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(Thanks to our friends at Roebling Lofts for sponsoring this video!)
“So where do you shop for food?” has been one of those haunting questions for us Trenton residents for many years. In truth, despite the good efforts of the Supreme Supermarket, for years there hasn’t been a store in town where you’d want to buy food for a dinner party. Sure…if you were having a party and you discovered that you needed to pick up an onion or a quart of milk, or maybe even a head of lettuce…no problem. But if you’re quality conscious, and had the choice, most folks I know would suffer the 16-20 mile round-trip schlep to Wegeman’s or Whole Foods.
Until now.
In June of 2008, the somewhat mercurial Bogopa Food Services Corp opened it’s 12th Food Bazaar Store in Trenton’s Roebling Market. At 67,000 SF, it’s 3x the size of any other food market within Trenton City limits. And the chain has a merchandising and buying philosophy that fits extremely well in Trenton. It targets ethnic buyers: particularly Latino and West Indian buyers with a large selection of fresh produce, high quality meats and seafoods, and an extensive selection of ethnic grocery products.
Prices on meats and seafood are particularly aggressive, and much lower than its Princeton-focused competitors. Indeed, I was surprised recently to run into a friend shopping there. The friend is a woman of Italian heritage from Hamilton Square who’s an artist by avocation, and an EMT to put food on the table for her two kids. She drives the extra 20 miles round-trip because she can’t match the quality and price anywhere closer to home.
The Food Bazaar departments are huge. The seafood department is probably the largest in Mercer County, with a huge self service area for a range of whole, fresh fish, an enormous seafood counter for fillets and steaks, and tanks for live lobsters. The butcher department fills an entire wing.
The store is located in the center of Chambersurg’s Latino Revival, and doesn’t feature just any, generic “Hispanic Foods” section that you find in many local markets. As my long time Mexican-resident neighbor pointed out, if you’re from Mexico or Guatemala, El Salvador, the Dominican, or Puerto Rico, Food Bazaar will have a section of your favorite packaged goods and exotic produce. Many of these items are concentrated in the “Welcome Home” aisle, right down the center of the store. The produce section regularly stocks Latino exotica, from cassava to epazote, and other Latino grocery items are found in abundance on the regular shelves. If you’re planning to cook a Mexican feast, pull out the list of exotic ingredients and run (don’t walk) to Food Bazaar.
For the rest of us, it’s a “shopping experience” not to be missed and a window into the new Trenton.
during my last visit to the meat department it was 91 – 93 degrees outside so of course I was sleeveless but my goosebumps was so uncomfortable I could not continue my selection why is it so cold in there the butchers were wearing flannel shirts and hoodies with the hood up. I needed to leave the meat department select a few more items and then go back. your meat Department has great cuts of meat but I dread having to go in there because of the cold
the this store is great my only problem and it is a big problem I could not get anyone to understand me when I’m asking for direction for any itemit is very very frustrating and it happens every single time I could never get anyone to help me find an item
Wear a coat. The whole store is refrigeratated.
it is great for the selection of hard to find things, but i found they did raise the prices on certain things during the snow storms. i feel like prices on certain things are higher in general and it gives me the impression that they are taking advantage of the fact that there is no where else to go unless you drive. also it is sometimes difficult to communicate with the staff and they need to open more registers when it gets busy. people get irritable when they have to wait for a half hour to check out 5 items.
The best thing about food baazar is the seafood section and the jamican food section. The fresh fruits and vegetables are ok priced but are higher than shoprite or acme. The majority of the food prices I believe are priced higher because the grocery store in in the hood so the raise the prices because most inter city poor people can walk there to use their food stamps. I will continue to only buy my fresh seafood and jamican food. MAIN ISSUE:higher some one WHO SPEAKS ENGLISH…
It’s wonderful, it’severything you say, and the produce is remarkably cheap and fresh. But it is the NOISIEST place you can imagine.
I go in with a list so that I don’t have to spend more time there then necessary,
Thanks for the blogreport. I just got the mailer from food bazaar and seems like they are here to set a real fight to Princetonian price. I am going to check out the store this weekend.
Food bazaar is clean and has everything you could need. Their prices are fair, and the sale prices are just as good as the big chain stores. The staff is helpful. What more can you ask?