Temptation in Every Aisle

Three years ago, the people of downtown South Orange, N.J., staged a candlelight vigil to protest a local injustice. The town of 17,000—which includes young professionals, families and the students of Seton Hall University—had been without a grocery store for more than ten years. Residents marched through town shouting “Got Milk”, to highlight the need for a change.

Now, they are able to put that foot-power to work roaming a specialty food store with more than 13,000 square feet of sales area and more than 20,000 specialty items. Eden Gourmet Cafe & Marketplace— part of the Garden of Eden family of seven stores in New York and New Jersey—takes its cue from an old-world outdoor European market. International specialties are merchandised openly in spacious aisles while customers linger over picture-perfect produce that ranges from the exotic to the familiar. Located adjacent to the South Orange train station and nestled in a newly renovated shopping plaza, it offers the residents a sensory and culinary experience that has long been overdue.

“The South Orange store is a dream come true for us,” notes Mustafa Coskun. “We are no longer challenged by space like we are in New York City—here we have 20 to 30 percent more products as well as the opportunity to do much more—such as a full-service restaurant and classic wood-burning ovens.”

The Coskuns, together with partners Mario Andreani and Stephen Katzman who joined them for the New Jersey Eden Gourmet ventures, see the South Orange location, once a ShopRite, soon becoming the flagship store. After two years and $8 million in renovations, it opened last May, providing gourmet specialties and acting as a retail anchor for a community in need of change and revitalization.

With so many specialty items to choose from, Eden Gourmet is reminiscent of an open-air European market, with each department resembling its own ‘stall.’ The only difference? “There’s a roof over it,” says Kristyn Zylka, director, marketing and public relations.

And it is a far cry from a supermarket. “We did not want Eden Gourmet to feel industrial or for our customers to feel like shopping has to be a chore,” adds Zylka, “We want them to wander the store and stay awhile—make Eden Gourmet an extension of their own pantry.”

Whole pigs and legs of lamb can be found along with chicken in the wood-burning rotisserie. A carving station offers meals such as corned beef and cabbage and house-smoked pastrami. A fresh pasta bar, a New York Garden of Eden signature, offers spelt fettuccini as well as sweet potato gnocchi and blue corn rigatoni. Customers can purchase house-made lamb and pork sausages that are prepared by a third-generation butcher in the meat department.

The fish department includes a live lobster tank as well as whole branzini from Greece and the deli showcases Turkish specialties such as basterma, an air-dried cured and pressed beef with spices, Jamon Serrano and a Portuguese-style prosciutto. Pristine produce displays house ten varieties of peppers, Hawaiian papaya and more than six kinds of melons.

From lime pickles to hemp milk, there is something for everyone. “We try to find the best products out there,” says both Andreani and Coskun. “We have to believe in the item before we put it in the store.”

Best sellers include Roccolo, a cheese from the Piedmont Region of Italy, to Aged Goudas and Cheddars. One popular offering is the Pecorino Testun with Barolo Must, an ancient Italian mountain cheese with a dark ashy rind from the must of Barolo and Nebbiolo grapes. As a service to customers who want to buy more of the cheeses they’ve already enjoyed, the cheese department offers an ‘unofficial Rolodex’ service, notes Epstein. “We help them remember by writing down what they purchase. That way when they come back next time, and can’t remember that great cheese they had, we can recall it for them—it’s like a memory service.”

The retailer stands by being price competitive and also offers a loyalty program for its shoppers. “When customers sign up for the Eden Gourmet VIP/Loyalty card, for every dollar they spend, they receive one point. When they accumulate 500 points, they are sent a $10 coupon,” notes Zylka. The company also sends out special in-store promotions and holiday specials via email.

Eden Gourmet is also garnering attention for its community contributions. In its first week of business, the merchant donated 10 percent of its gross sales to downtown beautification. It sponsors local children‘s sports teams as well as service initiatives with the students at Seton Hall, including a trip last spring to Florida for Habitat for Humanity. Cultural programs such as the Concerts in the Park, a series of four free jazz concerts during the month of July, attracted people from the surrounding area for an evening of music and food.

However, the process of educating many local consumers about the accessibility and range of specialty foods will be ongoing. “Customers might be intimated by gourmet,” notes Andreani. “Getting people to understand that it doesn’t always mean expensive is the challenge.”

Both Andreani and Coskun note customers who shop at Eden Gourmet will receive a high-quality shopping experience and are able to choose items in a price range that meets their specific needs. “When people come to the store they will see we offer olive oil, for example, for $4 or for $50—there is something for everyone.”

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