Update: Green Way Markets - Ridgewood, NJ

Green Way Markets
Owner: Robin Estevez
Opened: February 2021
Cooperative: Allegiance Retail Services
Location: 112 N Maple Ave, Ridgewood, NJ
Photographed: December 2021

The 14,000 square foot Green Way Markets of Ridgewood was the first store sold in the Kings bankruptcy that was not part of ACME's purchase agreement of 19 locations. Of the 25, 19 are still in business under the Kings name but under ACME's ownership, 2 are now Green Way Markets (this one opened January 2021 and Maplewood opened October 2021), and 4 are still vacant. Green Way Markets is a brand of Allegiance Retail Services, the cooperative that supports Foodtown and other independent stores; this one is owned by Robin Estevez who owns two other Green Ways and a few Foodtowns, and Maplewood is owned by Adam Shapiro who apparently previously worked for Jack's Supermarkets, which owns four Foodtowns.

We return almost a year (roughly 11 months) after the store's opening to confirm that the liquor department has opened, which it hadn't yet at the time of my first visit. Other than that, there have been virtually no changes inside, although I will say the store wasn't looking quite as good as it did when I first visited. The lighting is a big one -- as I've mentioned, under ACME's ownership, Kings has been updating all of its lighting and it's really noticeable that this store (which is still basically a Kings inside) has its older lighting. A few departments have also been cut back, it seems, with what appears to be less selection in the bakery and with the sushi counter now filled with packaged prepared foods.

I spotted what I had missed the first time around, this outdated Kings floor plan hanging on the wall in the back of the store. This seems to be left over from before Kings' 2012-era Where Inspiration Strikes remodel, which took cheese out of the deli department (front left) and moved it to the newly-expanded produce department (front right), among other changes. Also hanging in the back is the proposed renovation floor plan, for the renovation which was of course supposed to be all done by now. As of early January 2021, the remodel has officially begun but I haven't gotten back to the store.

Let's take a moment to review what the renovation proposes here, which interestingly enough is very similar to what Kings' layout was prior to their Where Inspiration Strikes remodel. The produce department is planned to be tightened back to just a double-wide aisle with the cheese island removed as well. The liquor department is to be moved from the back of the produce department to the grocery aisles to its left, with a register added to the front. Note that this will cut the store down to just four grocery aisles, one dairy aisle, and one frozen aisle -- so it's clear where the priorities are (perishables and liquor). The fixtures in the bakery and deli look like they're going to be replaced, and the former sushi counter will be replaced by single-tiered cheese shelving. We'll keep an eye on this store and I'll be sure to update you all if the remodel progresses! And otherwise, check out what else we have here today.