Special Report: Food Depot Supermarkets (future) - Belleville, NJ

Food Depot Supermarkets
Owner: Orfilio Chaviano and Nick Gonzalez

Opening: 2023

Cooperative: Krasdale Foods
Location: 325 Washington Ave, Belleville, NJ

Photographed: June 14, 2023

Food Depot Supermarkets is preparing to open its third store, joining existing locations in Newark and Kearny. The Kearny store is quite nice although much smaller than Newark, and I've photographed it but haven't quite gotten to post it yet. Food Depot is also rumored to be working on a fourth location, in the former Western Beef in East Orange, but I'm not clear on how close to opening that store is, or if it's even happening. More on that here.

This store of roughly 10,000 square feet was built in 1942 as an ACME which closed in the 1980s, and was then a Walgreens for a long time before closing around 2020 to be replaced by a new store at 175 Washington, about a third of a mile south, on a property originally housing a ShopRite turned Pathmark, then an Associated, then the Motorcycle Mall. As we can see, Food Depot's work to the property has been quite extensive, redoing not only the facade but also the parking lot and the landscaping, and I only can assume the interior will be extensively remodeled as well. Looking forward to checking out this store when it opens, as Food Depot's other stores are very well-run good stores. Here's a look at the other Food Depot in progress, along with an update at Shop Fresh in Hackettstown!