers a wide selection of international foods, including a Polish aisle as seen here, as well as Latin, Asian, African, and other European items. One unique selection was fresh tortellini from a local manufacturer! Summer 2017
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In 2010, an independent supermarket operator took over two supermarkets in Essex County, NJ. One was a long-closed C-Town Supermarket in Irvington that had been built as a Good Deal Supermarket owned by Sam Aidekman in the 1960s. Good Deal, in turn, sold out to ShopRite operator Village Super Market in 1976 (although it's unclear whether the Irvington location ever operated as a ShopRite). Mayfair Foodtown later opened in the space, closing by the 1990s. C-Town took a portion of the space later, closing by the early 2000s. The other location was a 1960s Stop & Shop that became an A&P in the 1980s before being subdivided and partially occupied by a LaRacca Foodtown by the late 1990s. Foodtown closed by 2009.
Under the corporate name City Supermarkets Inc., this independent operator bought and gutted these two spaces, doing extensive renovations in both before reopening them as Super Fine Fare supermarkets in 2010. Although it is unclear exactly who the owner was, it was most likely Miguel Luna and his son, Brian Luna. By 2013, the two stores were switched from Super Fine Fare to a new banner, City Supermarkets. However, ownership stayed the same, and retained General Trading of Carlstadt, NJ as a distributor. |
Expansion and Failure: 2015-2017
During A&P's 2015 bankruptcy, a new entity was formed with the same management as the City stores called BX&M Food Corp. Evidently only a holding company, it bid on the union-represented Food Basics of Belleville, NJ in the bankruptcy auction. By being simply a holding company with no employees, BX&M was able to escape UFCW's request that A&P-owned stores be taken over by union operators. Soon thereafter, the Belleville store was opened as a Fine Fare Supermarket. However, it was never an official Fine Fare -- it was never added to the Fine Fare website and did not use the Fine Fare Supermarket circular (instead, the City Supermarket circular was modified to feature a Fine Fare logo on the front). Operationally, though, it remained a City Supermarket. Although owner Miguel Luna promised grand upgrades for the location, it failed to win over customers, suffering from a lack of service departments, high prices, and mediocre selections. The Fine Fare closed in February 2017, and has since been replaced by Bell Farms Supermarket, a Key Food store owned by Kevin Kim. Both the Newark and Irvington stores remained open during this venture.
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In the A&P bankruptcy auction, City Supermarkets took over a Food Basics in Belleville, NJ and operated it as a Fine Fare. Originally, it was planned to be converted to City after an extensive renovation; however, the store failed and was sold to Key Food operator Kevin Kim. Summer 2017
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Locations
Locations Listing
Select a location for coverage on the blog. NJ - Belleville - 414 Main St (now closed) NJ - Irvington - 10 Mill Rd NJ - Newark - 525 Irvington Ave |
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