BRICK – Township residents, especially those on the north side of Brick, got good news recently when it was announced that a Corrado’s Market would be opening in the space previously occupied by a Pathmark Supermarket at the Laurel Square Shopping Center. The space has been empty since 2015.
This would be the sixth New Jersey location for the family-owned business that has other locations in Clifton, Denville, Fairfield, North Arlington, and Wayne.
“In this case, Paul Corrado reached out to me to ask if I’d heard of them,” said Mayor John G. Ducey in a recent phone interview. “I asked around to see if people were interested in having a Corrado’s in town, and people were excited about it.”
The mayor said he met many Brick residents who had shopped in other Corrado’s stores and asked if they could come to Brick. “I called (Corrado’s) back and said everybody loves you,” Ducey said.
The chain features imported specialty products, produce, fresh meat, fish, a deli, baked goods and more.
According to Paul Corrado, 40, the Brick location would be modeled after their Wayne store which, at around 30,000 square feet, is about the same size. At 75,000 feet, their Clifton store is the largest.
“Everything needs to be done – there’s going to be some interior demolition on some walls and the ceiling, and (Laurel Square owner Brixmor) is going to deliver a clean floor to me,” Corrado said in a recent phone interview.
Paul and his two brothers, five cousins, father and two uncles own the chain of stores which was started in 1950 by Paul’s grandfather, James, on East Railway Avenue in Patterson. The family is tight-knit and everyone gets along, he said.
“Everybody and their mother asked us to open a store in Brick or Toms River,” Corrado said. Most of the family lives in Bergen County, but one of the uncles and one of the cousins lives in Ocean County, who would be checking on the Brick location.
“It’s rare to hear of a third generation family business being successful,” Corrado said.
He said they hope to have a liquor license at the Brick store and Corrado’s would be bidding on a plenary consumption license that has recently come up for sale. Their Clifton location is the only other store that has a liquor license.
Plans are in the works for yet another location, but Corrado said it was premature to discuss the details.
Last year Shop Rite expressed an interest in opening up a store at the Laurel Square location, but that deal never materialized. KMart, which was also an anchor store there, closed in 2018 and At Home, a home decor chain, now occupies that space.
Since there is no change of use, Corrado’s does not need to go before the Planning Board or Board of Adjustment and they have an eye on a summer of 2020 opening.
Other food stores that are planning to open in Brick include Lidl’s, which will occupy the former Cost Cutters space at the Riverwalk at Brick, and Trader Joes, which will take over the former Ethan Allen Store in Brick Plaza.
