UPDATE: ShopRite is Coming to Orange

First Selectman Jim Zeoli joined Harry Garafalo of Garafalo Markets today to announce plans for a new ShopRite in Orange, accruing to Garafalo’s post on his Facebook page.

The ShopRite store is expected to open later next year at 259 Bull Hill Ln., the site of a former Stop & Shop. The new, full-service supermarket will be owned and operated by the Garafalo family of Milford, CT, who operate ShopRite stores in Milford, East Haven, Stratford, West Haven and Hamden, CT.

“I’m so pleased today to welcome the Garafalo family and ShopRite to Orange,” Zeoli said during a press conference this morning at Orange Town Hall. “The residents of Orange have been waiting for a new supermarket to come to the community and we’ve been working hard to bring an excellent operator like ShopRite and the Garafalo family to that location. This full-service supermarket will be a great addition to the town.”

Work on the 63,500-square-foot ShopRite is expected to begin in January, with a grand opening anticipated for summer or fall 2016. The store will bring approximately 200 full- and part-time jobs to the area.

“We are very excited about opening a new ShopRite in Orange and we think it’s a great addition to our existing network of ShopRite stores,” Harry Garafalo said during the morning press conference. “We’d like to extend a special thanks to First Selectman Jim Zeoli for working with us to help make this new store a reality.”

In addition to a wide selection of groceries and fresh produce delivered daily, the ShopRite of Orange will feature the free services of an on-site dietitian to help customers shop for healthy choices or specific diets. The new store will also include a from-scratch bake shop; fresh seafood delivered daily; a full-service floral department; pharmacy, freshly prepared foods and a broad selection of ethnic, Natural, organic, and gluten-free products. Customers will also be able to use ShopRite From Home to place orders online and pick them up at the store or have them delivered.

The new store will be outfitted with the latest energy-saving and sustainable technologies in refrigeration and lighting, including LED and T-8 lighting and environmentally friendly refrigerant systems.

Garafalo said an adjacent family-owned automotive repair shop that has been in business for nearly a half century will continue to operate there.

“We are a family business and we plan on continuing the long-standing relationship with our new neighbor and fellow family-owned business. We also hope to open a gas station at the site and we can’t wait to start working on renovating the shopping center for our new ShopRite,” he added.

Original post: The Orange Times reports Monday morning that ShopRite will occupy the former Stop & Shop location at 259 Bull Hill Lane.

The store is expected to lead to 200 new jobs in town and could be open in early 2016, reports The Orange Times Editor Joseph Cole.

Harry Garafalo owns ShopRite’s in Milford, Stratford, Hamden, East Haven, and West Haven.

Read the full The Orange Times story here.