Original Tenant: Food Fair
Address: 12 Arlington Ave, Bloomfield, NJ
Opened: 1950s
Closed: 1970s
Later Tenants: Mayfair Foodtown > Edwards > 99 Cent & Discount Depot
Photographed: June 2020
Address: 12 Arlington Ave, Bloomfield, NJ
Opened: 1950s
Closed: 1970s
Later Tenants: Mayfair Foodtown > Edwards > 99 Cent & Discount Depot
Photographed: June 2020
We're returning to this store just around the corner from yesterday's ALDI. We first saw this store back in April 2019 (holy cow, that was two years ago already) and I linked to Styertowne, who has fantastic coverage of this location here. I wanted to get back to visit this store myself, if only for my own collection!
Another shot of the storefront. I love this facade but unfortunately the owners have let it fall into disrepair. Not only is the paint peeling off the arches, the arches themselves (which are actually wood, not steel, in this location; perhaps it was an early variation) are beginning to disintegrate.
As Styertowne mentions, the interior has been recently remodeled and functions as a supercenter for the area, with everything from furniture to groceries and home goods. The 26,000 square foot store is very spacious inside, which is helped by the store's extremely high ceilings.
Here's a look at the underside of the canopy across the front. You can see how it's really falling apart. Interesting that this whole structure is framed and filled with wood instead of metal, which seems like a bad idea.
A look inside at one of the grocery aisles. I didn't notice a storebrand being sold here. But that's our look at this former Food Fair! Our next stop is the large supermarket that currently serves this area, drawing from Bloomfield, Belleville, East Orange, and Newark, which is just over the border in Belleville. Head over to The Market Report to check it out tomorrow!
Pretty sure Stop & Shop was here too before they moved down to Franklin Street.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! Hard to picture that wonderful arch with the Stop & Shop logo... I wonder if there are any pictures of this store out there.
DeleteI’m curious myself; I’d wonder what it looked like with the S&S logo on it.
DeleteWhat I remember is that there was a sign from the street corner of Bloomfield and Watsessing that directed people to the store and I seem to remember S&S being on the sign at one point.
Very interesting, and the timing would definitely line up for Stop & Shop to have briefly occupied that space.
DeleteThe current Franklin Street location opened as an Edwards in 2000, so I don't think this would have been a S&S. Unless this was a similar situation to Franklin Park NJ where the old store briefly stayed open alongside the replacement.
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