Just a short walk from Extra Supermarket in Jersey City, you’ll find a cozier, smaller grocery option. This supermarket is part of the Associated Supermarket Group, based in Port Washington, NY, and operates under the Pioneer Supermarkets banner.
Map showing the location of Pioneer Supermarkets of Jersey City, situated near Extra Supermarket in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Pioneer Supermarkets boasts a history in this location that stretches back quite a while. Local residents might remember its earlier iteration as Green Garden Supermarket, a Black-owned business, much like CitiMarket which Extra Supermarket eventually replaced. Later, Hispanic owners took over, rebranding it as a C-Town. Pioneer Supermarkets has been serving the community for over a decade now, opening its doors around 2006. Interestingly, even now, their weekly circular still mentions “Formerly C-Town,” a nod to its recent past.
Exterior view of Pioneer Supermarkets of Jersey City, showcasing its storefront and entrance.
To compete with the larger Extra Supermarket nearby, Pioneer Supermarkets offers a dedicated parking lot, although it’s situated across the street. It’s a common sight to see shoppers carefully navigating the crosswalk with their shopping carts to reach their cars. Inside, Pioneer is a compact supermarket. The layout is straightforward: produce and dairy products line the right-hand wall, meats are located along the back wall, and the frozen food section occupies the last aisle. Notably, Pioneer operates without service counters, emphasizing a quick and efficient shopping experience. Looking at an aerial view from Google Maps, you can spot a small extension at the back-left corner of the store, which houses primarily non-food items, expanding the product range beyond groceries. Let’s step inside and explore the classic interior decor that Pioneer Supermarkets has to offer.
Interior of Pioneer Supermarkets in Jersey City, displaying the entrance and initial aisles with product displays.
Upon entering Pioneer Supermarkets, the initial impression is surprisingly modern. The store features recently installed or refinished faux wood flooring, freshly painted walls, and bright, welcoming lighting. However, a closer look reveals charming vintage elements that have been preserved over time. These nostalgic touches include the original aisle markers and the “met” sign along the back wall – a detail that hints at the store’s long history, possibly short for “meat” from a bygone era.
Close-up of aisle markers and product shelves inside Pioneer Supermarkets, highlighting the vintage decor.
Looking towards the entrance, one might notice some shelves appearing sparsely stocked. It’s unclear if this was a temporary situation – perhaps due to low stock on sale items like avocados on the day of the visit – or a more recurring issue. To the left, a service door provides access to the basement, presumably where the backroom and storage space are located.
View towards the entrance of Pioneer Supermarkets in Jersey City, showing product shelves and store layout.
Behind a display of Marcal toilet paper – a brand based in nearby Elmwood Park, NJ – another department sign, similar in style, reads “Produce.” The decor’s age is an interesting point of speculation; a reasonable guess would place it in the 1970s. While the walls and some elements have clearly been repainted since then, it appears that the panel where the “C” from its C-Town days would have been placed was deliberately left unpainted, preserving a piece of the store’s history.
Vintage department sign for Produce visible behind a product display in Pioneer Supermarkets.
In a humorous observation, the blogger notes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If it is broke, stack toilet paper in front of it,” perhaps referring to a slightly worn or imperfect area of the store cleverly concealed by product placement.
Product display of toilet paper in Pioneer Supermarkets, possibly concealing part of the store's older features.
The entrance and exit doors are pictured, highlighting a positive feature of the store: large windows that allow ample natural light to flood the interior, creating a brighter and more pleasant shopping atmosphere.
Entrance and exit doors of Pioneer Supermarkets in Jersey City, showcasing the natural light inside the store.
Another well-preserved vintage sign is spotted, this one in better condition. The overall feeling and appearance of Pioneer Supermarkets are reminiscent of Met Foods stores, particularly the one in Guttenberg, NJ, which is also part of the Associated Supermarket Group. However, Pioneer is described as being “a little less rundown” than the Met Foods location, even if the decor at Pioneer shows more obvious signs of age.
Vintage department sign inside Pioneer Supermarkets, in good condition, adding to the store's retro charm.
Despite the Met Foods comparison, Pioneer maintains its own identity. The meat department is clearly situated along the back wall, a typical supermarket layout.
Meat department section at the back wall of Pioneer Supermarkets, displaying various meat products.
While the product selection at Pioneer Supermarkets is considered “pretty good” for a neighborhood store, the organization was noted as “inconsistent.” A humorous example is given: canned beans were found in at least three different locations throughout the store, an organizational quirk in such a relatively small space.
Shelves with canned goods in Pioneer Supermarkets, illustrating the product selection and store layout.
A closer look at the aisle markers reveals their unique, somewhat rustic design. The hanging category markers feature ragged edges, seemingly intended to resemble broken wood – a design choice likely aiming for a 1970s aesthetic. Interestingly, despite the aisle marker suggesting “Paper Plates – Soft Drinks,” this particular aisle contained neither of those items.
Close-up of aisle markers in Pioneer Supermarkets, showing the vintage design and category labels.
Aisle with various grocery products in Pioneer Supermarkets, showing the shelving and product arrangement.
Moving to aisle 4, more sparsely filled shelves are observed on the right side. Some of the hanging category markers appear to have been updated or added at different times, suggesting a gradual evolution of the store’s signage.
Partially empty shelves in aisle 4 of Pioneer Supermarkets, with vintage aisle markers and product categories.
Looking towards the front of the same aisle, the view encompasses the store’s length and layout, leading the eye towards the entrance area.
View down an aisle in Pioneer Supermarkets towards the front of the store, showing the overall layout and lighting.
A view looking back along the back wall highlights the meat department once again, emphasizing its prominent location in the store.
Meat department along the back wall of Pioneer Supermarkets, showcasing the variety of meat products available.
The store’s extension along the back wall is shown, revealing that the last aisle of the main grocery area continues to the left, wrapping around the corner from an Entenmann’s baked goods display.
Extension area of Pioneer Supermarkets, showing the continuation of aisles into the non-food section.
Entering the extension area, the front wall of this section is visible to the left. This space expands the store’s offerings beyond typical grocery items.
Inside the extension area of Pioneer Supermarkets, displaying non-food items and store brand products.
Within the non-foods section, “storebrand trouble” is humorously noted, possibly referring to issues with stock or presentation of Pioneer’s own brand products.
Store brand products on shelves in the non-food extension of Pioneer Supermarkets, with a slightly disorganized appearance.
The second of three short aisles in the extension is pictured. In this photo, the continued meat department can be seen straight ahead, indicating how the store sections connect.
Aisle in the extension area of Pioneer Supermarkets, showing non-food items and the adjacent meat department.
The back wall is visible to the right, and a side wall straight ahead in the extension. An enclosed, built-out section is visible straight ahead, appearing to be a storage area not accessible to shoppers, likely for supermarket supplies.
Storage area visible in the extension of Pioneer Supermarkets, suggesting back-of-house operations within the retail space.
Returning to the main sales floor, a view down the last aisle shows the frozen foods section. Notably, beverages are not found in this aisle. Customer service is located towards the front of the store, underneath what appears to be the manager’s office.
Frozen foods aisle in Pioneer Supermarkets, the last aisle in the main section, with customer service area visible.
Frozen food cases in Pioneer Supermarkets, showcasing the selection of frozen products available to customers.
The “frozen foods” sign is acknowledged as being somewhat difficult to read, but given the overall vintage condition of the decor, this is considered understandable. In contrast, the freezer cases themselves appear to be quite new, suggesting recent updates in this section.
Freezer section signage in Pioneer Supermarkets, with newer freezer cases contrasting with older decor elements.
A view of the customer service area is provided, which also incorporates the HABA (Health and Beauty Aids) selections. Finally, a last look at the front-end checkout area before concluding the tour of this Jersey City supermarket.
Customer service and checkout area at the front of Pioneer Supermarkets in Jersey City, including HABA product displays.
The overall impression of Pioneer Supermarkets in Jersey City is that it’s a “nice, but a little shabby” neighborhood grocery. However, its vintage decor is considered a “cool” and unique feature, prompting the question of its true origin and whether it might have been repurposed from a different store in the past.
Pioneer Supermarket
320 Martin Luther King Dr, Jersey City, NJ
Open Mon-Sat 8AM-8PM, Sun 8AM-6PM
http://www.pioneersupermarkets.com
(201) 432-3929
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆*
