The Ortley Beach A&P is Now An Acme (Again, Sort Of)

Acme, Ortley Beach (Photo: Daniel Nee)

After decades as an A&P store, the barrier island’s only supermarket morphed into an Acme this week, with a construction crew taking down the large A&P sign on Route 35, as well as on the store’s front facade.

Acme purchased the store after A&P declared bankruptcy this summer, resulting in the closure of three other company-owned supermarkets on the mainland – a Pathmark in Toms River and a Pathmark and A&P store Brick. Of the four stores, only the Ortley Beach store will survive under new ownership. The mainland stores will close later this month.

Acme, Ortley Beach (Photo: Daniel Nee)

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The Ortley Beach store closed for a few days in order to be restocked by Acme. The supermarket remains looking essentially identical – inside and out – and only the signage signaled the change. The store’s pharmacy section will remain open under the Acme banner.

The former Acme store, known as the “Seaside Heights Acme” stood essentially in the same location as the current store. It was opened as a sister-store to the Long Beach Island Acme which – coincidentally – was torn down earlier this year and replaced with a much larger building. After the original Acme closed, A&P (which already had a presence near the same site) built the current store, which is ironically now turning into an Acme.

According to the Acme Style blog, the original Acme and A&P stores may – at one time – have co-existed. The sign that remains in the parking lot today is a leftover from the original Acme store.