Mels Foodtown

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

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Jared
Contributor
Posts: 69
Joined: 01 Mar 2006 23:47
Location: PA

Mels Foodtown

Post by Jared »

Anyone remember Foodtown back in the mid 80's? I remember the one in port jeff, i always remember them being VERY busy when I was in one.
Interesting enough I was in NJ recently (neptune) and saw a Norks Foodtown.
maynesG
Veteran
Posts: 322
Joined: 22 Aug 2007 17:03
Location: DELAWARE

Re: Mels Foodtown

Post by maynesG »

Hi, Foodtown was a major player in the ny Metro Area in the 70!,80!s and into the 90!s. They were the retail arm of Twin County grocers and were a co_op, like Wakefirm is and FranKFord Quaker was. On the Island the largest Foodtown owner was Mel!s Foodtowns, they bwere sold to Finast/Edwards. Mel waqs the first name of the owner of Mel !s Foodtowns in Long Island and the owner of MayFair Foodtown, New Jersey!s largest Foodtown Group. Strangely enough Finaqst solf most of their NJ hol;dings to Mayfair and would later buy them back and operate them under the Edwards name. Most of the Pantry Prides when they left the state became Mayfairs. The Panzenhagen Family was a major player in North Jersey operating a mix of old Acme!s , Pantry Prides, and Finast units. Food Circus, are still a major player in south Jersey with a combination of Finast Units and home built stores.
The wheels fell off of Twin County when a major North Jersey owner with former Finast units in Old Tappan. Hoboken and Dumont ( Purcahsed from Panazhagen) and the pre.sident of the owners group, had Mob ties and embeziled a huge amount of money from the company. He turned staes evidence and is now in the Witness protection program Twin closed and the remaining Foodtown group purchased groceries first from White Rose and now fron .Wakefirm.
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