ShopRite will hold a grand opening of a new 90,000-square-foot supermarket Oct. 21 at 900 Bloomfield Ave. in West Caldwell, New Jersey, replacing the store’s former site at 540 Passaic Ave.
To celebrate, Sunrise ShopRite, the family business that has been part of the West Caldwell community for nearly 85 years, is hosting festivities for local residents and kicking off the celebration with a community concert and “Parking Lot Party” from 1-5 p.m. on Oct. 19. The party will take place in the parking lot and feature live music from New Power Soul band, food trucks, games, giveaways and family-friendly activities, such as a balloon artist, inflatable corn maze, airbrush tattoos, face painting and a Touch-a-Truck experience.
The celebration continues on opening day with a community parade and special ribbon-cutting ceremony. The parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. from the former ShopRite location at 540 Passaic Ave. and end at the new store in time for a 9:15 a.m. ribbon cutting, which will include local leaders and dignitaries. All are invited to join the festivities.
“It was important to us to include everyone in this grand opening, and we are so excited to celebrate with our friends, neighbors and the entire community as we prepare to open the new ShopRite of West Caldwell,” said Dara Sblendorio, a fourth-generation grocer and president of Sunrise ShopRite.
“The new store reflects and recognizes the commitment of our family, our retail teams and the loyal customers who continue to shop with us – many across multiple generations. With this beautiful new store and our same strong pledge to service and quality, we will continue to grow with West Caldwell for years to come.”
The new store is twice the size of the previous location and offers:
- Enhanced Sunrise Kitchens – Freshly prepared meals and favorite recipes, a made-from-scratch Pizza Shop, sushi, Asian cuisine and a hot buffet;
- Sunrise Cellars Wine, Beer & Spirits – Three aisles with staff to help find the right pairing;
- Community Room – A dedicated space for cooking classes, wellness programs and private events;
- Wider aisles and an expanded parking lot for easier, more convenient shopping;
- Fresh Bake Shop with custom cakes and made-from-scratch breads and pastries;
- Full-service meat and seafood departments with expert butchers and daily-catch deliveries;
- Produce department featuring a large variety of organic and locally grown fruits and vegetables;
- ShopRite’s online shopping service Order.Pickup.Deliver. for ultimate convenience; and
- Premium store brands including Bowl & Basket, Wholesome Pantry and Paperbird.
The ShopRite of West Caldwell has been a family-centered store for generations of shoppers and employees. The former store was also known for its distinctive red pagoda roofline, which was inspired by founder Irving Gladstein’s interest in Japanese architecture and culture. He was a World War II veteran who served in the Pacific theater and made several trips to Japan during his lifetime.
Archival photos showcasing the family history in West Caldwell will be on display in the new location to honor the dedication of multiple generations of family members who built and continue to nurture the business. The new store also will include favorite elements and items like the phone booths that are posted outside the current location on Passaic Avenue.
Sunrise ShopRite’s local roots date back to 1940, when Nathan Gladstein opened his first small food store, Sunrise Market, in Caldwell, New Jersey. Irving, Nathan’s son, took over the business after his father’s death in 1948. He joined the supermarket cooperative Wakefern Food Corp. in 1951 and transitioned his Sunrise Market to ShopRite.
The West Caldwell ShopRite store on Passaic Avenue opened in 1967, and in 1980, Irving’s son Ned expanded the business with the first Parsippany ShopRite location. Today, Sblendorio, Ned’s daughter, serves as president of Sunrise ShopRite, representing the fourth generation of the grocery family.
The new store will be open seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The existing ShopRite of West Caldwell on Passaic Avenue will close at 6 p.m. on Oct. 18.
About ShopRite
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, New Jersey, and the largest supermarket cooperative in the U.S. With hundreds of ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves millions of customers each week.
Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite is fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Since the program began in 1999, ShopRite Partners In Caring has donated $65 million to food banks that support more than 2,500 worthy charities. As a title sponsor of the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, ShopRite has donated $45 million to local organizations, hospitals and community groups.
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