Fairway Market -- 'The Shining Star of the Food World' -- Comes to Passaic County

WOODLAND PARK, N.J., June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Passaic County is truly going to be "Jersey(De)licious" with the 11 a.m. opening this Wednesday, June 6, 2012 of Fairway Market (www.fairwaymarket.com) in Woodland Park at 1510 US 46 and Browertown Road - the second Fairway Market in the Garden State. The approximately 62,000 square foot location offers an exceptional combination of traditional, organic and specialty foodstuffs at great every day prices. It also includes the third Fairway Wine & Spirits store, which will feature over 600 wines and hundreds of spirits, sourced mostly from small estates and artisanal producers.

"We are dedicated to excellence and proud to offer a shopping experience that is unparalleled. And we are also very pleased to have created more than 375 new jobs in a difficult economy," said Charles Santoro, Chairman of Fairway Market and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Sterling Investment Partners, a Westport, CT middle market private equity firm that in January 2007 acquired a majority stake in Fairway Market to substantially expand the company. Since that time, Fairway Market has grown rapidly, opening six more locations and three Wine & Spirits stores. With the opening of the Woodland Park store, the 10th Fairway Market, more than 2,100 new jobs have been added to the tri-state region.

"The number of requests received for a Fairway Market in towns across the tri-state area is truly staggering as this is one-stop shopping at its very best," said Herb Ruetsch, Chief Executive Officer of Fairway Market. "We also make an impact on the communities in which we are located, as we are committed to giving back to the causes and organizations that make a difference in the lives of our neighbors."

"We're confident shoppers will be impressed by what we have to offer, an incredible selection of foods for every appetite and budget," said Howie Glickberg, Vice Chairman of Development and grandson of the founder. "We have raised the bar for food retailers in New Jersey, and with every store we open we never lose sight of the things that make Fairway Market unique and special to millions of people each year."

As customers walk into the Woodland Park Fairway Market, past the beautiful selection of fresh flowers, they are met by magnificent mountains of fresh fruits and vegetables, including a wide array of locally sourced, organic, and exotic items, in the produce department. From there, their senses are greatly heightened by the aromas from the made-from-scratch bakery with its artisanal breads, pies and NYC-style bagels, all KOF-K certified kosher, as are thousands of products in the store.

The seafood department, which is reminiscent of an old style fishmonger, offers the freshest varieties right off the boat packed in ice and on display. The meat department is a full butcher shop where customized orders are its specialty and there is a large selection of pre-cut, kosher certified red meat, as well as fresh kosher poultry. This is also where customers will find Fairway Market's own 21-day, dry-aged prime steaks.

The master coffee purveyors roast coffee beans from around the world. The New York classic deli and appetizing section provides a selection of pickled and cured foods, including more than 70 kinds of freshly bathed and marinated olives, as well as a number of smoked salmon options including Fairway Market's house-smoked salmon. Shoppers will also find a full line and ever expanding number of gluten-free products, more than 100 varieties of olive oils, and a great assortment of organic and natural health and beauty aids.

As for cheese, Fairway Market considers itself to be a driving force behind the state of the artisanal cheese industry in the United States and this department has more than 600 cheeses from which to choose. Hand selected wines, to accompany specific cheeses, will also be on display here and in other key areas of the store. As for specialty foods, Fairway Market is an artisanal food paradise with honey, nuts, dried fruits, candies, sardines, pastas and so many exciting imports from every part of the world, a great deal of which are exclusive to Fairway Market.

In the middle of the store is a 60-seat full service cafe offering more than 50 hot and cold dishes, and stations for chopped salads, coffee, paninis, sandwiches and sushi. The cafe will also be home to food tastings, demonstrations, book signings and other informative and fun events. Customers can also participate in wine tastings and bottle signings in the Wine & Spirits store.

Fairway will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, visit www.fairwaymarket.com or call (973) 339-5103.     

About Fairway Market
Fairway was founded in the 1930s as a fruit and vegetable store in Manhattan, and it is now a growing chain of markets with an expertise in specialty foods. It is also one of the nation's highest grossing food retailers per square foot. Sterling Investment Partners acquired a majority share of the company over five years ago. Today there are 10 food stores and three wine and spirits shops in the tri-state area, employing approximately 3,900 people. In 2007, Specialty Food Magazine named Fairway one of the country's six Outstanding Specialty Food Retailers for the Specialty Food Trade. In May 2008, Fairway was named Consumer Deal of the Year by M&A Magazine. Fairway was also listed on Inc.'s top 5,000 fastest growing private companies for 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Learn more at www.fairwaymarket.com.

About Sterling Investment Partners
Sterling Investment Partners is a middle-market private equity firm that invests in companies with significant competitive strengths and growth potential. Founded in 1991, Sterling has completed investments, strategic or add-on acquisitions, and liquidity events with an aggregate transaction value of approximately $9.0 billion, representing over 100 transactions. Sterling maintains a broad industry focus, including professional and business services, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, value-added distribution, retail, education and training and technology-related businesses.  www.sterlinglp.com 

SOURCE Fairway Market