Goodbye Fairway; hello ShopRite of Pelham Parkway
Fairway Market in Pelham, the last remaining Fairway in Westchester, is being converted into a ShopRite.
It was only a matter of time.
Village Supermarkets Inc. of Springfield, New Jersey, which operates 29 ShopRite stores in New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania, bought Fairway in 2020 when the company announced it was filing for Chapter 11. The Pelham Fairway had not been on the list of anticipated closings at the time – although most of its New York City stores were – and for a while the company was dogged by "are they or aren't they" questions.
That changed in March 2020 when, as reported by USA Today, the Fairway grocery chain filed a motion to sell Pelham along with other NYC stores.
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In September 2019, Fairway closed its store in Nanuet, leaving Pelham as the only remaining store in the lower Hudson Valley.
Now, the building is in the middle of renovations and has, as of Aug. 14, been rebranded and renamed ShopRite of Pelham Parkway.
According to a company press release, the store will continue to offer a large assortment of groceries, including full-service meat department, a from-scratch, fresh bakery, a produce department with a large selection of organic and locally grown fruits and vegetables, a deli featuring Boar's Head products and a floral department.
Most important for Fairway fans: The store will also continue to offer Fairway customer favorites such as the signature fresh coffee program, olive oils and olive bar.
The official grand opening of the 75,000-square-foot ShopRite supermarket is expected to take place when the full renovation is complete later this fall. Despite renovations taking place now, the store is open for shoppers.
But not all customers are happy. Dulce Arnold of Cortlandt Manor said she appreciates Shoprite's reputation for value but doubts they'll carry the wide variety Fairway did. "I'm disappointed about the change," she said. "I know they say they'll carry Fairway's olive oils but they'll probably have three as opposed to the 12 Fairway used to have."
Brooke Stachyra of Yonkers feels the same. "I was shocked when I saw the new sign going up," she said. "I’ve been going to that Fairway for many years. I especially loved the bakery, olive bar and the cheese section. I just hope that I can get the same specialty products at affordable prices but I doubt ShopRite will have the great selection of beauty, skincare and vitamins that Fairway had.“
A company issued press release quoting Bill Sumas, executive vice president of Village Super Market, Inc., says otherwise. “This new ShopRite will continue to showcase the company's commitment to the community with value, quality and service," he said. "We thank our customers for their patience as we prepare the new store and look forward to sharing the ShopRite shopping experience with new and returning customers in Westchester County.”
Established in 1937 as a family business, Village Supermarkets is a member of the retailer-owned cooperative Wakefern Food Corp., whose banners include ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, the Fresh Grocer, Gourmet Garage, Fairway Market and Dearborn Market.
The store, located at 847 Pelham Parkway, is currently hiring for new positions. More information can be found on ShopRite's Facebook page at facebook.com/ShopRite.PelhamParkway.
Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @lohud_food or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Pelham's Fairway Market is no longer; what will take its place
