When Acme opened its doors in January, 2016, store manager Patty Suchocki promised the addition of a new oven for the preparation of pareve baked goods. This news was most welcome, as many in the community had been traveling to the Acme location in Passaic in order to obtain pareve birthday cakes for their children’s parties or other special occasions. With the closing of the Passaic Acme, consumers now had fewer options.
It took almost a year for the expansion project to come to fruition, as Albertsons, the parent company of Acme, was busy with their acquisition of approximately 80 A & P and Pathmark stores. As anxious as everyone was to get this project under way, it took major planning. Jimmy Holton, the manager of the bakery, explained that a new oven and sink were installed in the area adjacent to the bakery.
As had been the case at Pathmark, the Acme has a mashgiach temidi, Yaakov Roth, and is under the supervision of the Kof-K. Therefore, it also gets weekly visits from Rabbi Yitzchak Gornish of the Kof-K.
Rabbi Gornish mentioned that it was not easy for the bakers to come up with pareve equivalents of creams that would taste similar to what had previously been served, without compromising taste. Finally a decision was made to make the creams and frostings in the store from scratch. Jimmy presented the efficient way that the cakes, pastries and breads had been separated into categories of pareve and dairy. All pareve cakes are displayed in the showcases. The muffins and cookies that are baked in the dairy oven are in a totally different place. All rolls and breads are baked in the pareve oven. Some are on display in a separate showcase and others are prepackaged immediately and marked pareve with the Kof-K insignia prominently displayed.
Of the consumers who shop at the Bergenfield Acme, the estimated number of kosher customers is 33 percent. Jimmy and his crew take pride in serving the kosher consumer, and they aim to please. As customers walk into the store bakery, the specials are right up front and easy to see.
The baking staff is eager to take orders for any upcoming parties or gatherings. Visit the store at 80 New Bridge Road or call them at 201-385-0053, ext. 3.
By Nina Glick
