Thousands visit township’s newest supermarket on Sunday morning and throughout day
By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
Clutching coupons, handwritten shopping lists and the grand-opening circular, shoppers en masse thronged to the Weis Market store Sunday, its opening day in the Hillsborough Promenade on Route 206.
”It’s not every Sunday that we open a $7 million store so we thank you for coming,” said Dennis Curtin, the store’s director of public relations.
Weis officials orchestrated one mass photograph as well as a sequence of photos with representatives of community groups posing with a ceremonial check for a donation from Weis. There were youth and high school cheerleaders in uniform and young football athletes in their jerseys.
Hillsborough Mayor Frank DelCore said he was thrilled with the turnout, saying it showed “the community was anxious for the opening and thankful that you’re here.”
Mr. Curtin said later, “This is one of the strongest grand-opening turnouts we’ve ever had.”
Store manager Guss Gaber said he ordered the opening of doors before 6 a.m. because the store’s 125 employees were ready and people were waiting.
Shopper Patricia Eberhardt said a supermarket was needed here since Pathmark closed in 2010. Weis leased the space, gutted it and spent $7.2 million to build an energy-efficient modern store.
”We’ve missed Pathmark for three years,” Ms. Eberhardt said. “We used to count on it on a regular basis.”
She said Weis will fill a need for the northern part of the township, which is growing from a major housing development off Falcon Road. A 400-plus unit apartment complex has been approved for just north on Route 206, too.
Weis demonstrated its community commitment by donating $15,500 to local groups, including $2,000 to each of the township and county food banks, and social action programs run by Temple Beth El, the Women’s Health and Counseling Center and Catholic Charities of Metuchen.
Fire Company No. 2 received $1,000 as did the Rotary Club’s scholarship fund. A total of $3,500 went to youth and high school sports programs.
”We’re a big believer in giving back,” Mr. Curtin said. “Our focus is on hunger and community-based social programs and youth sports.”
Joe Horner, a Rotary Club district officer from Somerville, said Weis surprised the local club the previous week when it gave free ice cream to autistic kids spending two hours to themselves at the Rotary’s annual carnival at the other end of the parking lot.
Weis becomes one of the township’s largest private-sector employers with 250 full- and part-time jobs. One is township resident Bruce Barglowski, who worked “long, hard hours” as a limousine driver before being hired in the frozen foods department on a 40-hour workweek three months ago.
”We treat customers with a utmost respect,” he said. “We’re here to help them in any way we can. That’s what makes us different from other supermarkets.”
After the ceremony, queues formed at the counters enrolling shoppers in the store’ discount tag program. Bakery and deli employees walked around offering samples of cookies, Chinese food and cakes.
Cash registers rang up a steady business. Roses sold for 75 cents a stem. A public address announcement said free bags of groceries would be given to customers in line at designated aisles; the store randomly selected customers for the giveaways all day.
Dottie and George Lukazik, of Hillsborough, walking in from a distant parking space, had planned ahead. She had circled what she saw as good buys on cheese, bologna and Tastycake products, she said.
Ms. Lukazik was, nonetheless, adamant in her loyalty to ShopRite, one of the two major supermarkets just south on Route 206. Weis may interest shoppers with specials and its newness, but she said she thought ShopRite would continue to display its value over time.
Mary McCallen, of Hillsborough, said she came for the sales and to see what the store looked like. She was ready to buy Tastycakes for the kids and tortilla chips.
”The meats look really nice,” she said. “I’ll come back when it’s a little more calmed down.”
Simmone Kosensky, of Manville, also came to check out the store. She scooped up a seedless watermelon at what she said was a great price of $1.99 a pound, and inside picked up a 12-pack of soda at a steep discount.