Community Welcomes ShopRite of Newark at Grand Opening

The Greenstein family, longtime operators of the Brookdale ShopRite, hope to establish the same type of community-focused relationship they have enjoyed for many years in Bloomfield at their second store in Newark’s Central Ward. A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony this week drew an enthusiastic crowd and a long list of dignitaries from Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno to Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka to celebrate the new store and the area’s continuing redevelopment.

Neil Greenstein, a third generation grocer and owner of the ShopRite of Newark, said his family is very excited to bring its second ShopRite store to Essex County and pledged their commitment to be a vital part of the community and a good neighbor. “We call our Brookdale ShopRite the ‘supermarket with a heart,’ and we plan to bring that same heart, soul and dedication to serve the city of Newark,” said Greenstein. “We are privileged to be part of this community and all the great new development that is happening in Newark.”

At 70,000 square feet, the store offers a broad array of groceries, seafood and produce departments stocking fresh deliveries daily, a butcher shop cutting meat to order, a from-scratch fresh bake shop with store made bread, cakes and pastries, a floral department and pharmacy. The store also features a Halal department and a wide selection of freshly prepared meals customers can take home or enjoy at the in-store café. An on-site dietitian will be available at the store for free, one-on-one consultations, tours or meal planning advice for customers. The online ShopRite from Home® service will also be available.

ShopRite of Newark brings 360 full and part-time jobs to the city and will serve as the anchor for Springfield Marketplace, a much anticipated mixed-use development that will include retail shops, restaurants and 152 market-rate apartments when completed later this year.

“We are extremely excited about the Greenstein family opening a ShopRite in Newark, and becoming a partner in creating ‘Newark 3.0,’” said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “This development will address several critical needs in the city: eliminating a ‘food desert’ in its neighborhood; providing jobs, job training, career development, and prosperity to our residents, and adding to the overall prosperity and economic strength of Newark as a whole. We have been looking forward to cutting the ribbon on this supermarket, our residents have been looking forward to working there, and I am looking forward to shopping at a supermarket that is helping to transform Newark into a City we can all believe in.”

Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins said Neil Greenstein focused his hiring and training efforts on Newark residents while working closely over the last two years with community groups such as Greater Newark Conservancy, the Boys and Girls Club of Newark, and senior and children’s groups in the city. ShopRite of Newark has already demonstrated that commitment by participating in and supporting events and programs at the Conservancy’s Judith L. Shipley Outdoor Learning Center located directly across Prince Street from the store.

“Neil has been a genuine community partner, giving of his time, money and team to make ShopRite an essential part of the city of Newark before the cash register even rings up the first dollar. We know that is indicative of who Neil is and what we can expect from this fantastic supermarket in our city. It’s also a prime example of how businesses should operate in communities,” added the councilwoman.

To mark the occasion, the Greenstein family made a special donation to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. An in-store mural painted by Newark students and coordinated by the Barat Foundation, a local non-profit organization, was also unveiled at the grand opening.

“The opening of this Shoprite signifies a major victory for the residents of Newark, as a once-underutilized parcel of land in University Heights has been transformed into a much needed mixed-use development, anchored by a state-of-the art grocery store,” said Richard Tucker, President and CEO of Tucker Development. “With the remaining retail and residential components of Springfield Avenue Marketplace nearing completion, we’re only months away from fully realizing our vision of creating one of Newark’s most exciting live-dine-shop developments.”

“This project is a great example of public and private partners coming together to meet the needs of the community,” Greenstein concluded. “We are so grateful to the leadership of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and the Newark City Council in helping us bring this ShopRite supermarket to Newark.”