I don’t know about you, but it’s the middle of August and I am already yearning for mums and cornstalks. This summer has been one of the hottest on record and time spent indoors has almost exceeded time in the sun. Even the New Jersey beaches have sprouted more umbrellas than in the past. Bring on the changing leaves!
Late last month, Acme Markets celebrated the grand opening of its second store in Ocean City, NJ, this one on West Avenue just off the 9th Street bridge. A former Super Fresh, the store was a disaster when Acme took it over. It is now a sparkling shiny gem in the middle of a very busy section of town. It has all the deliciousness shore shoppers need, including an excellent seafood display and plenty of grab-and-go items. During the ribbon cutting program, donations to local schools and first responder units were made, the store’s department management team was introduced and a bench made of recycled materials was awarded to the Ocean City Historical Museum. Speaking of Acme, president Dan Croce will be the featured speaker at the MAFTO fall retailer dinner on October 6 at the Valley Forge Radisson Hotel. To register go to www.mafto.org.
ShopRite of Brookhaven opened August 12 on the site of a former Pathmark. The 62,000 square foot store is operated by Pat Burns and his able team, who have more than 30 years of experience in the supermarket business in the greater Philadelphia market. This ShopRite store offers a large selection of fresh produce and natural and organic products, along with thousands of sale items each week. The store underwent an extensive renovation to meet ShopRite standards and it is now a state-of-the-art supermarket with more than 40 varieties of home style prepared hot entrees made fresh daily, sushi and Chinese cuisine, salad bar, brick oven pizza, fire grilled chicken, and made-to-order hoagies and sandwiches. The in-store bakery features special occasion cakes, freshly made rolls, breads, and pastries; the meat department offers a service case with trained butchers available for custom cuts and special orders. Other features of the store include: a floral shop; full service deli department with gourmet and grab-and-go items; and a beer garden with domestic and imported beers. The seafood department offers fresh Grade A fish delivered daily to the store along with steam and clean service for lobster and shrimp purchases. The ShopRite of Brookhaven employs approximately 180 full- and part-time workers and will be open 24 hours daily. The Burns team has two more Fresh Grocer stores opening this fall, both of which were formerly Pathmark sites.
It’s that most wonderful time of the year when the little ones are heading back to school. Produce for Kids is encouraging families nationwide to kick off the school year right by pledging to eat a healthier lunch, August 8 through September 23, at PowerYourLunchbox.com. The Power Your Lunchbox Pledge website offers tools and tips for families and classrooms to eat healthier lunches, after-school snacks and weekday dinners this school year. During the campaign, Produce for Kids will be generating a healthy lunch buzz by giving away a Bentology bento box each day and hosting a #PowerYourLunchbox Twitter party allowing Twitter users to join in an hour-long conversation about back to school and healthy lunches. Additionally, families will be encouraged to use the #PowerYourLunchbox hashtag on social media throughout the campaign to share ideas with each other. Produce for Kids’ Instagram and Twitter followers can use the #PowerYourLunchbox hashtag to show off their healthy lunchboxes and have their lunchboxes featured on the Produce for Kids Facebook page. Parents can follow along on the hashtag to see great ideas from fellow parents. For every online pledge, lunchbox-friendly companies supporting Power Your Lunchbox Pledge will make a collective $1 donation to Feeding America programs that support families and children. Classrooms can get involved in the pledge by visiting the PowerYourLunchbox.com teacher resource page that provides teachers in grades K-5 with fun, free nutrition-focused downloadable lesson plans, certificates for their students, take home materials for families, and the ability to take the pledge as a classroom. “Back to school is a great time for families to make a healthy resolution they can carry on through the duration of the school year,” said Trish James, vice president, Produce for Kids. “As a mom of two boys, I understand the challenges parents face when packing a healthy, nutritious lunch for their children and for themselves. The Power Your Lunchbox Pledge was designed to help families tackle this universal challenge.”
The Power Your Lunchbox Pledge campaign gives parents the resources to achieve a great start for back to school, while giving back to other children in need. Since 2014, the campaign has raised more than $15,000 for kid’s health and wellness programs across the country. Partners supporting Power Your Lunchbox Pledge 2016 include: Mexican Hass Avocados, Bee Sweet Citrus, Crispy Fruit Freeze-Dried Fruit Snacks from Crispy Green, Eat Smart Fresh Cut Vegetables, Earthbound Farm Baby Kale, GROW Bananas by Organics Unlimited, Marie’s Dressings, Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice, NatureFresh greenhouse tomatoes, Pero Family Farms Mini Sweet Peppers and Snipped Green Beans, and Sun World grapes with additional support provided by Bentology.
The QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in the U.S., held its 34th annual event the weekend of July 29 at Solberg Airport in Readington, NJ. This year, there was a new addition – the Bimbo Bakeries bear balloon. The Bimbo bear, named Osito, made his big debut at the evening mass ascension. Osito stands 105 feet tall, is 78 feet wide and weighs in at 500 pounds. Each of his ears is almost 12 feet wide. The pilot of the bear, John Petrehn, is a two-time World Hot Air Ballooning Champion. Petrehn said the Bimbo bear balloon is just another way to connect with families as it will put a smile on everyone’s face. “There is a certain magic about shaped balloons. They can turn the crankiest adult into the happiest of kids,” Petrehn said. It’s a fun family event so put it on your “to do” list for next summer. Osito will surely be there.
Mark your calendars as the Food Council Committee for Good Government (FCCfGG) recognizes Tom Cormier of Ahold USA as the recipient of the 2016 Good Government Award at the New Jersey Food Council’s (NJFC) annual Good Government Breakfast, which will be held on September 28 at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, NJ. “Tom regularly volunteers his time, expertise and experience with numerous issues facing our industry,” said Linda Doherty, NJFC president and CEO. “He frequently travels to meetings all over the state to share that experience directly with legislators and provide support for our policy efforts.” Presented annually to an industry leader who demonstrates excellence in public affairs advocacy, the Good Government Award is the most prestigious public policy recognition bestowed on a New Jersey food industry member. Since its formation, the FCCfGG has been instrumental in promoting good relations between elected officials, candidates for office, and the food industry. NJFC members have the ability to learn about the ideas and opinions of their leaders and candidates on a number of issues which may impact their businesses, as well as communicate their views on important issues to the candidates for public office.
The fall season is about to rev up. Don’t be left out of the many trade shows, dinners, and yes, a couple of golf outings! Check out our trade calendar on page 2 for all events near and far.
Birthday shout outs for this exceedingly hot month of August go to: Michael Bozzuto, Bozzuto’s; Marty Delinski, Acme Markets; Ed Rogers, L&L Brokerage; and a special woohoo to industry veteran Frank Frazier, retired from Cargill, who is celebrating 75 years this month! Buon compleanno a tutti!
Quote of the month: “A closed mind is a dying mind.” Edna Ferber